Learn Hindi or not for India?

I'm planning a move to India. Is Hindi necessary or can I get buy with English? Does the average man on the street in Mumbai or Delhi speak English? Is Hindi spoken in all major cities like Mumbai, etc.?

Given that I may be moving to Mumbai, Is English more useful than Hindi in Mumbai for an ex-pat?

I'm my experience from 15 years ago, the average man on the street in Bangalore and Madras/Chennai was barely able to understand basic English. By a.m.o.s I mean, of course, autowallahs, street vendors and the ubiquitous beggar. The average *middle-class Indian*, OTOH, is quite conversant in English, never mind the peculiar Indian accent and intonation.
I speak no Hindi, and from I what I learned there, it is not the most popular language down South. In Mumbai it's, of course, the opposite. You should get by fine with just English, I guess, if my two months there serve as guidance.

You could get by with English, but I would recommend learning Hindi and/or maybe even the regional language of the area (Marathi for Maharashtra, Gujarati for Gujarat, Konkani for Goa, Punjabi for Punjab, Tamil for Tamil Nadu, etc.). I would definitely learn Hindi if I moved to India - see this as an opportunity to learn, not as a burden.

Before you move, I would recommend learning a few phrases, how to count, etc. at least. Then if you really want to you can get a Hindi tutor or enroll in a language-learning academy in India.

Thanks,

But in Mumbai, is Marathi more spoken? Is Hindi understood and spoken by most people there?
Aqua

Marathi is the native language, but most of the people do understand Hindi. You could get by with English, but I'd recommend you learn either Marathi/Hindi.

In mumbai, walking down a street, going into a store, listening to people talk -- which language is one most likley to hear, Marathi or Hindi?

Same question for banalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Calcutta?

Do the people who speak Hindi in these non-hindi areas speak it fluently usually?

In Mumbai, you'll most probably hear Marathi.

Bangalore- Kannada
Chennai - Tamil
Hyderabad- Telgu
Calcutta- Bengali

Most people usually speak Hindi with a fair degree of fluency.

:(

Where do you want to go?

Marathi, is it more useful than Hindi in Mumbai? Would you reccommend learning Marathi, or is it a waste of time? I mean, most people don't learn Shanghaieese for Shanghai.

If you intend to stay there for a long time, then yes. Otherwise, you can get along just fine with English.

Don't underestimate Hindi. It is a very durable language.

Look at the Indian communities in Guyana, Fiji, and Mauritius, they are all amalgam of different Indian ethno-linguistic group speaking different vernacular languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Keralan, Telugu, Bengali, etc. and yet Hindi is now the norm of ethnic in those countries.

The Indians I've spoken to (albeit not many) all seem to have negative feelings on Hindi, discourage foreigners from learning and speaking it, and if they were addressed by a white foreigner in Hindi, I should think many would switch to English no matter how peculiar and broken.

The Catalan, Galicians, Guarani, Quechua, Aymara, Quiche, and Nahuatl speakers I've spoken to (albeit most of them) all seem to have negative feelings on Spanish, discourage foreigners from learning and speaking it, and if they were addressed by a white foreigner in Spanish, I should think many would switch to English or French no matter how peculiar and broken.

<<The Indians I've spoken to (albeit not many) all seem to have negative feelings on Hindi, discourage foreigners from learning and speaking it, and if they were addressed by a white foreigner in Hindi, I should think many would switch to English no matter how peculiar and broken. >>

I wouldn't put it as negative feelings, but say that they're more fluent in English than Hindi. Keep in mind that not everyone in India has Hindi as their mother tongue. South Indians especially are more fluent in English, than in Hindi.

To OP: Learn the regional language of whichever region you're moving to. If you plan to travel about the country, then Hindi will be a great help.