If you grew up in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia or somewhere else in the diaspora, you probably know the exact feeling of the Sunday WhatsApp video call to India. Your parents hand you the phone, you see your Dadi and Dada or Nani and Nana smiling on the screen, and you freeze. You manage a quick "Hi, I'm good", answer a few questions in English, and awkwardly hand the phone back to your mom.
You understand what they're saying, but speaking back feels impossible.
Your grandparents might not be fully comfortable in English, and you're not comfortable in Hindi. Speaking even a little Hindi bridges that gap, shows real respect, and turns those awkward video calls into genuine conversations.
Here's your survival guide to talking with your grandparents, along with the cultural bits you need to know.
On a call: greetings and check-ins in Hindi
Start strong. Ditch the English "Hello" and use these warm, respectful Hindi greetings.
A quick note first: most grandkids use the respectful āp with their grandparents, but in many families, kids happily say the friendlier tum to their Dadi or Nani. It varies from family to family, so ask your parents what's normal in yours.
- Namaste Dadi / Namaste Dada: Greetings Grandma / Grandpa! (or Nani / Nana on your mother's side)
- Āp kaise hain? / Dadi, āp kaisī hain?: How are you? (to Dada / to Dadi)
- Main ṭhīk hūn: I'm fine.
- Āp kyā kar rahe hain?: What are you doing right now?
- Bahut din ho gaye bāt kiye: It's been so many days since we talked.
Asking about health and well-being in Hindi
Grandparents really appreciate it when you check in on their health. It shows maturity and real care.
- Tabiyat kaisī hai?: How is your health?
- Davāī lī?: Did you take your medicine?
- Ghuṭnon mein dard hai kyā?: Are your knees hurting? (A very common grandparent complaint to check on!)
- Thoḍā ārām kījiye: Please rest a little.
- Dhyān se chaliye: Please walk slowly and carefully.
Mealtime in Hindi: Dadi's love language
In a Hindi-speaking home, and in Indian homes in general, food is how elders show love. Whether you're visiting India or your grandparents are visiting you, meals are the centre of family life.
To get through a meal, you need just a few key words (in their polite forms): chāhiye (want), nahīn chāhiye (don't want), bas (enough), dījiye (give) and dāl dījiye (pour or serve).
Pair these with everyday foods like chāval (rice), dāl (lentils), roṭī (chapati), parāṭhā (stuffed flatbread), sabzī (vegetable dish), dahī (curd), rāytā (spiced curd), lassī (yogurt drink) and achār (pickle), and you're ready for any meal!
- Khānā khāyā?: Have you eaten? Expect this to be one of the first questions on any call. It isn't just about food - it's a warm way of saying "I care about you".
- Maine khā liyā, āpne?: I've eaten, what about you?
- Āj khāne mein kyā banā?: What did you cook today?
- Dāl-chāval dījiye: Please give me some dal and rice.
- Achār dījiye: Please give me the pickle.
- Thoṛā aur chāhiye: I want a little more.
- Yeh nahīn, voh chāhiye: I don't want this, I want that.
- Bas, bas!: Enough, enough! (Essential when Dadi is trying to overfeed you!)
- Bahut swādisht hai!: It's delicious!
- Peṭ bhar gayā: I'm full.
Sharing your daily life (school and work)
Grandparents love hearing about your day, even if it's just ordinary details about school or work. Keep it simple and relatable.
- Āj school jaldī chhūṭ gayā: School finished early today.
- Āj bahut kām hai: I have a lot of work today.
- Kal chhuṭṭī hai: Tomorrow is a holiday.
- Āj bāhar gaye the kyā?: Did you go out today?
- Āp TV dekh rahe hain kyā?: Are you watching TV right now?
Showing affection and saying goodbye
Distance is hard for diaspora families. These phrases help close the gap between you and your grandparents as you wrap up the call.
- Āpkī bahut yād ātī hai: I miss you a lot.
- Jaldī yahān āiye: Come and visit us soon.
- Ham jaldī vahān āenge: We'll come there (to India) soon.
- Mummy ko phone de rahā hūn / de rahī hūn: I'm passing the phone to Mom now (man / woman). The perfect move when you run out of things to say!
- Achhā, phone rakhtā hūn / rakhtī hūn: Okay, I'll hang up now (man / woman). The classic way to end a phone call in Hindi - and expect at least two more rounds of goodbyes before anyone actually does!
Ready to surprise your grandparents with your Hindi?
You don't need to be fluent to bring tears of joy to your grandparents' eyes. Using just a few of these phrases on your next WhatsApp call will make them incredibly proud of you for keeping your heritage alive.
If you want to progress from phrases and words to having real conversations in Hindi, a bit of structure makes a big difference. Start with Bhashafy's Complete Hindi Course for Beginners and see how far a little consistency can take you.
Bhashafy has over 20,000 satisfied learners across 100+ countries and millions of minutes of lessons taught. Bhashafy's courses are some of the most widely used, highly rated and bestselling courses for Indian languages across the world.
Thank you, or as we say in Hindi - Dhanyavaad!
