Understanding the Bollywood Lyrics on This Website
For each Bollywood song featured on this website, we provide two versions of the lyrics:
- Romanized Hindi – a version of the original Hindi lyrics written using the English alphabet.
- English Translation – a version that explains the meaning of the lyrics in English.
Hindi vs Romanized Hindi
Hindi is traditionally written in the Devanagari script, which is used for many Indian languages including Sanskrit, Marathi, and Nepali. Here’s an example of a line written in Devanagari:
चाहूँगा मैं तुझे साँझ सवेरे
This line is from the classic song “Chahunga Main Tujhe Saanjh Savere” from the 1964 movie Dosti.
However, many people who enjoy Bollywood music may not be able to read Devanagari. That’s why we opted to use Romanized Hindi to write the Hindi sounds for the words of a song using the English alphabet. For example, the line above might appear as:
Chahunga mai tujhe sanjh sawere
It might also appear as:
Chahoonga main tujhe saanjh savere
These versions may look different, but they represent the same Hindi line. Romanized Hindi is not standardized, so spellings can vary depending on the source. If you’re unsure about pronunciation or meaning, it’s helpful to refer to the original Devanagari version, which can be found on many websites.
About the English Translations
The English translation aims to help you understand the meaning of the lyrics, not just the words. Translating poetry and song lyrics is tricky, especially when trying to match the rhythm, emotion, and cultural context of the original song (some recorded more than 50 years ago). That’s why:
- We consulted multiple sources, including subtitles from the original films.
- We used tools like Google Translate for difficult phrases.
- We worked with Hindi teachers and native Hindi speakers to fine-tune the translations.
In our quest to provide meaning rather than word-by-word or line-by-line translations, a single English line may sometimes represent several lines of the Hindi lyrics. This approach helps to preserve the overall sense and emotion of the original song, even if the structure differs. We’ve done our best to keep the translations both accurate and meaningful.
Following Along with the Songs
The lyrics are presented exactly as they appear in a song, including repeated lines. This makes the lyrics longer, but it helps you to follow along with the music or learn a song more easily.
A Note on Accuracy
We’ve made every effort to ensure the Romanized Hindi and English translations are clear and accurate. Each song includes an “About the Lyrics” section that credits the sources and people who helped with the translation.
Still, we know that translations can always be improved. If you spot a mistake or have a better version of a translation, we’d love to hear from you!
Want to Learn Hindi?
If you’ve ever wanted to understand Bollywood songs in their original language or you just want to explore one of the world’s most beautiful and expressive languages, here’s your chance!
The Indian High Commission in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago has been offering free Hindi classes for over 30 years. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to sharpen your skills, there’s a class for you:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Classes typically run from September to July and are available in both face-to-face and online formats at various locations across Trinidad. Registration usually opens in August each year (please note that there is a registration fee of $100.00 TTD).
The Hindi Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago also offers Hindi courses.
