Softening Hindi Statements with Hed

It literally means 'It attaches' or 'It touches', but in this context, it translates to 'It seems' or 'It feels'. Example: Lagta hai wo naraz hai (It seems he is angry).

It's neutral! You can use shayad with your boss (Shayad meeting kal hai) or your best friend (Shayad wo soyega). It fits everywhere.

Yes, absolutely. It sounds casual and polite. Zara phone dena is very common among friends.

They are often interchangeable for softening. Thoda literally means 'a little' (quantity), while Zara is more abstractly 'just/a bit'. Thoda paani is 'some water', Zara paani is 'just some water'.

Start with Shayad. Instead of saying 'No, I can't come', say Shayad main nahi aa paunga (Maybe I won't be able to come). It softens the rejection.

Yes, it means 'It can be' or 'It is possible'. It's slightly stronger on the 'possibility' aspect than shayad. Ho sakta hai wo sach ho (It's possible that's true).

In Hinglish, yes! Maybe wo aayega is very common in urban India. But for proper Hindi, stick to Shayad.

Mujhe lagta hai specifies 'I feel/think', whereas Lagta hai is a general 'It seems'. Adding Mujhe makes it more personal.

Just add na or haina? Example: Tum aaoge, haina? (You'll come, right?). It seeks confirmation softly.

If you want to be passive-aggressive, yes! Lagta hai aapko sunayi nahi diya (It seems you didn't hear me) is a classic polite burn.

Kripya is a politeness marker, not exactly a hedge. Hedges blur the meaning; kripya just adds manners. You can use both: Kripya zara side dijiye.

Yes! Ek baar dekh lijiye (Just look at it once) implies the action is quick and easy, minimizing the request.

Yes. Bas do minute (Just two minutes). It minimizes the imposition.

Waise (By the way/Actually) can be a softener to introduce a topic casually. Waise, tumhara naam kya hai?

No, everyone uses it. However, some studies suggest women might use tag questions (na?) slightly more for politeness, but men use lagta hai just as much.

Lagta hai is your best bet. Or Mera andaaza hai (My guess is - more formal).

Sometimes. Aap bhi na! (Oh you!) softens a reaction to a joke. But usually, it's an additive particle.

Prateet hota hai (It appears) is the formal cousin of Lagta hai. Use it in essays, not at a cafe.

Bhaiya, yeh soup thoda thanda lag raha hai. (Brother, this soup seems a little cold).

With friends, no. With strangers or elders, being too direct can be seen as badtameez (ill-mannered).