Nepali Language Primer

Learning a few of the basics is really opens up a country to the traveler, visitor, tourist... Just a little of the language will help you to get around, to meet people and to really deepen your experience of a culture. It shows the locals that you want to learn about them and care about their country and culture. So start with these basics...

note: Underlined words are shown as samples only, you should substitute as necessary

Basic Greetings and Pleasantries

Nepali Transliteration	English Translation
Namaste	Hello, Greetings, I bless the divine in you
Namaskar	The more respectful version of Namaste
Hajur	All purpose term meaning yes? Pardon, Excuse me?
(Tapaiilai) Kasto Cha?	How are you?
(Malai) Thik Cha	I am fine
Khana khannu bhaiyo?	Have you eaten? (used often as informal greeting)
Dhanybhad	Thank you
Tapaiiko naam ke ho?	What is you name?
Mero naam Ann-Marie ho	My name is Ann-Marie
Maaph garnuhos	Excuse me/ pardon me/ sorry
Maile bhujhina	I don’t understand
Maile bhujhe	I understand
Pheri bhetaunla	I hope we meet again

Addressing People / things

Ann-Marie-ji	Formal way to address someone using their name
Aama / Buwa	Mother / Father, but also friendly term men/women roughly in your parents generation
Didi / Bahini	Older / Younger sister, but also friendly term used to refer to other women roughly in your generation
Dhai / Bhai	Older / Younger brother, same as above
Nanu / Babu	Young girl / boy child
Ma / Hami	I / We
Tapaii	You
Yo / Tyo	This / That

Verb bases (infinitive form) & Verb Conjugation

Janu	To go	Bolnu	To speak
Aunu	To come	Roknu	To stop
Basnu	To sit	Hidnu	To walk
Khannu	To eat	Khelnu	To play
Rakhnu	To put	Sutnu	To sleep
Garnu	To do	Hernu	To see
Dinu	To give	Pewnu	To drink
Linu	To take	Oothnu	rise/wake up
Kinnu	To buy

Note: the order of sentences is reversed in Nepali. The conjugated verb is always last.

To politely ask someone to do something, add a ‘s’ to the verb base.	Ex. Aunus / Basnus / Khannus - Please come / Please eat
Add ‘na’ at the beginning to make it negative	Ex. Chinni narakhnus - Please don’t put sugar in (ex. the tea)
For first person action, drop the ‘u’ and add ‘choo’ and add ma ( I ) at the beginning	Ex. Ma janchoo/ aunchoo/ baschoo - I am going / coming / sitting. It can also be understood for future action. I will go / come / sit.
For respectful past tense but not first person (I) just add bhaiyo to the verb base	Ex. aunu bhaiyo / khannu bhaiyo - came / ate
For informal way of asking someone if they want to do something, drop ‘u’ and add ‘e’	ex. momo khanne? / Thamel jane? - Want to eat momos? / Want to go to Thamel?
Informal way of asking someone to join you in doing something, drop ‘nu’ and add ‘am’	Ex. Jaam / Basaam / Khaam - Let’s go / let’s sit / let’s eat
To combine two verbs, drop ‘u’ & add ‘a’ to first, and drop ‘u’ & add ‘chu to second.	Ex. Ma auna sakchu - I can come

Useful Adjectives

Mahango / Sasto	Expensive / Cheap
Ramro / Naramro	Good / Bad
Sapha / Phohar	Clean / Dirty
Thulo / Sano	Big / Small
Sajilo / Gahro	Easy / Hard
Thada / Najik	Far / Close
Chito / Dhilo	Fast / Slow
Tato / Cheeso	Hot / Cold (for food)
Garmi / Jaado	Hot / Cold (for weather)
Naya / Purano	New / Old
Dhani / Garib	Rich / Poor
Add ‘dherai’ to show ‘very’
Ex. Trekking dherai gahro cha	Trekking is very hard

Question Words

Ke	What
Kahaang	Where
Kati	How much
Kina / kinabhane	Why / because
Kasko	Whose
Kahile	When
Kun	Which
Kasari	How
Kasto	How (of quality)

Food adjectives

Mitho / namitho	Tasty / Not tasty
Bhuteko	Fried
Umaaleko	Boiled
Noonilo	Salty
Gooliyo	Sweet
Amilo	Sour
Tito	Bitter
Piro	Spicy

Food Items

Tarkari / Vegetables	Gajur / Carrots
Kaulee / Cauliflower	Bandakobi / Cabbage
Alu / Potato	Makai / Corn
Saag / Spinach	Kerau / Peas
Parsi / Pumpkin	Pyaaj / Onion
Lasun / Garlic	Kaankro / Cucumber
Simee / Beans	Coursani / Chili
Adhuwa / Ginger	Bhatamas / Soybean
Golbheraa / Tomato	Dhal / Lentil
Bhadam / Peanut	Kaju / Cashew
Mohar / Honey	Bhat / Rice
Dudh / Milk	Daihee / Yogurt
Pauroti / Bread (Loaf)	Chapati / Bread (flat round)
Tel / Oil	Noon / Salt
Chinni / Sugar
Syaau / Apple	Keraa / Banana
Nariwal / Coconut	Angur / Grapes
Kagati / Lemon	Aanp / Mango
Suntalaa / Orange	Mewaa / Papaya
Masu / Meat	Andaa / Egg
Macha / Fish	Kukhura / Chicken
Kasi / Goat	Sungur / Pork
Kalo chiya / Black tea	Kagatiko chiya / Lemon tea
Dudh chiya / Milk tea	Adhuwa chiya / Ginger tea
Kalo coffee / Black coffee	Dudh chiya / Milk tea
Pani / water	Umaleko pani / Boiled water
Raksi / Alcohol	Toomba / Millet beer
Chyang / Rice beer	Ras / Juice

Useful nouns

Bato / Road	Pul / Bridge	Des / Country	Bajar / Market
Kotha / Room	Gau / Village	Khola / River	Pasal / Shop
Khanna / Food	Ghar / House	Mithai / Sweets	Koseli / Gift
Topee / Hat	Jhola / Bag, pack	Git / Song	Kitaab / Book
Manche / Person	Mancheharu / People	Chorachori / Children	Bideshi / Foreigner
Pariwar / Family	Dharma / Religion
Numbers
1 / ek	6 / cha	15 / pandhra	50 / pachaase
2 / dui	7 / saat	20 / beece	60 / sathi
3 / tin	8 / aath	25 / pacheece	70 / sattari
4 / char	9 / nau	30 / teece	80 / assi
5 / panchs	10 / das	40 / chaleece	90 / nabbe
100 / ek saye	200 / dui saye	1000 ek hazar
Expressions of Time
Aaja / Today	Hijo / Yesterday	Bholi / Tomorrow	Ghanta / Hour
Din / Day	Haptaa / Week	Mahina / Month	Barsa / Year
Bihaana / Morning	Diunso / Afternoon	Beluka / Evening	Raatri / Night
Subha raatri	Good night
Kati bhajyo?	What time is it?	Ek bhajyo	One o' clock

Possession

Add ‘ko’ to a formal name, pronoun to show possession	Tapaiiko / Ann-Marie-ko / Didi-ko - Your / Ann-Marie’s / Didi’s (older sister’s)
Some pronouns have special forms	Ma – Mero / Hami – Hamro - I – mine / We - Ours
Prepositions
______maa / At, in, on	ex. Kathmandumaa / in Kathmandu
______baata / From	ex. Kathmandubaata / from Kathmandu
______sanga / With	ex. Ann-Mariesanga / with Ann-Marie
Baahira / Bhitra	Outside / Inside
pachhi	After
Conjunctions
ra / and	ani / and then
kinabhane / because	tara / but
Idiomatic use of Bhaiyo
If someone asks is something was done, to indicate it was, simply answer ‘bhaiyo’
If someone is serving you food, to indicate enough, answer ‘bhaiyo’
Ke bhaiyo	What happened?
Abera bhaiyo	It’s late
Different ways to say Yes / No
1. Cha / Chainna	To Locate something on you, to have something
ex. Chiya Cha?	ex. Chiya Cha?
2. Ho / Hoina	To state facts, truths, to define, to be or not to be
ex. Yo Thamel ho?	Is this Thamel (tourist area of Kathmandu)?
3. Huncha / Hunna	To agree to do/not do something, some action
ex. Momo khanne? Huncha.	Shall we eat momos (dumplings)? Yes, let’s eat.

Cha / Chaiina & Ho / Hoina are also the active verb form for ‘to be’ conjugated as ‘I am / You are / He is. You can add ‘ho’ or ‘cha’ to make simple sentences.
Simple sample sentences
Thamel, kahaang ho?	Where is Thamel?
Kahaang jane?	Where are you going?
Esko kati parcha?	How much does this cost? (useful in stores)
Kati ho?	How much? (useful for asking taxi drivers)
Kahile jane? / kahile khanne?	When are we going? When are we eating?
Tapaiiko ghar kahaang ho?	Where is your home?
Mero ghar America-ma ho	My home is in America
Ma ali-ali Nepali bolchu	I only speak a little Nepali
Bistaari bhannus	Please speak slowly
Tapaiiko bihe bhaiyo?	Are you married? (your marriage happened?)
Mero bihe bhaiyo / bhayeko chaina?	I am married / not married.(My marriage happened)
Ma American hun	I am American
Jomsom jane baato kun ho?	Which is the road to Jomsom? (Jomsom going road)
Ali sastoma dinus	Please give it a little cheaper
Dherai mahango bhaiyo	It’s very (too) expensive
Yo / tyo ke ho?	What is this / that?
Ek raatiko kati ho?	How much for one night?

Feelings and Emotions

Ma ______ lagyo / lagena.	I feel / don’t feel ______.
Birami / sick	Bhok / hungry
Raksi / drunk	Thirkaa / thirsty
Khushee / happy	Dukha / sad
Thakai / tired	Alchee / lazy
Dar / scared	Nindra / sleepy
Jaado / cold	Garmi / hot

Other simple sentences
Tapaiilai ______ man parcha?	Do you like ______?
Malai ______ man parcha.	I like ______.
ex. Malai Nepali khanna man parcha.	I like Nepali food.

To express that you like to do something, use a verb, drop the ‘u’ and add ‘a’
ex. Malai aath ghanta sutna man parcha.	I like to sleep eight hours.
To express that you can do something, use a verb, drop the ‘u’ add ‘a’ and sakchu
Ex. Ma kotha herna sakchu.	Can I see a room.

Malai ______ chahincha.	I need ______ .
Malai ______ chahindaina	I don’t need ______ .