India’s vibrant tapestry of languages and cultures gives rise to a rich, ever-evolving world of desi slang. Whether you’re traveling through Delhi, hanging out in Mumbai, or chatting online with Indian friends, knowing slang words can bring you closer to the heart of local culture. This guide will walk you through 100 essential slang terms, from casual greetings to comedic insults, ensuring you’re well-prepared to navigate everyday Indian conversations.
Why Learn Indian Slang?
Bridging Cultural Gaps
Textbooks and formal Hindi might help with the basics, but day-to-day conversations often rely on colloquialisms borrowed from Hindi, English, Punjabi, Marathi, Tamil, and more. Slang is the secret sauce that makes your communication feel natural and genuine.
Building Genuine Connections
Indians appreciate when someone attempts local expressions—it shows a genuine interest in their culture. Whether you’re at a family gathering or haggling at a street market, dropping a well-timed “Arre, yaar!” or “Aiyyo!” can spark instant camaraderie.
Cultural Insight
Slang often reflects societal quirks, pop culture references, and regional humor. Understanding these subtle nuances offers a window into India’s everyday life and priorities.
Fun Fact: According to a 2021 survey by the language app Duolingo, over 80% of young Indians use slang regularly in chats, texts, and social media. So if you want to keep up, it’s time to get Desi 101 down!
Quick Tips for Using Indian Slang
- Check Regional Differences: Slang can vary widely between the north, south, east, and west of India. A phrase in Mumbai might not fly in Chennai.
- Read the Room: Some slang is playful among friends but might be rude in formal settings.
- Start Small: Integrate a few key expressions first. Overusing slang can come across as trying too hard or even disrespectful.
- Ask for Guidance: Indians are typically warm and helpful. If you’re not sure how to use an expression, just ask—someone will likely be thrilled to explain.
Greetings & Friendly Expressions
1. “Aap Kaise Hain?” / “Tu Kaise Ho?”
- Meaning: “How are you?”
- Usage: “Aap kaise hain?” is polite (formal), “Tu kaise ho?” is informal.
2. “Kya Haal-Chaal?”
- Meaning: Literally “What’s the situation?” used like “How’s it going?”
- Usage: Common among friends: “Arre, kya haal-chaal?”
3. “Namaste / Namaskar”
- Meaning: Traditional greeting, though not exactly slang, but used colloquially too
- Usage: Accompanied by palms together. “Namaste, aunty!”
4. “Bhai” / “Bhaiyya”
- Meaning: “Brother,” used as “dude” or “buddy”
- Usage: “Bhai, sun na!” (“Hey buddy, listen!”)
5. “Yaar”
- Meaning: “Friend,” “mate,” or simply “dude”
- Usage: “Oye, yaar, kahan chal raha hai?” (“Hey buddy, where are you going?”)
6. “Bhai-log” / “Yaaro”
- Meaning: Plural forms for groups of friends
- Usage: “Bhai-log, let’s go for chai.”
7. “Kya scene hai?”
- Meaning: “What’s the plan?” or “What’s happening?”
- Usage: “Tonight’s party? Kya scene hai, bro?”
8. “Arre!”
- Meaning: Exclamation like “Hey!” or “Oh!”
- Usage: “Arre, suno to!” (“Hey, listen!”)
9. “Chal”
- Meaning: “Let’s go,” or “Alright, see you”
- Usage: “Chal, nikalte hain.” (“Alright, let’s head out.”)
10. “Bas, theek hai”
- Meaning: “Ok, that’s enough,” or “Everything’s fine”
- Usage: “Bas, theek hai, no more sweets for me.”
Food & Drinks
11. “Chai”
- Meaning: “Tea,” but in slang context, “Let’s grab a chat + tea break”
- Usage: “Chai pe charcha?” (“Chat over tea?”)
12. “Fuddu / Fuddu khana”
- Meaning: “Nonsense” or “Nonsense talk,” sometimes referencing not-so-great food
- Usage: “Yeh kya fuddu khana bana diya?” (“What nonsense meal did you cook?”)
13. “Ek cutting dena”
- Meaning: “Give me half a cup of tea,” typical in Mumbai street stalls
- Usage: “Bhaiyya, ek cutting dena—jaldi!”
14. “Mast”
- Meaning: “Delicious,” “Awesome”
- Usage: “Yeh biryani mast hai, yaar.” (“This biryani is awesome, friend.”)
15. “Funda” / “Fundoo”
- Meaning: “Concept” or “trick,” can also mean “cool” or “fantastic”
- Usage: “Iss dish ka funda kya hai?” (“What’s the trick behind this dish?”)
16. “Timepass khana”
- Meaning: “Casual snack or meal to pass time”
- Usage: “Bas timepass khana order kiya, not too heavy.”
17. “Dhamaka”
- Meaning: “Explosion,” used for something spectacular—like a bursting flavor
- Usage: “Yeh chutney ekdum dhamaka hai!” (“This chutney is an explosion of flavor!”)
18. “Bakarwadi”
- Meaning: Savory snack from Pune, but also used to mean “something crunchy or spicy”
- Usage: “Let’s munch some bakarwadi before we watch the match.”
19. “Chakhna”
- Meaning: “Snacks served with alcohol,” typical in some states
- Usage: “Yaar, where’s the chakhna for our drinks?”
20. “Jugad chai”
- Meaning: “Quick fix tea,” often made in a hurry
- Usage: “Office pantry me jugad chai bana lenge.” (“We’ll make a quick-fix tea in the office pantry.”)
Emotions & Reactions
21. “Arey wah!”
- Meaning: “Oh wow!” expressing surprise or admiration
- Usage: “Arey wah, tum ne bohot acha kiya!” (“Wow, you did really well!”)
22. “Aiyyo”
- Meaning: “Oh no!” or “Oops!” (used in South India)
- Usage: “Aiyyo, I forgot my wallet!”
23. “Hai re!” / “Hai rabba!”
- Meaning: “Oh god!” expressing exasperation
- Usage: “Hai re, kitna garmi hai!” (“Oh god, it’s so hot!”)
24. “Chill maar”
- Meaning: “Take it easy,” “Just chill!”
- Usage: “Tension kyu le raha hai? Chill maar.”
25. “Full josh”
- Meaning: “High energy,” “Excited”
- Usage: “Team’s performance was full josh!”
26. “Dimaag kharab”
- Meaning: “Mind is messed up,” meaning frustrated or annoyed
- Usage: “Traffic ne mera dimaag kharab kar diya.” (“The traffic has driven me nuts.”)
27. “Fattu”
- Meaning: “Coward,” from “scaredy-cat”
- Usage: “Don’t be a fattu, go talk to her!”
28. “Shaant ho ja”
- Meaning: “Calm down,” literally “be quiet”
- Usage: “Shaant ho ja, sab theek ho jayega.” (“Calm down, everything will be fine.”)
29. “Bohot hard”
- Meaning: “Very intense” or “cool,” popular among youth
- Usage: “That rap song is bohot hard, man.”
30. “Seedha-sadha”
- Meaning: “Simple,” “Naive”
- Usage: “Woh bohot seedha-sadha ladka hai.” (“He’s a very simple guy.”)
Desi Jugaad & Problem-Solving
31. “Jugaad”
- Meaning: “Innovative fix,” “hack,” or “makeshift solution”
- Usage: “India main sab kuch jugaad se ho sakta hai.” (“In India, anything is possible with a hack.”)
32. “Adjust maadi”
- Meaning: Kannada phrase for “Please adjust,” used all over
- Usage: “No seat? Adjust maadi, yaar.”
33. “Chalta hai”
- Meaning: “It’s okay,” “That’ll do,” acceptance of imperfection
- Usage: “Project not perfect? Arre, chalta hai.”
34. “Accha chalta hoon”
- Meaning: “Alright, I’m heading off now”
- Usage: “Accha chalta hoon, kal milte hai.” (“Okay, I’m leaving, see you tomorrow.”)
35. “Kuch jugaad kar lenge”
- Meaning: “We’ll figure something out,” a typical Indian approach
- Usage: “Tickets sold out? Koi nahi, kuch jugaad kar lenge.”
36. “Tota-pota”
- Meaning: “Tattered,” “broken-down” fix
- Usage: “That scooter is all tota-pota but still runs.”
37. “Zero balance se kaam chala lo”
- Meaning: “Manage with minimal resources,” from a place of frugality
- Usage: “Month-end peh zero balance se kaam chala lo, next salary soon.”
38. “Upar kaam kar de”
- Meaning: “Do some side hustle or bribe,” typically referencing backdoor fix
- Usage: “Passport me problem? Koi upar kaam kar de.” (Albeit a bit shady.)
39. “Line lagao”
- Meaning: “Line up,” “Queue,” or “Follow the procedure”
- Usage: “Ration shop pe line lagao sab!” (“Everyone queue up at the ration shop!”)
40. “Nikaal lo solution”
- Meaning: “Pull out a solution,” do it quickly
- Usage: “Time kam hai, jaldi nikaal lo solution.”
Flirting & Romance
41. “Setting”
- Meaning: “Romantic arrangement,” or “someone you’re dating unofficially”
- Usage: “Tera usse setting chal raha hai kya?” (“Are you dating her?”)
42. “Time pass”
- Meaning: “Casual fling,” or no serious intention
- Usage: “They’re just time pass, not serious.”
43. “Patana”
- Meaning: “To woo,” “to impress” a potential partner
- Usage: “Woh ladki pat gayi kya?” (“Did you successfully woo that girl?”)
44. “Majnu”
- Meaning: Reference to a lovelorn guy (from Laila-Majnu)
- Usage: “He’s acting like a total Majnu after she left.”
45. “Makhanchor”
- Meaning: Nickname for a flirt, literally “butter thief” (Krishna reference)
- Usage: “That guy’s a real makhanchor among the girls.”
46. “Dil le gaya”
- Meaning: “Stole my heart,” from Bollywood influences
- Usage: “Bas ek nazar mein, mera dil le gaya.” (“In just one glance, he stole my heart.”)
47. “Ek number”
- Meaning: “Top notch,” used for praising attractiveness or skill
- Usage: “Woh ek number dikhti hai in that dress.”
48. “Haaye, kitna sweet hai”
- Meaning: “Oh, how sweet he/she is,” used when describing a crush
- Usage: “Haaye, kitna sweet bolta hai na!”
49. “Pata chal gaya”
- Meaning: “Found out,” often about romantic gossip
- Usage: “Sabko pata chal gaya about their affair.”
50. “Full filmy”
- Meaning: “Overly dramatic,” like a Bollywood movie
- Usage: “He proposed in such a full filmy style, with flowers and music.”
Work & School Slang
51. “Bhai, jugad lagao for job”
- Meaning: “Dude, use your connections/hacks to get a job”
- Usage: “No placements? Bhai, jugad lagao for job.”
52. “Dhakkan”
- Meaning: “Dummy,” “slow-witted,” literally “lid”
- Usage: “Don’t be a dhakkan, read the instructions first!”
53. “Chhutti”
- Meaning: “Leave,” “day off”
- Usage: “Aaj chhutti hai kya? Let’s hang out.”
54. “Bakwaas”
- Meaning: “Nonsense,” “useless”
- Usage: “Yeh assignment bakwaas hai, boss!”
55. “Aukaat se bahar”
- Meaning: “Out of one’s league” or “beyond resources”
- Usage: “That internship is aukaat se bahar for me.”
56. “Load mat le”
- Meaning: “Don’t take stress”
- Usage: “Exams are near, but load mat le, we’ll manage.”
57. “Faaltu ka kaam”
- Meaning: “Unnecessary work,” “waste of time”
- Usage: “I’m stuck with so much faaltu ka kaam in office.”
58. “Chai-Sutta break”
- Meaning: “Tea and cigarette break,” typical among certain workplace cultures
- Usage: “Let’s go for a chai-sutta break, 10 minutes?”
59. “Paav bhaji ke bhav main engineer”
- Meaning: Joking that engineers are so common (like cheap street food)
- Usage: “Har jagah engineer, paav bhaji ke bhav main engineer!”
60. “Excel fodo”
- Meaning: “Excel (software) wizardry,” “smash it in Excel”
- Usage: “We have big data? Excel fodo, yaar!”
Family & Parenting
61. “Mummy-papa”
- Meaning: Common “mom and dad,” used even in English convos
- Usage: “Mummy-papa said come home early.”
62. “Bachcha log”
- Meaning: “Kids,” used collectively
- Usage: “Bachcha log, come have dinner!”
63. “Bua” / “Maasi”
- Meaning: “Aunt (Father’s side / Mother’s side),” used as friendly calls
- Usage: “Maasi ke ghar ja rahe hain.” (“We’re going to aunt’s house.”)
64. “Daadi / Naani ke ghar”
- Meaning: Grandma’s place, both paternal (Dadi) and maternal (Nani)
- Usage: “Summer vacation? Dadi ke ghar!”
65. “Khaana banana hai kya?”
- Meaning: “You want me to cook or what?” mom rhetorical question
- Usage: “Mom, I’m hungry.” – “Khaana banana hai kya, sab kudh hi karna padega?”
66. “Papa ki pari”
- Meaning: “Dad’s princess,” a common playful phrase
- Usage: “Arey, papa ki pari is grown up now!”
67. “Dabba lao”
- Meaning: “Bring the lunch box,” typical in Indian households
- Usage: “School ke liye dabba lao, fill it with roti.”
68. “Daaru mat peeyo, beta”
- Meaning: “Don’t drink alcohol, child”
- Usage: “Party main ja rahe ho? Daaru mat peeyo, beta.”
69. “Faltu kharcha mat karo”
- Meaning: “Don’t do unnecessary spending,” typical parental advice
- Usage: “Faltu kharcha mat karo on gadgets, please.”
70. “Sanskar” / “Values”
- Meaning: “Cultural or moral values,” used ironically too
- Usage: “Have some sanskar, wear decent clothes to the function.”
Bollywood & Pop Culture
71. “Bollywood ke chakkar main”
- Meaning: “Caught up in Bollywood hype or illusions”
- Usage: “He’s too filmy, always Bollywood ke chakkar main.”
72. “Item number”
- Meaning: A special dance song in Bollywood, also used teasingly about a person
- Usage: “Woh function main ek item number hoga, watch out!”
73. “Pehla nasha”
- Meaning: “First intoxication,” from a classic Bollywood song, referencing first love
- Usage: “That feeling with your crush is pehla nasha, man!”
74. “Drama mat kar”
- Meaning: “Don’t be so dramatic”
- Usage: “Choti si baat par drama mat kar, yaar.”
75. “Kat gaya”
- Meaning: “Got cut off / turned down / scene is ruined”
- Usage: “Asking a girl out, she said no? Kat gaya, bro.”
76. “Mera dil le gaya re”
- Meaning: “He/she took my heart away,” filmy expression
- Usage: “Ek jhalak dekha, mera dil le gaya re!”
77. “Hero ban raha hai”
- Meaning: “Acting too cool,” literally “becoming a hero”
- Usage: “Don’t act so big, hero ban raha hai kya?”
78. “Filmy style”
- Meaning: “Over the top,” “dramatic like a movie”
- Usage: “Proposed to her in filmy style with violin and all.”
79. “Dum laga ke…”
- Meaning: “Put in full force,” from a popular phrase
- Usage: “Dum laga ke haisha, carry that big box!”
80. “Thu-thu…lag gayi nazar”
- Meaning: “Evil eye has fallen,” typical superstition from Bollywood references
- Usage: “Your new car is too nice, thu-thu…lag gayi nazar na ho.”
Money & Shopping
81. “Paise ka chakkar”
- Meaning: “All about the money,” referencing complications
- Usage: “Why the argument? Paise ka chakkar, obviously.”
82. “Dhandha”
- Meaning: “Business,” “trade”
- Usage: “Uska dhandha bohot chal raha hai, he’s doing well.”
83. “Loot liya”
- Meaning: “Got ripped off,” “robbed”
- Usage: “That shop loot liya me, charged double.”
84. “Bhai, discount lagao”
- Meaning: “Dude, give me a discount”
- Usage: “Shopping at local markets? Always say ‘Bhai, discount lagao.’”
85. “Paisa vasool”
- Meaning: “Money’s worth,” or “worth every penny”
- Usage: “That movie was total paisa vasool!”
86. “Kangal”
- Meaning: “Broke,” “penniless”
- Usage: “I spent too much, ab kangal ho gaya.”
87. “EMI pe chal raha hai”
- Meaning: “Surviving on monthly installments,” referencing large purchases
- Usage: “Car EMI pe chal raha hai, can’t splurge more.”
88. “Kitna ka hai?”
- Meaning: “How much does it cost?”
- Usage: “Bhai, kitna ka hai yeh phone cover?”
89. “Thenga mila”
- Meaning: “Got nothing,” literally “thumb sign of zero”
- Usage: “Asked for a raise, but thenga mila.”
90. “Mal hai kya?”
- Meaning: “Got the goods?” sometimes referencing items for sale or contraband
- Usage: “Woh dukaan main sasta mal hai kya?”
Random Everyday Expressions
91. “Scene kya hai?”
- Meaning: “What’s the situation/plan?” repeated from earlier but also used in random contexts
- Usage: “Abhi late night scene kya hai?”
92. “Full on”
- Meaning: “In full swing,” “total,” “completely”
- Usage: “We’re partying full on tonight.”
93. “Hatt” / “Hatt re”
- Meaning: “Move aside,” mild push away
- Usage: “Hatt, let me do it.”
94. “Oye hoye”
- Meaning: Expression of admiration, joy
- Usage: “Oye hoye, dress badiya lag rahi hai.”
95. “Bindass”
- Meaning: “Carefree,” “bold”
- Usage: “She’s so bindass, does whatever she wants.”
96. “Bak-bak”
- Meaning: “Chatter,” “blabber”
- Usage: “Too much bak-bak yaar, keep it short.”
97. “Akele mat jaana, yaar”
- Meaning: “Don’t go alone, friend,” used for caution
- Usage: “Late night show? Akele mat jaana, yaar.”
98. “Chhotu”
- Meaning: “Small one,” used for younger person or helper at a shop
- Usage: “Chhotu, ek chai laana jaldi.”
99. “Ekdum solid”
- Meaning: “Totally solid,” “top-notch,” “fantastic”
- Usage: “That answer was ekdum solid, teacher impressed.”
100. “Sab moh maya hai”
- Meaning: Philosophical “All is an illusion,” used humorously for letting go
- Usage: “Losing game? Sab moh maya hai, let’s not stress.”
Conclusion: Embrace the Desi Vibe
Shabash! You’ve reached the end of our Ultimate Indian Slang Guide—100 essential terms that will help you truly navigate the colorful world of desi conversations. From casual greetings (Yaar, kya haal?) to describing your favorite snack (Mast chai, boss!), these expressions can bridge cultural gaps and enrich your interactions.
Pro Tips:
- Start with a few favorites—like “Arre, wah!” or “Chalta hai.”
- Observe friends and local media to see how these slang terms are used.
- Combine them naturally—avoid overdoing it in each sentence.
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Which slang words did you find the most intriguing or surprising? Drop a comment below and let us know your favorites. And if this guide helped you gain new insights into Indian culture, share it with your friends or fellow travelers. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more language tips, cultural deep dives, and global travel hacks.
Jugaad your way through any conversation—armed with these slang expressions, you’ll blend seamlessly into Indian social circles. Full on enjoy your next visit, or your next chat, with Indian friends: Paisa vasool guaranteed!
See Also: Swedish Slang Guide: 100 Essential Terms to Speak Like a Stockholmer
