Here's why:
* Shared vocabulary: Hindi shares a significant amount of vocabulary with Sanskrit, especially in formal and literary contexts. Many Hindi words are directly derived from Sanskrit or are cognate (related) to Sanskrit words.
* Grammatical influence: The grammar of Hindi, including its noun cases, verb conjugations, and sentence structure, shows a clear influence from Sanskrit grammar.
* Historical development: Hindi evolved from the Apabhramsha languages, which themselves developed from Prakrit languages that descended from Sanskrit.
While Hindi has also been influenced by other languages like Persian, Arabic, and English, its core linguistic structure and a large part of its vocabulary can be traced back to Sanskrit.
It's important to note that Hindi is a distinct language with its own unique features, but its connection to Sanskrit is undeniable and significant.