indianism

Indianism is a term exclusive to Indian English. It refers to a word or phrase which is a
characteristic of Indian English. Often these may be misinterpreted or misunderstood by native
English speakers,so it is important to avoid these.
 Anticlockwise – counter-clockwise
 Any doubts? – “Any questions?”
 Avail – get
 Bike – “cycle”
 Canteen – cafeteria
 Come home – come over to my home
 Cousin-brother/Cousin-sister – a relative you consider your brother or sister because
of growing up very close to them, but you don’t actually have the same mother and
father
 Curd – yogurt
 Cut the call – hang up abruptly
 Cut the queue – jump in front of you when in a line
 Designation – job title
 Do the needful – Do that is needed/required
 Dustbin – trash can or waste basket
 Expired – died; My father expired
 Good name – first name; What is your good name?
 Got fired – got yelled at; doesn’t necessarily mean someone lost his/her job
 Holiday – vacation
 Kindly – please
 Level Best – my best. I’ll do my level best
 Mugging up – cramming, or memorizing before an exam
 Out of station – out of town
 Passed out – graduated
 Pen Drive – thumb drive, zip drive, jump drive, memory stick
 Petrol Bunk – gas station
 PIN code – area code, or zip code
 Prepone – to advance or move up the time
 Puncture – flat tire (or tyre)
 Purse – wallet
 Query – a question
 Queue – a line of people
 Revert – get back; Kindly revert
 Saloon – a place to get your hair cut; not a bar
 Snap – picture; Let’s take some snaps before we leave
 Standard – grade, as in level of schooling; I am going into 8th standard
 System – computer; I need a new system to complete the work
 Tariff – Charges, or a rate card
 Tie-up – a partnership. We have a tie-up with several good distributors
 Tight slap – a really good slap; I wanted to give that boy a tight slap
 Time waste – waste of time
 Two-wheeler – a motorcycle or a scooter (occasionally a bicycle)
 Wedding anniversary-marriage anniverary
 Write an exam – to take an exam (not produce one); I am writing my exam on Friday
Examples:
I have done the needful. – Incorrect
I have done what is necessary or needed. – Correct
Please do the needful. – Incorrect
Please do what is necessary or needed. – Correct
Kindly revert back to me. – Incorrect
Please reply to me. – Correct
Reply back
Please reply back as soon as possible. – Incorrect
Please reply as soon as possible. – Correct
Prepone
I have preponed the meeting. – Incorrect
I have rescheduled the meeting to. – Correct
Please do XYZ without fail
Here, please is a request and without fail is an order.
Examples:
Kindly attend the meeting without fail. – Incorrect
Please attend the meeting. Do not fail me in this. – Correct
Please intimate me
To intimate is a rare verb meaning to inform someone privately.
Examples:
Please intimate me. – Incorrect
Please inform me. – Correct
Do one thing
Do one thing is the direct translation of Ek kaam karo and this usage is incorrect. Person
starting a sentence with “do one thing” phrase, invariable ends up in giving more than one
instructions.
Examples:
Scenario: My computer keeps getting hung.
Indian Usage: Do one thing. Clear your history. Delete your cookies. Defrag your hard drive.
Run a virus check. Restart your computer.
Correct Usage: Do the following:
Clear your history.
Delete your cookies.
Defrag your hard drive.
Run a virus check.
Restart your computer.
Do one thing. Take a left turn there. – Incorrect
You can take a left turn there. – Correct
Let’s do one thing, let’s order both veg and non-veg. – Incorrect
Let’s order Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian. – Correct
Do one thing, set the headline in Times New Roman. – Incorrect
You can set the headline in Times New Roman. – Correct
You have carpal tunnel? Do one thing, adjust your chair higher, put something underneath your
feet, and put the keyboard on your lap. – Incorrect
You have carpal tunnel? Adjust your chair higher, put something underneath your feet, and put
the keyboard on your lap. – Correct
Note: Carpal tunnel means cramp.
Out of Station
Out of Station is widely used in India which is incorrect.
Examples:
If you lose your card or it stops working and you happen to be out of station, then you cannot
apply for a new card. – Incorrect
If you lose your card or it stops working and you happen to be out of town, then you cannot
apply for a new card. – Correct
He is out of station. – Incorrect
He is out of town. – Correct
Discuss about
The word discuss means to talk about. There is no need to insert the word about after discuss.
Examples:
What shall we discuss about today? – Incorrect
What shall we discuss today? – Correct
Let’s discuss about the issues. – Incorrect
Let’s discuss the issues. – Correct
Order for
When you order something, you order it, you do not order for it.
Examples:
Ordering for Pizza. – Incorrect
Ordering Pizza. – Correct
I’ll order for Pizza. – Incorrect
I’ll order Pizza. – Correct
How to order for Pizza? – Incorrect
How to order Pizza. – Correct
Can be able to
Both can and able to hold the same meaning.
Examples:
I can be able to do it. – Incorrect
I will be able to do it. – Correct
I can do it. – Correct
You can be able to understand. – Incorrect
You will be able to understand. – Correct
You can understand. – Correct
I can be able to communicate in English with people all over the world. – Incorrect
I am able to communicate in English with people all over the world. – Correct
I will be able to communicate in English with people all over the world. – Correct
Here are a few examples of Indianism:
 What’s your good name?
 Meant: What’s your name? – Transliteration from Hindi.
 I’m a professional cooker.
 Meaning a chef. The explanation for this is when you can say footballer, singer, lecturer,
cricketer, player, and teacher: all these profession names end with an “-er” why can’t we
say cooker?!
 My uncle is on top of my father
 Meant: My uncle lives on the floor above us.
 Where are you put up?
 Someone who wants to know where you stay (in which area of a city).
 Sheela herself only did this project.
 Meant: Sheela did this project without any help. / Sheela did this project all by herself.
 Where your house comes?
 Meant: Can you give me directions to your house?
 I passed out last year from college.
 Meant: I graduated last year from college.
 Are you coming to my house for dinner tonight, no?
 A tendency to add “no” before the end of every question.
 She is fully tired, ya!
 Meant: She is very tired or completely tired: unnecessary usage of “ya” which is different
from “yeah”.
 My mother said me to go to the market.
 Meant: My mother asked me to go to the market.
 I didn’t went to school today.
 Incorrect verb conjugation: I didn’t go to school today.
 Just like only I went to my uncle’s place.
 Meant: I went to my uncle’s house for the heck of it.
 I’m having a lot of work now.
 Meant: I have a lot of work now.
 I saw it happening with my own two eyes!
 Meant: It happened right in front of me.
 Yesterday, I will be going for a movie.
 Meant: Yesterday I went for a movie; incorrect tense usage.
 She couldn’t be able to help you.
 Meant: She was unable to help you; incorrect verb conjugation.
 I like listening musics.
 Meant: I like to listen to music. Preposition “to” dropped, and “music” does not have a
plural form.
 My mother made me to study hard.
 Meant: My mother ensured that I studied hard.
 Before me, there are two brothers, then is me, three more sisters are coming.
What was meant was: I have two elder brothers and three younger sisters.
1-I am very much pleased to see you.
Correct- I am very pleased to see you.
2-I went to the stadium for playing football.
C- I went to the stadium to play football.
3-What to do?
I think, it's wrong but I am not sure. (Correct- What am I do?)
4-He talks English very well.
C- he speaks English very well.
5-My birth date is 29th August.
C-My date of birth is 29th August.
6-The water is good for drinking.
C- The water is good to drink.
7-I came here for the purpose to learn English.
C-I come here for the purpose of learning English.
8-My family members have gone to the New Delhi.
C-Members of my family have gone to the New Delhi.
9-He is an England return professor.
C-The professor has returned from England.
10- Are you still try to learning Hindi.
c- Are you still trying to learn Hindi?