What does “yaar” mean in Hindi?

यार (yaar) is one of the most-used filler words in spoken Hindi. The literal meaning is “friend” or “lover,” but in everyday speech yaar is sprinkled into sentences the way English speakers use “dude,” “man,” or “yo.” A single conversation can carry a dozen yaars. The tone shifts with the use: affectionate, frustrated, conspiratorial, pleading.

This clip is a street game show where a contestant must name BJP politicians for prize money. He gets a few right, then panics: “एक wrong बता दो यार” (“just tell me one wrong, yaar”). The pleading yaar shows up six times in the clip, marking nervousness as much as friendliness.