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Slang from India

anda-ganda

Random, nonsensical talk or actions.

badmash

Rogue; scoundrel; mischievous person.

đŸ”Ĩ 68 upvotes

banda/bandi

Guy/Girl (informal).

đŸ”Ĩ 93 upvotes

batti (ā¤Ŧ⤤āĨā¤¤āĨ€)

Money (informal, literally "light/bulb", used as a slang term).

behenji

Sister (often used informally or sometimes with a slightly mocking tone for a conservative woman).

bhai

Brother (informal address for a male friend or stranger).

đŸ”Ĩ 81 upvotes

bhai-zone (ā¤­ā¤žā¤ˆ-⤜ā¤ŧāĨ‹ā¤¨)

To be relegated to the "friend zone," specifically as a "brother." (From English "brother" + "zone").

bhasm kar doonga

I will destroy you; I will burn you to ashes (dramatic threat).

đŸ”Ĩ 94 upvotes

board exams

Major standardized examinations taken by students in their final years of secondary school.

chai (ā¤šā¤žā¤¯)

Tea (very popular, often consumed with snacks).

chakkar

Round (e.g., "ek chakkar lagana" - to take a round); also implies affair or complicated situation.

chakkar (ā¤šā¤•āĨā¤•⤰)

An affair; a secret romantic relationship (literally "circle" or " ā¤šā¤•āĨā¤•⤰").

chaknachoor (ā¤šā¤•ā¤¨ā¤žā¤šāĨ‚⤰)

Smashed; shattered (can be used to describe being extremely drunk).

chalta hai

It works; its acceptable; its fine (implies mediocrity is acceptable).

đŸ”Ĩ 57 upvotes

chalu

Cunning; sly; also, something that is currently working/on (e.g., "fan chalu hai").

đŸ”Ĩ 69 upvotes

chamcha

Toady; yes-man (literally "spoon").

chamdi

Skin (often used in phrases like "chamdi udhed doonga" - I will skin you alive).

chamkila

Someone or something flashy, gaudy, or overly sparkly.

chasamish

Someone who wears glasses (often used as a playful or slightly teasing term).

đŸ”Ĩ 78 upvotes

chhappad phaad ke

Unexpected good fortune (literally "breaking the roof").

đŸ”Ĩ 68 upvotes

chill maar

Relax; calm down (literally "hit chill").

đŸ”Ĩ 96 upvotes

chipku

Clingy; sticky (person).

đŸ”Ĩ 98 upvotes

daaru

Alcohol; liquor.

đŸ”Ĩ 58 upvotes

dabba

Lunchbox; tiffin box.

đŸ”Ĩ 96 upvotes

dhaba (ā¤ĸā¤žā¤Ŧā¤ž)

A roadside eatery, typically serving local cuisine (informal restaurant).

dhamaka

Blast; explosion; a big hit or success (e.g., a hit movie).

dhan (⤧⤍)

Wealth; money (more formal, but also used in casual contexts).

dhinchak

Flashy; showy; trendy (often used for catchy but somewhat cheesy music/videos).

đŸ”Ĩ 71 upvotes

dinchak

Another spelling/pronunciation for dhinchak, flashy/showy.

đŸ”Ĩ 73 upvotes

dost

Friend; buddy.

đŸ”Ĩ 70 upvotes

fikar not

Dont worry (from English "fear not" or "worry not").

đŸ”Ĩ 77 upvotes

full tight

Completely drunk; very intoxicated (common Hinglish).

funda

Fundamental; concept; core idea (informal).

gawar (⤗⤁ā¤ĩā¤žā¤°)

Rustic; unsophisticated; bumpkin (implies lack of manners or education).

ghanta

Nonsense; nothing (literally "bell," used sarcastically).

ghatiya

Bad; low quality; trashy.

đŸ”Ĩ 85 upvotes

ghisi-piti (⤘ā¤ŋ⤏āĨ€-ā¤Ēā¤ŋ⤟āĨ€)

Outdated; old-fashioned (can refer to old teaching methods or curriculum).

ghissu

A studious person; nerd (often derogatory).

đŸ”Ĩ 91 upvotes

gol gappe

A popular street food snack (also "pani puri").

gunda

Thug; hooligan; gangster.

đŸ”Ĩ 62 upvotes

haath paon phoolna

To get nervous or lose courage (literally "hands and feet swelling").

đŸ”Ĩ 56 upvotes

hawa mein udna

To boast; to be overly proud (literally "to fly in the air").

hawa nahin lag rahi

Dont understand; not getting it (literally "air is not touching").

đŸ”Ĩ 71 upvotes

item

An attractive person (often female, can be slightly objectifying).

item number

A catchy song and dance sequence in an Indian film, often featuring a prominent actress.

jugaadu

Resourceful person, especially one good at "jugad".

jugad

A clever, improvised solution or workaround.

đŸ”Ĩ 97 upvotes

jugad (⤜āĨā¤—ā¤žā¤Ąā¤ŧ)

A hack; an improvised solution (often used for quick fixes for studies or exams).

kabaad (⤕ā¤Ŧā¤žā¤Ąā¤ŧ)

Scrap; junk; but sometimes used sarcastically for a small amount of money.

kachra

Rubbish; trash.

đŸ”Ĩ 87 upvotes

kalol

Fun; mischief; often used to describe playful activities.

kalti maar

To run away quickly; to escape.

đŸ”Ĩ 81 upvotes

kantaal

Feeling bored or fed up.

đŸ”Ĩ 59 upvotes

katto

A very attractive girl (informal, affectionate).

khadoos

Grumpy; rude; mean person.

đŸ”Ĩ 97 upvotes

khatara

A dilapidated or old vehicle/thing.

ladki/ladka

Girl/Boy (informal).

đŸ”Ĩ 82 upvotes

ladoo

A sweet spherical dessert (often used in "muh me ladoo" - to praise oneself).

đŸ”Ĩ 90 upvotes

lag gaye

I am screwed; I am in trouble (often used when things go wrong).

đŸ”Ĩ 75 upvotes

lamhe

Moments (often used in a nostalgic or poetic context).

đŸ”Ĩ 73 upvotes

launda/laundi

Boy/Girl (more informal, often youth slang, can be slightly derogatory depending on context).

locha

Problem; complication.

đŸ”Ĩ 54 upvotes

maal

Goods; stuff; can also refer to drugs or a woman (often derogatory).

maal (ā¤Žā¤žā¤˛)

Stuff; goods; also used for money (informal, sometimes implying illicit money).

maamu

Uncle (informal, sometimes used to refer to someone gullible).

đŸ”Ĩ 74 upvotes

machao

To create a ruckus; to cause a sensation; to have a blast.

makaan

House; residence (often informal).

makhkhan

Smooth; excellent (literally "butter").

đŸ”Ĩ 95 upvotes

maro goli

Forget it; dismiss it (literally "shoot a bullet").

đŸ”Ĩ 79 upvotes

masla

Problem; issue (Urdu/Hindi, common in informal speech).

đŸ”Ĩ 94 upvotes

nakchadhi

Snobbish; stuck-up (feminine, literally "nose-up").

đŸ”Ĩ 57 upvotes

nautanki

Drama; theatrics; someone who creates unnecessary drama.

đŸ”Ĩ 97 upvotes

on

Drunk; under the influence (short for "on alcohol").

paisa vasool

Worth the money; value for money.

đŸ”Ĩ 100 upvotes

paisa (ā¤ĒāĨˆā¤¸ā¤ž)

Money (general term, also a specific coin denomination).

pakau

Boring; irritating (literally "to cook," implying to bore someone to death).

pataka

A very attractive girl (literally "firecracker").

đŸ”Ĩ 52 upvotes

patao

To impress or convince someone, especially to win their affection.

đŸ”Ĩ 61 upvotes

phenkna

To boast; to exaggerate (literally "to throw").

phokat

Free of cost; without effort.

đŸ”Ĩ 97 upvotes

raapchik

Excellent; outstanding (Mumbai slang).

đŸ”Ĩ 85 upvotes

sahi hai

Thats right; correct; cool (used for approval).

đŸ”Ĩ 67 upvotes

samosa (ā¤¸ā¤ŽāĨ‹ā¤¸ā¤ž)

A fried or baked pastry with a savoury filling, a popular snack/takeaway item.

scene kya hai

Situation; plans; whats happening.

đŸ”Ĩ 73 upvotes

scene palat gaya

The situation completely changed (literally "the scene flipped").

đŸ”Ĩ 100 upvotes

senti

Sentimental; often used to describe an emotional social media post or comment.

setting

An arrangement, often an informal or illicit one (e.g., romantic arrangement).

đŸ”Ĩ 79 upvotes

shaana

Clever; cunning; street-smart (often with a slightly negative connotation).

đŸ”Ĩ 88 upvotes

shandaar

Magnificent; splendid; fabulous.

đŸ”Ĩ 89 upvotes

shosha

Show-off; pretence; unnecessary fuss.

đŸ”Ĩ 86 upvotes

stalking

To obsessively look at someones social media profile (used humorously, not always negatively).

tapori

A street hooligan; a rough, uncultured person (often used for specific Mumbai street culture).

đŸ”Ĩ 100 upvotes

tashan

Style; attitude (often swaggering).

đŸ”Ĩ 93 upvotes

tedha

Crooked; complicated; difficult (literally "bent").

đŸ”Ĩ 67 upvotes

thulla

Derogatory term for a policeman.

đŸ”Ĩ 61 upvotes

time pass

To pass time; often used for aimlessly scrolling through social media or the internet.

topi

Hat (often used in "topi pehnana" - to fool someone, literally "to make wear a hat").

trolling

To post inflammatory comments (from English, widely used).

ullu

Fool; idiot (literally "owl").

đŸ”Ĩ 62 upvotes

ullu ka pattha

Son of an owl; an even stronger way of calling someone a fool/idiot.

ulti

Vomit; also used for something repulsive or negative.

vadapav

A popular street food snack (potato fritter in a bun, specific to Maharashtra).

velmi

Someone who is always jobless or free (informal).

đŸ”Ĩ 66 upvotes

wasooli

Recovery of money, often through informal or coercive means.

đŸ”Ĩ 99 upvotes

yaar

Friend; mate (informal address).

đŸ”Ĩ 72 upvotes

zero figure

An extremely thin physique (often referring to women, from fashion terminology).

đŸ”Ĩ 88 upvotes