Hindi vs. Gujarati — What's the Difference?

Hindi is predominantly spoken in the northern parts of India and serves as one of the country's official languages, along with English. It uses the Devanagari script for writing, which is also employed by several other Indian languages. On the other hand, Gujarati is primarily spoken in the western state of Gujarat and uses the Gujarati script, which, like Devanagari, is derived from the Brahmi script but has its unique characters and style.

In terms of phonology, Hindi includes several sounds that are not found in Gujarati, such as aspirated consonants and retroflex sounds. Hindi's phonetic system is somewhat more complex due to its larger phoneme inventory. Whereas Gujarati has its phonetic distinctions and tends to have a simpler vowel system, with fewer distinctions among vowels compared to Hindi.

Grammatically, both languages share some common features typical of Indo-Aryan languages, such as SOV (Subject Object Verb) order and the use of postpositions. However, there are differences in verb conjugations, the use of auxiliary verbs, and the application of gender and plural markers. Hindi grammar is often considered to have more levels of formality reflected in verb forms and pronouns, while Gujarati grammar might present a more straightforward approach in some aspects.

Vocabulary in both languages is largely derived from Sanskrit, yet they have also incorporated words from Persian, Arabic, and English, among others. Hindi, being more widely spoken and taught, has a higher incidence of loanwords from these languages, especially Persian and English, in its standard form. Gujarati, while also incorporating foreign vocabulary, retains a stronger presence of words of Sanskrit origin and has unique contributions from Portuguese and other languages due to historical trade connections.

Culturally, both languages reflect the rich heritage of their speakers. Hindi is often associated with Bollywood cinema, which has contributed to its spread and popularity. Gujarati, meanwhile, has a strong literary tradition and is known for its business acumen, with Gujarati speakers having a significant impact on commerce and trade in India and abroad.