Bengali phrasebook

Pronunciation guide

The phoneme inventory of Bengali consists of 29 consonants and 14 vowels, including the seven nasalized vowels. Vowel sounds can either be independent or hooked on to the consonant in the form of diacritics.

Vowels

The independent vowel is on the left, the diacritic (which is hooked on to the consonant) is on the right.

আ া: Like "a" in "cat" (a).
এ ে: Like "e" in "bed" (e).
আ া: Like "a" in "rather" (ā).
ঐ ৈ: Like "i" in "nile" (æ).
এই: Like "ay" in "may" (ay).
এ ে: Like "e" in "red" (e).
ঈ ী: Like "ee" in "reed" (í).
ই ি: Like "i" in "rid" (i).
ও ো: Like "o" in "hot" (o).
ও ো: Like "oa" in "boat" (ó).
ঘ়: Like "oy" in "boy" (oy).
উ ু: Like "u" in "put" (u).
ই ি: Like "ui" in "quick" (wi).

Consonants

ব: Like "b" in "boy" (b).
চ: Like "ch" in "cheat" (ç).
দ: Like "d" in "doubt" (d).
ফ: Like "f" in "frog" (f).
গ: Like "g" in "go" (g).
হ: Like "h" in "hit" (h).
জ: Like "j" in "juggle" (j).
ক: Like "k" in "skin" (k).
ল: Like "l" in "loud" (l).
ম: Like "m" in "man" (m).
ণ: Like "n" in "no" (n).
ঙ: Like "ng" in "king" (ng).
প: Like "p" in "spit" (p).
র: Like "r" in "run", but slightly trilled (r).
স: Like "s" in "so" (s).
ত: Like "t" in "talk" (t).
য: Like "y" in "yes" (y).

Aspirated consonants

Aspirated consonants are pronounced with a puff of air.

ভ: Like "b" in "blight" (b').
ছ: Like "ch" in "cheese" (ç').
ধ: Like "d" in "din" (d').
ঘ: Like "g" in "language" (g').
ঝ: Like "j" in "jam" (j').
খ: Like "k" in "kick" (k').
ফ: Like "p" in "pit" (p').
ঠ: Like "t" in "tin" (t').

Retroflex consonants

Retroflex consonants are pronounced with the tip of the tongue flapping against the roof of the mouth.

ড: Like "d" in "doubt" but retroflex (đ).
ড়: Like "r" in "run" but slightly trilled retroflex (ŗ).
ত: Like "t" in "talk" but retroflex (ţ).

Aspirated retroflex consonants

Aspirated retroflex consonants are pronounced with the tip of the tongue flapping against the roof of the mouth and a puff of air.

ঢ: Like "d" in "din" but retroflex (đ').
থ: Like "t" in "tin" but retroflex (ţ').

Phrase list

Basics

Hello. (Hindu): Nômoshkar.
Hello. (Muslim): Assalamualaikum (or) Slamlikum
How are you?: (Apni) kêmon achhen? (formal)
(Tumi) kêmon achho?
(I'm) fine.: (Ami) bhalo (achhi).
What is your name?: Apnar nam ki? (formal)
Tomar nam ki?
My name is ______ .: Amar nam ______ .
Nice to meet you.: Apnar shathe porichôe hoe amar khub-i bhalo laglo. (formal)
Tomar shathe porichôe hoe amar khub-i bhalo laglo.
Please.: Dôeakore. (formal)
Ektu.
Thank you.: Dhonnobad. (formal)
You're welcome.: Kichhu mone korben na. (formal)
Kichhu mone koro na.
Yes.: Ji. (formal)
Hê.
No.: Jina. (formal)
Na.
Excuse me. (getting attention): Ei-je!

Dada (when addressing a man) Didi (when addressing a lady)

Excuse me. (to pass by someone): Dekhi?
I'm sorry.: Ami khub-i dukkhito.
Forgive me.: Maf korun.
Maf kôro.
Goodbye: Khodafez. (Muslim)
I can't speak name of language [that well].: (Ami) ____ [ôto bhalo] bolte pari na.
Do you speak English?: Apni-ki Ingreji bolte paren?
Tumi-ki Ingreji bolte paro?
Is there someone here who speaks English?: Ekhane keu achhe, je Ingreji bolte paren?
Help!: Bachao!
Look out!: Shabdhan!
Good morning.: Suprobhat. (highly formal)
Good evening.: Subho shôndha. (highly formal)
Good night.: Subho ratri. (highly formal)
I don't understand.: (Ami) bujhi na.
Where is the toilet?: Tôeletta kothae?

Problems

shomosha

Numbers

0 Shunno
1 Êk
2 Dui
3 Tin
4 Char
5 Pãch
6 Chhôe
7 Shat
8 At
9 Nôe
10 Dôsh
11 Êgaro
12 Baro
13 Têro
14 Chouddo
15 Pônero
16 Sholo
17 Shôtero
18 Atharo
19 Unnish

20 Bish / Kuri
30 Trish
40 Chollish
50 Pônchash
60 Shat
70 Shottur
80 Ashi
90 Nobboi

100 Êk sho
1,000 Êk hajar
10,000 Dôsh hajar
100,000 Êk lakh
1,000,000 Dôsh lakh
10,000,000 Êk kuti

Time

Clock time

Duration

Days

Monday: Shombar
Tuesday: Monggolbar
Wednesday: Budhbar
Thursday: Brihoshpotibar
Friday: Shukrobar
Saturday: Shonibar
Sunday: Robibar

Months

Writing time and date

Colors

black: kalo
white: shada
red: lal
pink: golapi
orange: kômla
yellow: holud
green: shobuj
blue: nil
purple: beguni

Transportation

Bus and train

Directions

here: eikhane
there: oikhane
(on/to the) right: dan (dike)
(on/to the) left: bã (dike)
(on/to the) north: uttor (dike)
(on/to the) south: dokkhin (dike)
(on/to the) east: purbo (dike)
(on/to the) west: poshchim (dike)
straight: shoja
in front: shamne
behind: pichhe / pichhon dike
Go (___).: (___) jan. (formal)
(___) jao.
Turn around (___).: (___) Ghurun. (formal)
(___) Ghoro.
Keep going (___).: (___) Jete thakun. (formal)
(___) Jete thako.
Stop (___).: (___) Thamun. (formal)
(___) Thamo.

Taxi

Lodging

Money

Poysha

Eating

Khabar

Bars

Shopping

Bajar

Driving

Authority

Learning more

Bengali language page on Wikimedia

This page was last edited at 05:28, on 30 January 2009 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Nick Roux, Peter Fitzgerald, Sameer ud Dowla Khan and Kaushik Mitra and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.