Learn how to talk Bengali
Bengali Greetings, Bengali Foods, and many more in a beginning course to the Bengali Language for Non-Bengali and foreign travellers to Bengal.
Are you planning a visit to Bengal but hesitating since you do not know the Bengali language? Well, BengalSpider is here to provide you with the Basic Bengali Lessons. Also, in most places of Bengal, people understand Hindi and English; so if you manage to learn just these first lessons of Bengali, you will surely have no problem in travelling around Bengal.Basic Bengali Words for Greetings
Please / Kindly / Would you please: Dayaa kore / Onugroho Kore
Excuse me: Ektu Shunben
Hello / Hi: Namoskaar
My name is XYZ: Aamaar naam XYZ
What is your name: Aapnaar naam ki
May I know your name: Aapnaar naam jaante paari ki
I could not understand: Aami bujhte paarlaam naa
What is the time: Kataa baaje
Thank you / Many many thanks: Dhonnobaad / Anek anek dhonnobaad
See you later: Pare dekhaa hobeBasic Bengali Words for On-road Situations
Where is this hotel: Ei hotel taa kondike
Please speak slowly: Dayaa kore aaste aaste bolun
I do not know Bengali well: Aami Baanglaa bhaalo jaani naa
Please speak English: Dayaa kore ingrejite bolun
(To rickshaw pullers, cab drivers and the like)Will you go on a hire: Bhaaraa jaaben
I am in trouble:Aami bipade porechhi
Where is the nearest police station: Kaachher thaanaa taa kondikeBasic Bengali Words for Foods
I am a vegetarian: Aami niraamish khaai
I am a non-vegetarian: Aami aamish khaai
(Showing something) I will take this: Aami eitaa nite chaai
Tea / coffee / Rice / Bread / Butter / Milk / Sugar / Egg / Fish / Meat: Chaa / Coffee / Bhaat / Ruti / Maakhon / Dudh / Chini / Dim / Maachh / Maangsho
How much does this cost: Etaar daam kato
This is too costly: Etaa beshi daami / Etaar daam khub beshi
Key to Pronunciations of Bengali Sounds
'aa' as in 'Aami': Similar to the 'a' sound in 'father'.
'a' as in 'Bipade': Similar to the 'o' sound in 'pot'.
'e' as in 'Bipade': Similar to the 'e' sound in 'pen'.
'i' as in 'Aami': Similar to the 'i' sound in 'pin'.
'o' as in 'Onugroho': Similar to the 'o' sound in 'omen'.
'u' as in 'Bolun': Similar to the 'u' sound in 'put'.
'ch' as in 'Chai': Similar to the 'ch' sound in 'chalk'.
'chh' as in 'Porechhi': aspirate 'ch' sound which exists not as a different phoneme in English but an allophone of the 'ch' phoneme. Can be viewed as a compound of the 'ch' sound in 'chalk' and the 'h' sound in 'horse'.
