Lots of people have asked me, “what’s the difference between aap kaise ho vs. aap kaise hai”? Both are accepted in everyday conversational Hindi. Even though, aap kaise ho is more common, I teach my students, aap kaise hai”.
Why?
Because “aap kaise hai?” is the formal, respectful form. I teach Hindi to children. Therefore, if they’re speaking Hindi, it’s most likely with someone older than them. So it’s better to be safe by using the respectful form.
The other reason I do this is because not only do I teach children…but I teach kids who are growing up outside of India – desi kids born/raised in other countries. And let me tell you, the “hai”, “ho” and “hoo’s” get confusing! So, I only teach the informal “ho” to my eldest/most advanced students.
Formal vs. Informal = Foreign Concept
This whole concept of formal vs. informal (aap vs. tum), aka the respectful form is also foreign to desi kids growing up outside of India because it’s not a feature found in English. There’s only one “you” in English.
Did you know that technically using the words “aap” and “ho” together in one sentence is like saying the Lakers and the Clippers are the same? It’s wrong.
Aap = you (formal)
Hai = is/are (formal)
Tum = you (informal)
Ho = is/are (informal)
Therefore:
Aap goes with hai.
Tum goes with ho.
Ergo:
“aap kaise hai?”
“tum kaise ho?”
Don’t even get me started on tu vs. tum. I don’t go there in my classes, except with my most advanced students.
But again, “aap kaise ho?” is what most people say and it’s totally accepted in conversational Hindi. But since I’m teaching, I stick to “aap kaise hai?” But if you’re really interested in understanding more about the pronoun, “you” in Hindi check out this article I wrote.
Pronunciation. Notice also, that I removed the “n” that I normally put on “hain”. That’s because, again, I teach kids who are growing up outside India. When I put the “n” in the word, they pronounce it as exactly the way I expected them to – with a hard “n” sound at the end (like rain) and not …not with the nasal “n” sound that is common in Hindi. So I remove the “n”.
Every teacher has to pick and choose their battles. That’s a battle I’ve chosen not to confront.
Aap Kaise Ho and Aap Kaise Hai Meaning
Both are the question, “how are you?”
Aap = you
kaise = how
ho/hai = are
Translated word-for-word, it’s “you, how are?”. Like pretty much every language, the order of the words in Hindi are not the same as English.
Hindi is a subject-object-verb language whereas English is a subject-verb- object language.
As you can see, in Hindi, the verb comes at the end of the sentence.
And now you know the difference between “Aap kaise ho vs. “Aap kaise hai”.
Why are there so many ways to say “you”?
India is a family and community based society and culture. Most Indian languages reflect that. Within Indian culture there is a lot of emphasis placed on respecting elders by speaking to them differently, mainly through inflection. At the same time there’s a distinction in how to speak to someone younger than you as well.
The word “you” has 3 forms in Hindi: aap, tum, tu.
Aap is the respectful form for elders.
Tum is informal for people the same age or younger.
And I call “tu” the “you” of extremes. Use “tu” endearingly with your ride or die peeps – your mom, your bestie, your siblings. It’s a sign of how close you are.
The other time some people use “tu” is in anger – when you’re in an argument with someone. It demeans the other person. See…”tu” is the “you” of extremes.
I don’t teach nor use “tu” in my classes (nor otherwise). I explain it to my teenage students when they ask me about it, but I tell them not to use it.
Summary
I hope this article has been helpful to you in understand aap kaise ho vs. aap kaise hai. Both are accepted in conversational Hindi, but there is a difference. And now you know how.
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Have you ever watched a Bollywood movie and everyone else was laughing and…you didn’t understand the joke? Or maybe your grandparents speak to you in Hindi…and your response is a sweet smile and “theek hain” to everything?
That was me too.
Growing up in Orange County, California, I understood Hindi long before I confidently spoke it. But over time, I became curious. Friday nights became “Hindi movie nights” with my mom — parathas, Bollywood movies, and LOTS of questions.
Eventually, I started speaking more Hindi at home.
One of my favorite memories was visiting family in Delhi when my Chachi said: Tumhari Hindi bahut achi hai.
That was a moment for me.
I started Virtual PreSkool to make learning Hindi accessible to children and adults residing outside India. To build confidence speaking Hindi and feel more connected to their family, culture, and heritage.
One of the best parts of teaching is hearing students excitedly share:
- “My Nani cried when I said “pranam”!
- “When we were in India my dad didn’t know how to ask for directions, but I did!”
After graduating from UC Irvine and earning my MBA from USC Marshall, I spent years as an entrepreneur before creating Virtual PreSkool.
When I’m not teaching Hindi, I’m usually exercising, cooking vegan meals, or planning my next trip. I look forward to seeing you in class!
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