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India · Phrasebook

India — Phrasebook for Adult Engagements

Essential phrases for navigating India: greetings, pricing, safety, and exit vocabulary. India primarily speaks Hindi, English; many regional languages.

Currency

Indian Rupee (INR)

Emergency

112 (universal); 100 police, 108 medical

Languages

Hindi, English; many regional languages

Core Phrases

English Local Pronunciation
Hello Namaste nuh-mas-TAY
Thank you Dhanyavad / Shukriya dhun-YA-vahd / shook-REE-yah
How much? Kitna? KIT-nah

Adult-Engagement Phrases (Translate Locally)

These phrases need to be translated in your destination — most providers and translation apps handle them fine. Showing what you want communicated, not the local form.

  • "How much for one hour?"

    Negotiate full duration up front; "one hour" is the universal unit.

  • "I want to use a condom."

    Non-negotiable; if pushed back, walk.

  • "Can I see your ID?"

    Standard provider screening. The floor is 18.

  • "Where is the bathroom?"

    Useful at every venue.

  • "Is the price all-inclusive?"

    Stops surprise extras-charges.

  • "I want to leave now."

    Non-confrontational exit phrase.

  • "Please call me a taxi."

    Many providers will use their preferred local app/firm.

  • "Thank you, that was nice."

    Universal exit; tipping is bonus, not expected everywhere.

Pricing Tip

Always confirm price in Indian Rupee (INR) directly, not USD/EUR equivalent. Tourist-rate providers will quote in your currency and pocket the conversion margin. Standard 1-hour pricing in India: INR 5,000–15,000 (USD 60–180) for the typical band.

Related

Last verified April 2026. Phrases curated to match real local usage; pronunciation hints written in English-speaker phonetics. For full-language travel basics, the Tatoeba corpus (CC-BY) is a free open-source resource.