Language/Hindi/Vocabulary/Ordering-at-a-Restaurant

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Hindi → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Food and Dining → Ordering at a Restaurant

As a Hindi language teacher for the past 20 years, I have often found that one of the most common reasons that students learn Hindi is to explore Indian food and culture. There is nothing quite like the experience of dining at an Indian restaurant, complete with the delicious dishes, vibrant atmosphere, and friendly staff. In this lesson, we will learn how to order food, ask for recommendations, and handle dietary restrictions in Hindi.

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Parts of the Body & Greetings.

Vocabulary

Before we dive into the dialogue and grammar rules, let's start with some basic Hindi vocabulary related to food and dining:

Hindi	Pronunciation	English
भोजन	bhojan	Food
जलेबी	jalebi	Jalebi (a popular Indian dessert)
दाल मखनी	daal makhni	Daal Makhni (a popular North Indian vegetarian dish)
हल्दी	haldi	Turmeric
गेर्स	gers	Ghee (clarified butter)
चावल	chaaval	Rice

Dialogue

Now, let's take a look at a sample dialogue between a waiter and a customer in a Hindi restaurant:

Waiter: आपका स्वागत है। क्या मैं आपकी कॉफ़ी या चाय लाऊँ? (Aapka swagat hai. Kya main aapki coffee ya chai laoon?) (Welcome. Can I bring you some coffee or tea?)

Customer: हां, मैं एक कप चाय ले लूँगा। (Haan, main ek cup chai le loonga.) (Yes, I'll have a cup of tea.)

Waiter: आपकी मनपसंद वस्तु क्या है? (Aapki manpasand vastu kya hai?) (What is your favorite dish?)

Customer: मेरी मनपसंद दाल मखनी है। (Meri manpasand daal makhni hai.) (My favorite dish is Daal Makhni.)

Waiter: आप कुछ अपेक्षाएँ रखते हैं जो हम आपके लिए तैयार कर सकते हैं? (Aap kuch apekshaen rakhte hain jo hum aapke liye taiyar kar sakte hain?) (Do you have any specific expectations that we can cater to?)

Customer: हां, मैं एक नें-वेजिटेरियन हूँ और मुझे धूम्रपान या नाश्ता के लिए कुछ नहीं चाहिए। (Haan, main ek non-vegetarian hoon aur mujhe dhoomrapan ya nashta ke liye kuch nahi chahiye.) (Yes, I'm a non-vegetarian and I don't want anything for smoking or breakfast.)

Waiter: तब आप दाल मखनी के साथ चावल ले लीजिए। आपका भोजन सर्व किया जाएगा। (Tab aap daal makhni ke saath chaaval le lijiye. Aapka bhojan sarv kiya jayega.) (Then, you can have rice with Daal Makhni. Your food will be served.)

Customer: शुक्रिया। (Shukriya.) (Thank you.)

Waiter: आपका स्वागत है। (Aapka swagat hai.) (You're welcome.)

In this dialogue, we learn how to order food and ask for dietary restrictions. Hindi language has an interesting mix of traditional and modern Hindi words when it comes to the restaurant industry. It's always a good idea to learn and practise new vocabulary that you may need in the future.

Grammar

Let's take a look at some of the important grammar rules when it comes to ordering food and dining in Hindi:

Nouns

In Hindi, nouns have a gender, either masculine or feminine. Nouns can either be singular or plural. For example:

नाश्ता (nashta) - Breakfast (masculine, singular)
चावल (chaaval) - Rice (masculine, singular)
दाल मखनी (daal makhni) - Daal Makhni (feminine, singular)

When ordering food, it is important to know whether the noun is masculine or feminine, so that you can use the appropriate form of adjectives and verbs in Hindi.

Adjectives

In Hindi, adjectives follow the noun that they describe. Adjectives have to agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Here are a few examples:

नमकीन दाल (namkeen daal) - Salty lentils (masculine, singular)
मीठी लस्सी (meethee lassi) - Sweet yogurt drink (feminine, singular)
महंगे समोसे (mahange samose) - Expensive samosas (masculine, plural)

Verbs

In Hindi, the verb usually comes at the end of the sentence. Verbs change their form according to the gender of the subject in question. Here are a few examples:

मैं नाश्ता कर रहा हूँ। (Main nashta kar raha hoon.) - I am having breakfast. (masculine)
मैं नाश्ता कर रही हूँ। (Main nashta kar rahi hoon.) - I am having breakfast. (feminine)
वे समोसे खा रहे हैं। (Ve samose kha rahe hain.) - They are eating samosas. (masculine)
वे समोसे खा रही हैं। (Ve samose kha rahi hain.) - They are eating samosas. (feminine)

Polite Expressions

In Hindi, there are a number of polite expressions that are used when dining in a restaurant. These expressions show respect to the server and other customers in the restaurant. Here are a few examples:

धन्यवाद (dhanayavaad) - Thank you
कृपया (krupaya) - Please
माफ़ कीजिए (maaf kijiye) - Excuse me
शुक्रिया (shukriya) - Thank you

Culture

In Indian culture, dining is not just about satisfying one's hunger, it is about the experience. Indian restaurants are usually festive places, with bright colors, lively music, and decorations. Family and friends often dine together, and it is common to share dishes with everyone at the table.

One interesting cultural aspect of Indian dining is the use of hands instead of utensils. In traditional Indian culture, food is eaten with the hands. Indian cuisine has a number of dishes that are specifically designed to be eaten with the hands, such as dosas, chapatis, and naans. While some may find this strange at first, it is an important cultural practice that should be respected.

Another important aspect of Indian culture is hospitality. It is considered rude not to offer guests food or drink when they visit your home. Guests are always fed first, and it is not uncommon for hosts to go to great lengths to prepare a delicious meal for their guests.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned basic Hindi vocabulary related to food and dining, and how to order food, ask for recommendations, and handle dietary restrictions. We also went over some important grammar rules and cultural practices related to eating in India. I hope this lesson has been helpful in understanding Hindi language and Indian culture. Happy eating!

Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Bathroom & Education.

Table of Contents - Hindi Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Greetings and Introductions

Pronouns and Verbs

Numbers and Time

Questions and Negations

Family and Relationships

Indian Names and Titles

Food and Dining

Common Foods
Ordering at a Restaurant

Adjectives and Adverbs

Travel and Transportation

Indian Festivals and Holidays

Videos

Restaurant में Food Order करने के Sentences | Hindi To English ...

How to order food in restaurant! Urdu / Hindi - YouTube

Other Lessons

Sources

◀️ Common Foods — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Descriptive Adjectives ▶️

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