Lesson #24: Nasalized Vowels
Now you’ve mastered the Hindi Vowels, there’s one more thing I need to tell you about - vowel nasalization! So are you ready to get going?
We’re going to be using our noses today so if you’ve got a massive nose like this then you’re in luck!
Every vowel in Hindi, apart from ऋ ri, has a nasalized version. So what does this mean? Well the nasalized version is pronounced just like the normal version but you instead make the sound “through your nose”. Confused? Well don’t worry - be sure to use the audio in the lesson to help you!
To make a vowel into its nasalized version we use what’s called a चन्द्रबिन्दु candrabindu literally a “moon dot”. This is exactly what it says on the tin - it’s a “moon-dot” that sits on top of the vowel and tells us the vowel is nasalized! Nasalized vowels should be thought of as separate and different vowels! On this site I transliterate the nasalized vowels by adding an “n” to the end - but don’t let this fool you, there’s no “n” sound, it just means you make the vowel sound through your nose!
Let me show you an example using our first vowel. To make a nasalized version of अ a we add our chandrabindu to get अँ an. Can you see the moon-dot on top of the letter? Good! This is pronounced just like अ a but through the nose! Use the audio below to hear it. Here’s an example word too…
अँ an as in हँसना hansnaa - To Laugh
Can you see the chandrabindu above the ह ha, yeah? That means the vowel is nasalized. If you’re having troubles reproducing the sound yourself then try holding your nose and saying it - and be sure to keep practising! The next vowel works in the exact same way…
आँ aan as in घड़ियाँ ghariyaan - Clocks
This time we’ve used आँ aan. Can you see what’s happened? Be sure to listen to the audio! Now if a vowel extends above the line of the letters then the moon part of the chandrabindu disappears (to stop things getting messy!) and so we’re just left we a dot. For example…
इँ in as in सिंचाई sincaaee - Irrigation
Can you see that the “moon” has disappeared here? We’re left with just the “dot” because this vowel extends over the top line! With me? Here’s another example…
ईं een as in नहीं naheen - No
Can you see that the “moon” has disappeared here? We’re left with just the “dot” because this vowel extends over the top line! With me? Let’s keep working our way through the vowels then…
उँ un as in मुँह munh - Mouth
ऊँ oon as in ऊँट oont - Camel
एँ en as in किताबें kitaaben - Books
Remember that because the vowel marker here extends over the top of the line we lose the moon! Shall we keep going?
ऐं ain as in मैं main - I / Me
ओं on as in क्यों kyon - Why?
औं aun as in भौं bhaun - Eyebrow
Phew! Be sure to listen to all the audio files as much as you can and don’t forget you can ask me if you have any questions at all!
Note: It’s common to see people always using just the dot and never the “moon and dot”, for example you might see someone writing हां haan. This is technically incorrect and words should always be written with both the “moon and dot” if applicable - e.g. you should write हाँ haan.
