कितने बजे की गाड़ी है?

Using this is incredibly straightforward. You don't need complex grammar or fancy verbs. Just drop the phrase when you see someone carrying a suitcase or standing on a platform. You can use it as a standalone question. If you want to be specific, add the destination before it. For example, Delhi ki gaadi kitne baje ki hai? It’s short, punchy, and everyone understands it instantly. Just remember that hai at the end keeps it grammatically complete.

You will use this constantly at railway stations. It’s perfect for checking with a fellow passenger if you're on the right platform. Use it when texting a friend who is coming to visit you. Use it when talking to a porter (coolie) who is helping with your bags. It’s also a great conversation starter with that chatty uncle sitting next to you on the platform bench. It shows you are organized and ready to move.

Don't use this for flights or buses usually. While gaadi can mean a car or bus, in the context of 'time,' people will assume you mean a train. If you are at an airport, use flight instead. Also, avoid using this in very high-level corporate meetings unless you are actually discussing logistics. It’s a bit too functional for a romantic candlelit dinner—unless your date is literally about to leave on the midnight express!

In India, the railway is the nation's lifeline. Millions of people travel by train every single day. Because of this, 'train talk' is a universal social lubricant. Asking about train times is often the first step in making a 'train friend'—someone you talk to for twelve hours and never see again. It reflects a culture that is always on the move, yet always has time for a quick check-in with a stranger.

You might hear people say Gaadi kab ki hai? which means "When is the train?" Another common one is Kitne baje nikalegi? which means "What time will it leave?" If you want to sound more local, you can just say Kitne baje ki hai? while pointing at the tracks. The word gaadi is the magic word here; it turns a simple time query into a specific travel question.