‘It's actually a Delhi Hindi': External affairs minister S Jaishankar is a polyglot, know what languages he can speak

Indian Express

3 days ago

When we think of politicians with a command over language, Shashi Tharoor — known for his eloquence and famously expansive vocabulary — often comes to mind. But Dr S Jaishankar, India's External Affairs Minister, stands not far behind. The career diplomat is a polyglot too, juggling a surprising mix of languages that reflect both his diplomatic career and personal life.
In a recent candid chat, Dr Jaishankar spoke about the languages he knows.'Obviously, I speak English,' he said with a smile, a given for someone in his role. But the conversation quickly became more personal as he opened up about his connection to other tongues.
When it comes to Hindi, he said: 'I speak Hindi… not at a very high standard, but with a kind of street smart fluency.' Then, with a bit of humour, he clarified what kind of Hindi that is — not the literary kind, not even the academic JNU kind — 'It's actually a Delhi Hindi. I was born in Delhi, so it's a very Delhi person's Hindi.'
Though his roots are Tamil, Dr Jaishankar admitted that he never formally learnt the language. 'I can speak Tamil, but not with the kind of fluency and command of vocabulary that I would like,' he said honestly, showing the humility of someone who still wants to learn more.
But his journey with languages didn't stop there. His time in the Foreign Service introduced him to Russian.
'Russian is different because I actually studied it in the Foreign Service,' he shared, showing that some languages entered his life through duty, not birth.
In a moment that made everyone smile, he revealed that he even knew some Japanese. 'I have a working, rudimentary sense of Japanese… because I do need to talk to my wife from time to time,' he said, chuckling.