Example. Jaanus/ Aunus / Bhannus/ Basnus / Khannus = Please come / please eat

Ex. Mero laagi Chini narakhnus - Please don?t put sugar for me

Add ?na? at the beginning to make it negative

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?

For first person action, drop the ?u? and add ?choo? and add ma ( I ) at the beginning

Ex. Ma janchhoo/ aunchoo/ baschoo - I am going / coming / sitting. It can also be understood for future action. I will go / come / sit.

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

For respectful past tense but not first person (I) just add bhaiyo to the verb base

Ex. aunu bhaiyo / khannu bhaiyo - came / ate

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                            Raamro / Naramro = Good / Bad

Sapha / Phohar  =Clean / Dirty                                      Thulo / Saano = Big / Small

Sajilo / Gaahro = Easy / Hard                                        Taadaa / Najik = Far / Close

Chhito / Dhilo = Fast / Slow                                           Taato / Cheeso = Hot / Cold (for food)

Garmi / Jaado = Hot / Cold (for weather)                        Nayaa / Puraano = New / Old

Dhani / Garib = Rich / Poor                                            Add ?dherai? to show ?very?

Ex. Laamo smaya hindna dherai gahro chaa = Walking long time is very hard

Question Words

Ke = What            Kaahaang = 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

Tarkaari =  Vegetables     Gajur = Carrots     Kaulee =  Cauliflower  Bandaakobi =  Cabbage    Alu =  Potato      Makai =  Corn  Saag / Spinach      Kerau =  Peas      Pharsi =  Pumpkin   Pyaaj / Onion    Lasun =  Garlic               Kaankro =  Cucumber    Simee =  Beans    Coursani =  Chili    Aduwaa =  Ginger   Bhatamas / Soybean                 Golbheraa =  Tomato       Daal =  Lentil   Bhadam =  Peanut     Kaju =  Cashew     Maha =  Honey

Bhaat = 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        Kaagati = Lemon        Aanp = Mango  Suntalaa / Orange     Mewaa = Papaya    

 Masu =Meat       Andaa / Egg      Maacha = Fish   Kukhura =Chicken     Khasi = Goat     Sungur = Pork    

Kaalo chiyaa = Black tea  Kagatiko chiya = Lemon tea         Dudh chiya = Milk tea      Adhuwa chiyaa = Ginger tea

Kalo coffee = Black coffee     Dudh chiyaa = Milk tea     Paani = water    Umaleko pani =Boiled water

Raksi =Alcohol      Toomba =Millet beer    Ras =Juice    

 Useful nouns

Baato = Road            Pul = Bridge          Des = Country      Bazaar = Market   Kothaa = Room         Gaau =Village       Khola / River          Pasal = Shop  Khaanaa = Food       Ghar =House     Mithai = Sweets Upahaar =Gift

Topee=Hat    Jhola =Bag, pack        Git =Song       Kitaab=Book    Manchhe=Person     Maancheharu = People     Chorachori = Children     Bideshi =Foreigner    Pariwaar =Family   Dharma = Religion   

Numbers

1 / ek  2 / dui  3 / tin  4 / chaar  5 / panch 6 / chaa  7 / saat  8 / aath  9 / nau 10 / das

15 / pandhra  50 / pachaase   20 / beece  60 / sathi  25 / pacheece  70 / sattari  30 / teece  80 / assi  40 / chaleece  90 / nabbe  100 / ek saye  200 / dui saye  1000 ek hazar    

  Expressions of Time

Aaja = Today      Hijo = Yesterday     Bholi = Tomorrow      Ghantaa = Hour      Din =  Day     Haptaa = Week

Mahinaa =  Month     Barsa =  Year     Bihaana =  Morning     Diunso =  Afternoon     Belukaa =  Evening

Raatri =  Night      Subha raatri  = Good night     Kati bajyo? = 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 or Nepal maa =  in Kathmandu , in Nepal     baata =  From     ex. Kathmandubaata / from Kathmandu         sanga =  With      ex. Ann-Sam sanga =  with Sam     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

Tapaaiilai ______ man parcha?    Do you like ______?     Malaai ______ man parchha -= 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 sakchhu.   Can I see a room.     Malaai ______ chaahincha.    I need ______ .

Malaai ______ chaahindaina     I don?t need ______

 Nepali   English 

 Tarkaari =  Vegetables      Gajar = Carrots      Kaaulee =  Cauliflower     BandaaGobi =  Cabbage

Aalu = Potato         Makai= Corn       Saag =  Spinach     Kerau =  Peas      Pharsi =  Pumpkin

Pyaaj =  Onion      Lasun =  Garlic       Kaankro =  Cucumber       Simee = Beans      Coursani =  Chili

Adhuwaa = Ginger     Bhatamas= bhatta =  Soybean      Golbheraa or Tamaatar=  Tomato

Daal =  Lentil     Badam =  Peanut       Kaju = Cashew      Maha =  Honey      Bhaat =  Rice      Dudh = Milk

Dahee =  Yogurt     Pauroti = Bread (Loaf)     Chapaati = Bread (flat round)       Tel =  Oil       Noon = Salt

Chini =  Sugar     Syaau =  Apple       Keraa = Banana     Nariwal = Coconut      Angur =  Grapes

Kaagati =  Lemon     Aanp =  Mango     Suntalaa = Orange     Mewaa = Papaya      Maasu = Meat

Andaa =  Egg     Machhaa = Fish     Kukhuraa =Chicken     Khasi =Goat    Sungur =Pork   Kalo chiyaa = Black tea

Kagatiko chiyaa = Lemon tea    Dudh chiyaa = Milk tea    Adhuwaa chiya =Ginger tea  Kalo coffee =Black coffee

 Paani = water    Umaleko paani = Boiled water   Raksi = Alcohol   Ras = Juice  Lentle= Daal     Achaar=Picle