India GOWhat language is spoken in Mumbai
Mumbai has no single language. Marathi is the official language of Maharashtra and the most common mother tongue in the city; a street form of Hindi is what strangers use with each other; English runs the offices and is enough in tourist places. The list above shows the five languages the city lives in. Below is who speaks what, and the handful of words that help.
Marathi
मराठी
Hindi
हिन्दी
English
English is enough in tourist places
English
Urdu
اردو
Gujarati
ગુજરાતી
Who speaks what
By the 2011 census, Marathi was the mother tongue of about 35% of Mumbai, Hindi of about 25%, Urdu and Gujarati of 11–12% each and Tamil of a little over 2%; the rest is a long list of languages from every corner of India. The district administration of suburban Mumbai names four main languages for its area: Marathi, Hindi, English and Gujarati.
Marathi is the official language of Maharashtra, and government business also runs in English. Marathi has the third-largest number of native speakers in India, after Hindi-Urdu and Bengali, and the Government of India has recognised it as a classical language.
Bambaiya: the Hindi of the street
The Hindi heard on Mumbai's streets is Bombay Hindi, also called Bambaiya: a colloquial variety with a largely Hindi-Urdu vocabulary laid over a Marathi base, with some Gujarati mixed in. Bollywood made it familiar across India, first as the speech of film gangsters and later, with the Munna Bhai films, as something closer to the city's own voice. Some words travelled from here into everyday Indian speech, such as bindaas, from Marathi bindhast, meaning carefree, without fear.
Marathi and Hindi are separate languages, but they are close relatives: both are Indo-Aryan and both are written in Devanagari, Marathi in its own variant, Balbodh, which is close to the Hindi alphabet. That is why a shop sign in Marathi and one in Hindi can look almost the same to a visitor.
English, and where other languages help
English is the main working language of Mumbai's offices and is enough in tourist places. A few situations where language still matters:
- Theatre — Plays at Prithvi Theatre in Juhu (shows in Mumbai) are in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati or English, so check the language before you book.
- Museum tours — The free weekend tours at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum run in English first, then in Hindi and Marathi.
- The old bazaars — Zaveri Bazaar was settled by Gujarati and Marwari goldsmiths in the 19th century, and Gujarati is one of the main languages of the city.
- Taxis and trains — Drivers of the black-and-yellow cabs run the meter, and Uber and Ola work everywhere, so a ride needs little conversation.
Words you will hear
A short list of words that come up all the time in Mumbai.
Namaste, namaskar
The greeting with palms pressed together; namaskar is the other form of the same word. It works in Marathi and Hindi alike.
Mumbaikar
A resident of Mumbai: the Marathi suffix -kar means "resident of". Bombayite is the older English word.
Aai
Mother in Marathi. It is the second half of the city's name: Mumba, the goddess of the Koli fishing community, plus aai.
Kaali-peeli
Literally black-yellow: the city's metered taxis, named for their colours.
Khau galli
A lane of food stalls, such as the vegetarian one in Ghatkopar.
Dabbawala
The lunch-box carriers who have delivered home-cooked lunches to offices since the 1890s, sorting them by a painted code of colours, letters and numerals rather than written addresses.
Mumbai or Bombay
Both names come from the same goddess. Mumbai joins Mumba, the patron goddess of the Koli community, with aai, mother. The Portuguese recorded the place as Bombaim, the English made it Bombay, and in Hindi it was Bambai. The Government of India changed the official English name to Mumbai in 1995. Some residents still say Bombay, but in any formal use the city is Mumbai, and using another name can touch a nerve.
FAQ
What language is spoken in Mumbai?
Marathi, the official language of Maharashtra and the most common mother tongue, followed by Hindi, Urdu and Gujarati. English is widely used in offices and is enough in tourist places.
Is Hindi spoken in Mumbai?
Yes. About a quarter of the city has Hindi as its mother tongue, and a colloquial Bombay Hindi, or Bambaiya, is the common language of the street.
Can I get by with English in Mumbai?
In tourist places, hotels, restaurants and offices, yes. In markets and with some drivers a few words of Hindi help, though metered taxis and app cabs need little conversation.
How do you say hello in Mumbai?
Namaste, or namaskar, with palms pressed together, works in both Marathi and Hindi.
Is Marathi similar to Hindi?
They are separate languages but close relatives: both are Indo-Aryan, and both use the Devanagari script, so many signs look familiar to a Hindi reader.
Why was Bombay renamed Mumbai?
Mumbai is the Marathi name, from the goddess Mumba and aai, mother; Bombay came from the Portuguese Bombaim. The official English name was changed to Mumbai in 1995.
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Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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