Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| भारतीय | bhārtīya | /bʱɑːɾ.t̪iː.jᵊ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| हिन्दुस्तानी | hindustānī | /ɦɪn.d̪ʊs.t̪ɑː.niː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| हिन्दी | hindī | /ɦɪn.d̪iː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
When you want to describe something related to the nation of India, such as its government, constitution or official identity, use the adjective भारतीय. As a noun, भारतीय can also refer to a person from India.
Which one should you use?
The term भारतीय is the standard adjective for official or national contexts. In contrast, हिन्दुस्तानी is a more colloquial term often used to refer to people or cultural elements, such as music, from the Indian subcontinent. When referring to a person from India as a noun, you might also hear the transliterated English word इंडियन in casual settings.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as bhārtīya (/bʱɑːɾ.t̪iː.jᵊ/). It has three syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use हिन्दी to mean 'Indian' in a general sense. हिन्दी specifically refers to the Hindi language.
Did you know?
- The word भारतीय shares its root with the Sanskrit name भारत, which refers to a legendary king from ancient texts. This connects the modern identity of the nation to a mythological figure.
- The name भारत is not just a name for the country but remains a very popular given name for boys in India. This links a person's name directly to the identity of the nation.
- The suffix -ीय in भारतीय performs the same linguistic task as the English suffix '-ian'. It transforms the noun into an adjective expressing belonging or origin.
Examples in context
- मेरा दोस्त भारतीय है।My friend is Indian.This sentence uses भारतीय to describe a person's nationality.Tatoeba #3620908 by sabretou, translation #791250 by CN
- भारतीय दूतावास कहाँ है?Where is the Indian embassy?This sentence uses भारतीय to refer to an official institution.Tatoeba #3620913 by sabretou, translation #1759377 by loghaD
- उसे भारतीय खाना पसंद है।He likes Indian food.This sentence uses भारतीय to describe a type of cuisine.Tatoeba #3620912 by sabretou, translation #1916141 by Spamster
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Neha and Rahul are discussing their upcoming trip to Delhi.
- नेहा Nehaक्या तुम्हें भारतीय संस्कृति पसंद है?Kya tumhein bhāratīya sanskriti pasand hai?Do you like Indian culture?
- राहुल Rahulहाँ, मुझे भारतीय इतिहास बहुत अच्छा लगता है।Haan, mujhe bhāratīya itihās bahut achchā lagtā hai.Yes, I like Indian history very much.
- नेहा Nehaराहुल, क्या तुम भारतीय मुद्रा बदल लोगे?Rahul, kya tum bhāratīya mudrā badal loge?Rahul, will you exchange the Indian currency?
- राहुल Rahulहाँ नेहा, मैं यह कर दूँगा।Haan Neha, main yeh kar dūngā.Yes Neha, I will do that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “indian” translations and entries भारतीय, हिन्दुस्तानी, हिन्दी, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries भारतीय, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
