Delhi's lifeline is its Metro — and its soul is the auto-rickshaw! In this lesson, you'll learn everything you need to ride public transport in Delhi. From buying tokens to haggling with auto drivers, these are the words and phrases that will get you around the city. You'll also learn how to use से [se] (from/by) and तक [tak] (until/to) with transport. Let's ride!
Learning tips
- से [se] has two meanings with transport: 'from' (a place) and 'by' (a means). Context makes it clear: दिल्ली से [dillī se] = from Delhi; मेट्रो से [meṭro se] = by metro.
- At Delhi Metro stations, you'll hear announcements in Hindi, English, and sometimes Urdu. Listen for 'अगला स्टेशन' [aglā sṭeśan] (next station).
- Auto-rickshaw fares are always negotiable in Delhi. Start by asking 'किराया कितना है?' [kirāyā kitnā hai?] (how much is the fare?) — then negotiate!
- चढ़ना [caṛhnā] (to board/climb up) and उतरना [utarnā] (to get off/climb down) are your key transport verbs. The polite forms are चढ़िए [caṛhie] and उतरिए [utarie].
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| रास्ता [rāstā] | way/path | |
| सीधा [sīdhā] | straight | |
| दाएँ [dāẽ] | right | |
| बाएँ [bāẽ] | left | |
| मोड़ [moṛ] | turn | |
| आगे [āge] | ahead | |
| पीछे [pīche] | behind | |
| पास [pās] | near | |
| दूर [dūr] | far | |
| तक [tak] | until/up to |
Dialog
Sita and Ravi take the Delhi Metro from Vishwavidyalaya station to Rajiv Chowk (the busiest metro station in Delhi), then catch an auto to Khan Market. Notice how से [se] means 'by' when used with transport (मेट्रो से [meṭro se] = by metro) and 'from' when used with places (राजीव चौक से [rājīv cauk se] = from Rajiv Chowk). तक [tak] means 'until/to' for destinations (ख़ान मार्केट तक [xān mārkeṭ tak] = to Khan Market).
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| मेट्रो | meṭro | /meː.ʈro/ | metro (subway) | Delhi Metro opened in 2002 and now has over 250 stations across multiple lines |
| ऑटो | ŏṭo | /ɔː.ʈo/ | auto-rickshaw, auto | The iconic three-wheeled vehicle — green and yellow in Delhi. Short for ऑटो-रिक्शा [ŏṭo-rikśā] |
| बस | bas | /bəs/ | bus | Delhi has DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) buses. Also means 'enough/just' in other contexts! |
| टिकट | ṭikaṭ | /ʈɪ.kəʈ/ | ticket | At metro stations, you buy a टोकन [ṭokan] (token) for single trips or use a कार्ड [kārḍ] (card) |
| स्टेशन | sṭeśan | /sʈeː.ʃən/ | station | Used for both metro stations and train stations |
| लाइन | lāin | /laː.ɪn/ | line (metro/queue) | Delhi Metro has color-coded lines: Yellow, Blue, Red, Green, etc. |
| रुकना | ruknā | /rʊk.naː/ | to stop, to wait | Polite imperative: रुकिए [rukie] (please stop/wait) |
| उतरना | utarnā | /ʊ.t̪ər.naː/ | to get off, to descend | Used for getting off any vehicle — polite: उतरिए [utarie] |
| चढ़ना | caṛhnā | /t͡ʃəɽʰ.naː/ | to get on, to board, to climb | Used for boarding any vehicle — polite: चढ़िए [caṛhie] |
| किराया | kirāyā | /kɪ.raː.jaː/ | fare, rent | Used for transport fare and also apartment rent |
Passive words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ड्राइवर | ḍrāivar | /ɖraː.ɪ.vər/ | driver | Borrowed from English — used for any vehicle driver |
| सीट | sīṭ | /siːʈ/ | seat | Borrowed from English — used universally |
| भीड़ | bhīṛ | /bʰiːɽ/ | crowd, rush | Delhi Metro during rush hour is famously crowded — expect भीड़ [bhīṛ]! |
| प्लेटफ़ॉर्म | pleṭfŏrm | /pleːʈ.fɔːrm/ | platform | Borrowed from English — used at metro and train stations |
| टोकन | ṭokan | /ʈo.kən/ | token | Single-use metro token — round plastic coin you tap to enter |
| कार्ड | kārḍ | /kaːrɖ/ | card (metro card) | Rechargeable smart card for Delhi Metro — also called 'metro card' |
Useful chunks
| Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मेट्रो से चलते हैं | meṭro se calte haĩ | Let's go by metro |
| किराया कितना है? | kirāyā kitnā hai? | How much is the fare? |
| जल्दी चढ़िए | jaldī caṛhie | Get on quickly (polite) |
Grammar: Motion verbs with postpositions से [se] and तक [tak]
| Pattern | Hindi | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| From X | X से | X se | from X |
| To/Until X | X तक | X tak | to/until X |
| From X to Y | X से Y तक | X se Y tak | from X to Y |
| By (means) | X से | X se | by X (transport) |
| Example | Hindi | IAST |
|---|---|---|
| By metro | मेट्रो से | meṭro se |
| From station to market | स्टेशन से बाज़ार तक | sṭeśan se bāzār tak |
| Get on the bus | बस पर चढ़िए | bas par caṛhie |
| Get off at Rajiv Chowk | राजीव चौक पर उतरिए | rājīv cauk par utarie |
The postposition से [se] is incredibly versatile:
1. 'From' (origin): दिल्ली से [dillī se] = from Delhi
2. 'By' (means of transport): मेट्रो से [meṭro se] = by metro
3. 'From...to' (with तक [tak]): दिल्ली से जयपुर तक [dillī se jaypur tak] = from Delhi to Jaipur
The postposition तक [tak] means 'until/up to/as far as':
- बाज़ार तक [bāzār tak] = up to the market
- पाँच बजे तक [pā̃c baje tak] = until five o'clock
For boarding and alighting, use पर [par] (on/at):
- बस पर चढ़िए [bas par caṛhie] = Get on the bus
- स्टेशन पर उतरिए [sṭeśan par utarie] = Get off at the station
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing transport word.
- हम से राजीव चौक जाएँगे।(a type of urban rail)
- कितना है? — बीस रुपये।(cost of a ride)
- अगला राजीव चौक है — उतरिए!(where trains stop)
- जल्दी — ट्रेन जा रही है!(to board — polite form)
- यहाँ — दरवाज़ा खुल रहा है।(to stop/wait — polite form)
Grammar Application
Fill in the correct postposition (से [se], तक [tak], or पर [par]).
- 'By bus' → बस (by means of)
- 'From Delhi to Jaipur' → दिल्ली जयपुर (from...to)
- 'Get off at the station' → स्टेशन (at + verb)
- 'Board the metro' → मेट्रो (on + verb)
- 'From here to market' → यहाँ बाज़ार (from...to)
Translation (English → Hindi)
Translate each transport sentence into Hindi.
- Let's go by metro — get a ticket.
- How much is the auto fare?
- Get off at the next station.
- The bus is very crowded.
- Wait here — the metro is coming.
Creative Construction
Describe a journey using metro and/or auto. Use से [se], तक [tak], and transport verbs.
Writing: Common signs in Devanagari — transport
Practice words
| Word | Romanization |
|---|---|
| प्रवेश | praveś |
| निकास | nikās |
| टिकट घर | ṭikaṭ ghar |
| प्लेटफ़ॉर्म | pleṭfŏrm |
Metro stations in India have signs in Devanagari, English, and sometimes Urdu. Practice reading these common transport signs: प्रवेश [praveś] (Entry), निकास [nikās] (Exit), टिकट घर [ṭikaṭ ghar] (Ticket Counter), प्लेटफ़ॉर्म [pleṭfŏrm] (Platform). Being able to read these in Devanagari will help you navigate stations even when English signs aren't visible.
Takeaway
Delhi Metro is the easiest way to get around the city. Remember: से [se] = from/by, तक [tak] = to/until, चढ़िए [caṛhie] = get on, उतरिए [utarie] = get off. For auto-rickshaws, always ask 'किराया कितना है?' [kirāyā kitnā hai?] before getting in!