Asian languages

Hindi interpreting and translation

Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India and one of the official languages of the Indian government. We provide Hindi interpreters and translators for public services, legal and business work, and conferences.

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In its own words

हिन्दी

Script
Devanagari
Direction
Left to right
ISO 639-3
hin

Hindi is a Central Indo-Aryan language written in Devanagari. Together with English it is an official language of the Union government of India, and it is the main official language of states across northern and central India. In India, many mother tongues are officially grouped under Hindi, including languages such as Bhojpuri and Rajasthani that are often treated separately.

In everyday speech Hindi and Urdu are very close: both developed from Hindustani, and basic conversation is mutually intelligible. They differ in script (Devanagari for Hindi, Arabic-based for Urdu) and in formal and technical vocabulary, where Hindi draws more on Sanskrit and Urdu on Farsi and Arabic. Hindi is also widely understood across South Asia through film, music and television.

  • Main areas: India (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh)
  • Also used: India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab)
  • Other regions

Communities abroad are not shown. Point to an area to see its name.

How we help

Hindi services

SILA Linguists®

Hindi interpreting, translation and localisation by SILA Linguists®

Hindi is an official language of India's Union government, the main official language across much of northern and central India and widely understood through film and television throughout South Asia and its diaspora. SILA Linguists® supplies Hindi interpreters, translators and localisation specialists for courts, hospitals, government bodies and companies across the UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Because many people who can chat in Hindi have a different first language, such as Punjabi, Bhojpuri or Urdu, we confirm the right language before any legal or medical appointment.

Hindi interpreters for public services and business

Formal Hindi used in courts and official papers is rich in Sanskrit-derived vocabulary that some speakers rarely use. Our legal and court Hindi interpreters pitch their language to the person in front of them and check understanding, using the respectful aap form with adults. In police interviews, tribunals, immigration appointments and hospital consultations, that care keeps evidence and consent reliable. Clients who ask for an interpreter of the same gender can be accommodated wherever possible.

We offer face-to-face, telephone and video Hindi interpreting: the telephone line runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and video sessions use the SILA Linguists® app or your preferred platform. For IT and outsourcing partnerships, board meetings, conferences and events, we supply consecutive interpreters, simultaneous interpreters for booths, and remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI) for hybrid audiences.

Certified Hindi translation and localisation

Indian official documents are often bilingual, in Hindi and English, or combine English with a regional language. Our translators handle birth and marriage certificates, police clearance certificates, affidavits, academic records, court papers and contracts, keeping names consistent with passports. Certified Hindi translation carries a signed statement of accuracy, accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office, courts and universities, and by employers. Indian civil documents for American or Canadian applications can be certified as required, by certificate of accuracy or by a provincially certified translator.

Devanagari conjuncts and vowel signs can display wrongly in some design tools, so we check every file after typesetting. For websites, apps, software interfaces and campaigns, we agree the register with you first: Hindi marketing copy often uses a lighter style that borrows familiar English words. High-volume content can be handled with AI-assisted translation and thorough human post-editing.

Hindi transcription and subtitling

Interviews, evidential recordings, market research and corporate video can be transcribed in Hindi with time stamps and translated into English. We also create Hindi subtitles for training and marketing films, and English subtitles for Hindi-language content.

Sectors we support in Hindi

Our vetted, trained and qualified Hindi linguists can support courts, police forces, solicitors and immigration advisers, NHS hospitals and GP practices, universities, technology and outsourcing companies, financial services, engineering firms, media producers and event organisers. You deal with one project team, every linguist is vetted and bound by confidentiality agreements, and data is processed under UK GDPR. Hindi interpreting is also offered for North American settings, including US immigration attorneys, Canadian refugee and immigration hearings, hospitals and universities.

Good to know

Working with Hindi

Interpreting

  • Many people from northern India, as well as some from Nepal and Pakistan, can follow everyday Hindi. For legal, medical or asylum matters, however, we recommend booking an interpreter in the client's first language. A Punjabi, Bhojpuri or Urdu speaker should not be assumed to be fully comfortable in formal Hindi.
  • Formal Hindi, as used in courts and official documents, contains Sanskrit-derived vocabulary that some speakers do not use day to day. Good interpreters pitch their language at the client's level and check understanding.
  • Interpreters use the respectful aap form with adults; politeness and indirectness are important, especially with older clients. Some clients may prefer an interpreter of the same gender, which we accommodate where possible.
  • Hindi interpreters are available for face-to-face, video and telephone interpreting, and for conference and remote simultaneous interpreting.

Translation

  • Hindi is written left to right in Devanagari, recognisable by the horizontal line joining letters at the top. Translations must use Unicode Devanagari fonts and be checked after typesetting, as conjunct consonants and vowel signs can display incorrectly in some design tools.
  • Indian official documents are often bilingual in Hindi and English, or in English with a regional language. We provide certified translations of birth and marriage certificates, police clearance certificates, affidavits, academic records and court papers, keeping names consistent with passports.
  • For marketing and localisation, Hindi copy is often written in a lighter register that mixes in common English words; we agree the register with you at the start.
Related languages

Hindi and its neighbours

Choose a language to see its page. Getting the right variety matters: tell us the region or dialect if you know it.

  • Courts, tribunals and police interviews
  • Immigration and visa applications
  • Hospitals and GP practices
  • Business, IT and outsourcing partnerships
  • Conferences and events
  • Website and software localisation
Get in touch

Need a Hindi interpreter or translator?

Our bookings team will confirm the details with you and arrange the right linguist. Have the language (and dialect, if you know it), the type of assignment and the date ready.

Call our bookings team+44 (0)333 339 8218
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