Quirky Indian English ( spoken exclusively in India )

[coffee_rules]

On 5/25/2026 at 7:20 AM, goose said:

adding 'isn't it' to the end of any sentence

 

 

 

I hate when people (any) use “like” and “you know”  in every sentence between words.

I was literally like you know going this way and he was like all of a sudden you know said like why don’t you like Shah Rukh? I was like you know  I  don’t know .. like who knows right? O mean you know … 

Typical South Mumbsi fan- girl’.

Edited May 31 by coffee_rules

[coffee_rules]

At the fag end of the day, there was no rubber in my geometry box

[coffee_rules]

I have heard my dad’s generation , use phrases like - have you come alone or with your family?? to mean wife! One even asked what is the name of your family? Also, they use. “Issues” for children. They ask how many issues do you have?

 

Uncles and aunts asking young new newly weds - when will you give us the good news??

Edited May 31 by coffee_rules

[rangeelaraja]

5 hours ago, coffee_rules said:

I have heard my dad’s generation , use phrases like - have you come alone or with your family?? to mean wife! One even asked what is the name of your family? Also, they use. “Issues” for children. They ask how many issues do you have?

 

Uncles and aunts asking young new newly weds - when will you give us the good news??

 

 

Speaking of Issues. I rememeber as a kid, indian newspaper used to carry matrimonial bios with descriptions that had :

 

" innocent divorcee, no issues" ( to say no children from 1st marriage ) 

 

Putting an innocent before divorcee is super Indian. 

[rangeelaraja]

Some other Indian English gems :

 

Every middle/old aged person ( total stranger ) has to be addressed as "Aunty" and "Uncle".

 

"Cold drinks"   as a collective term for carbonated soft drinks is also uniquely Indian. 

[goose]

i get a lot of my quirky observations from cricket, since i'm not in india. i assume these are common in the wider population

 

manjrekar is a frequent user of 'isn't it'  - 'i think that pitched outside leg isn't it' ; 

 

dhoni, pandya - cannot answer a question without saying 'at this point of time' 

 

excessive and incorrect use of would  - 'i think india would win the match from here easily' tendulkar is a repeat offender!

 

 

 

 

[G_B_]

6 hours ago, coffee_rules said:

I hate when people (any) use “like” and “you know”  in every sentence between words.

I was literally like you know going this way and he was like all of a sudden you know said like why don’t you like Shah Rukh? I was like you know  I  don’t know .. like who knows right? O mean you know … 

Typical South Mumbsi fan- girl’.

 

 

Indians speak in a rhetorical way.

 

Another one is adding "only" at end of everything.

 

"We are like this only". Some say "isnt it".

 

The other annoying aspect is south indians adding "th" to everything. Sumant becomes Sumanth. Its a fudging proper noun.

 

Same wih Vinod being pronounced as Binod in the east. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ranvir]

I deal with a lot of offshore staff in my IT job.

 

Here are phrases I hear frequently:

 

'Yes, yes, yes'

'Am I audible'

'Kindly do the needful'

'For the same'

 

One that is pretty bad and shouldn't be used when dealing with westerners is someone has 'expired' when they've died. They're not a food item!

 

I've also had colleagues who start every other sentence with 'means....'.

Edited June 1 by Ranvir

[BacktoCricaddict]

16 minutes ago, Ranvir said:

I've also had colleagues who start every other sentence with 'means....'.

Direct result of starting sentences in Hindi with ... "Matlab ... "

[Vancouver]

On 5/24/2026 at 9:41 AM, Mariyam said:

The word brinjal is used in only Indian English.

 

Its called Eggplant or Aubergine elsewhere.

 

Au-bergine is the final French form with "au" in front. The root word is the same badinjan, popularized by Arab traders.

 

Eggplant is a different variety, same species though. White, small and round.

Edited June 1 by Vancouver

[Tillu]

"Thank you, come again"  was made popular by the character Apu from "The Simpsons" which the Americans always use to mock us.

 

Not related to OP, but Americans always use soft language to conceal seriousness of the events. Watch this funny comic.

 

 

[rangeelaraja]

Perfect Proposal....in Bengaluru style English.

 

Is this how Kannadiga boys propose and get laid ? 

 

@coffee_rules

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 02:48 AM by rangeelaraja

[coffee_rules]

45 minutes ago, rangeelaraja said:

Perfect Proposal....in Bengaluru style English.

 

Is this how Kannadiga boys propose and get laid ? 

 

@coffee_rules

 

 

Eggjactly how I got hitched!! Wokay .. no laafing matters..