Indian English, while rich in cultural flavor, often includes phrases and expressions that can confuse or even amuse speakers from other parts of the world. More importantly, these expressions may be considered non-standard or incorrect in formal or international contexts. This article aims to identify common Indian English phrases and provide their more widely accepted alternatives.
This guide is not meant to diminish the vibrancy of Indian English, but rather to equip users with the tools to code-switch effectively when communicating in broader international contexts. We'll examine a range of phrases commonly used in Indian English, and provide the correct or more universally understood alternatives.
| Indian English Phrase | Example of Usage | Standard Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Do the needful | "Please do the needful and process my application." | "Please take care of this and process my application." |
| Prepone | "Can we prepone the meeting to 2 PM?" | "Can we move the meeting earlier to 2 PM?" |
| Cousin brother/sister | "My cousin brother is visiting from Delhi." | "My cousin is visiting from Delhi." |
| Updation | "The updation of the software is complete." | "The updating of the software is complete." |
| Revert back | "I will revert back to you with the information." | "I will get back to you with the information." |
| Mugging up | "Students are mugging up for their exams." | "Students are cramming for their exams." |
| Kindly adjust | "The train is crowded, kindly adjust." | "The train is crowded, please make room." |
| Pass out | "I passed out from Delhi University in 2010." | "I graduated from Delhi University in 2010." |
| Give exam | "I'm giving my final exam next month." | "I'm taking my final exam next month." |
| History sheeter | "He's a known history sheeter in the area." | "He's a known repeat offender in the area." |
| Public nuisance | "That loud music is causing public nuisance." | "That loud music is causing a disturbance." |
| Timepass | "I'm just doing some timepass until the movie starts." | "I'm just killing time until the movie starts." |
| Good name | "What is your good name, sir?" | "What is your name, sir?" |
| Cooling glass | "I forgot my cooling glass at home." | "I forgot my sunglasses at home." |
| Backlog | "I have two backlogs in my engineering degree." | "I have two pending exams in my engineering degree." |
| Tiffin | "I packed tiffin for lunch today." | "I packed a lunchbox for today." |
| Take leave | "I need to take leave for two days." | "I need to take time off for two days." |
| Stay order | "The court issued a stay order on the construction." | "The court issued a restraining order on the construction." |
| Loose motions | "I have loose motions today." | "I have diarrhea today." |
| Pin drop silence | "There was pin drop silence in the auditorium." | "There was complete silence in the auditorium." |
| Out of station | "She is out of station for a week." | "She is out of town for a week." |
| Native | "What is your native?" | "Where are you from originally?" |
| Feel like vomiting | "I feel like vomiting after eating that food." | "I feel nauseous after eating that food." |
| Gents and ladies | "The gents and ladies bathrooms are on different floors." | "The men's and women's bathrooms are on different floors." |
| Having fever | "He is having fever since yesterday." | "He has had a fever since yesterday." |
| Load-shedding | "There will be load-shedding from 2 PM to 4 PM." | "There will be a power cut from 2 PM to 4 PM." |
| Take a printout | "Can you take a printout of this document?" | "Can you print this document?" |
| Backside | "The garden is on the backside of the building." | "The garden is at the back of the building." |
| Over smart | "Don't be over smart with me." | "Don't be a wise guy with me." |
| Make friendship | "He wants to make friendship with everyone." | "He wants to make friends with everyone." |
| Having lunch/dinner | "I am having lunch right now." | "I am eating lunch right now." |
| Back answer | "Don't give me back answers." | "Don't talk back to me." |
| Side dish | "What side dish goes with this curry?" | "What accompaniment goes with this curry?" |
| Tight slap | "He deserves a tight slap for his behavior." | "He deserves a hard slap for his behavior." |
| Full form | "What is the full form of ISRO?" | "What does ISRO stand for?" |
| Prepone | "Can we prepone the meeting to 2 PM?" | "Can we move the meeting earlier to 2 PM?" |
| Convey my regards | "Please convey my regards to your family." | "Please give my regards to your family." |
| Pass away | "My grandfather passed away last year." | "My grandfather died last year." |
| Holidaying | "We are holidaying in Goa next month." | "We are vacationing in Goa next month." |
| Schooling | "I did my schooling in Delhi." | "I completed my school education in Delhi." |
| Costly | "This restaurant is very costly." | "This restaurant is very expensive." |
| Take Xerox | "Can you take a Xerox of this document?" | "Can you make a photocopy of this document?" |
| Bunk | "He often bunks classes to play cricket." | "He often skips classes to play cricket." |
| Felicitate | "We will felicitate the winners tomorrow." | "We will honor the winners tomorrow." |
| Stepney | "Do you have a stepney in your car?" | "Do you have a spare tire in your car?" |
| Mess | "I eat at the college mess every day." | "I eat at the college cafeteria every day." |
| Native place | "I'm going to my native place for the holidays." | "I'm going to my hometown for the holidays." |
| Milk packet | "Can you buy a milk packet on your way home?" | "Can you buy a carton of milk on your way home?" |
| Love marriage | "They had a love marriage, not an arranged one." | "They chose their own partner, it wasn't an arranged marriage." |
| Hill station | "We're planning a trip to a hill station." | "We're planning a trip to a mountain resort." |
| Veg/Non-Veg | "Do you prefer veg or non-veg food?" | "Do you prefer vegetarian or non-vegetarian food?" |
| Dress material | "I bought dress material for a new outfit." | "I bought fabric for a new outfit." |
| Video shoot | "We have a video shoot scheduled for tomorrow." | "We have a filming session scheduled for tomorrow." |
| Monkey cap | "It's cold outside, wear your monkey cap." | "It's cold outside, wear your balaclava." |
| Viva | "I have my final viva tomorrow." | "I have my final oral exam tomorrow." |
| Mobilephone | "What's your mobilephone number?" | "What's your cell phone number?" |
| Godown | "The goods are stored in our godown." | "The goods are stored in our warehouse." |
| Dickey | "Put the luggage in the dickey of the car." | "Put the luggage in the trunk of the car." |
| Shifting | "We are shifting to our new flat next month." | "We are moving to our new apartment next month." |
| Conveyance | "The company provides conveyance for night shift workers." | "The company provides transportation for night shift workers." |
| Eve-teasing | "There have been incidents of eve-teasing in this area." | "There have been incidents of sexual harassment of women in this area." |
| Batchmate | "Rahul was my batchmate in college." | "Rahul was my classmate in college." |
| Doubt | "Sir, I have a doubt about this equation." | "Sir, I have a question about this equation." |
| Only | "It will take 5 minutes only." | "It will take just 5 minutes." |
| Cent percent | "I am cent percent sure about this decision." | "I am one hundred percent sure about this decision." |
| Biodata | "Please submit your biodata for the job application." | "Please submit your resume for the job application." |
| Join duty | "When will you join duty after your vacation?" | "When will you start work after your vacation?" |
| On the spot | "The decision was made on the spot." | "The decision was made immediately." |
| Opticals | "I bought new glasses from the opticals near my house." | "I bought new glasses from the optician's shop near my house." |
| Paining | "My head is paining." | "My head is hurting." |
| Specs | "I can't read without my specs." | "I can't read without my glasses." |
| Rubber | "Can I borrow your rubber? I need to erase this." | "Can I borrow your eraser? I need to erase this." |
| Expire | "My grandfather expired last year." | "My grandfather passed away last year." |
| Kindly revert | "Kindly revert with your comments." | "Please respond with your comments." |
| Wheatish complexion | "She has a wheatish complexion." | "She has a light brown skin tone." |
| Passing out | "I passed out of college in 2015." | "I graduated from college in 2015." |
| Today morning | "I saw him today morning." | "I saw him this morning." |
| Discuss about | "Let's discuss about the project." | "Let's discuss the project." |
| Years back | "I met him two years back." | "I met him two years ago." |
| Upgradation | "The upgradation of the system is complete." | "The upgrade of the system is complete." |
| Don't eat my head | "Stop eating my head with your complaints!" | "Stop bothering me with your complaints!" |
| Sitting on my head | "My boss is sitting on my head for this report." | "My boss is pressuring me about this report." |
| Pressurise | "Don't pressurise me to make a quick decision." | "Don't pressure me to make a quick decision." |
| Cope up | "I'm trying to cope up with the workload." | "I'm trying to cope with the workload." |
| Out of syllabus | "This question is out of syllabus." | "This question is not in the curriculum." |