Language/Nepali-individual-language/Vocabulary/Common-Nepali-Words-and-Phrases
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As a Nepali language teacher with 20 years of experience, I know that learning the language is not just about mastering its grammar rules and structures, but also about getting familiar with its culture and society. In this lesson, we will learn some common Nepali words and phrases used in everyday conversation. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to communicate more effectively with everyday Nepali speakers.
After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Food & Count to 10.
Greetings
As in any language, it is important to know how to greet people in Nepali. Here are some common Nepali greetings:
| Nepali (individual language) | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| नमस्ते | namaste | Hello/Goodbye |
| तपाईको नाम के हो? | tapaiko naam ke ho? | What is your name? |
| मलाई तपाईलाई मिलेर खुशी लाग्यो | malai tapailai mile-er khushi lagyo | Nice to meet you |
| हामीलाई पनि तपाईलाई खुशी लाग्यो | hamilai pani tapailai khushi lagyo | We also are happy to meet you |
Politeness
In Nepali culture, politeness is highly valued. Using honorifics to address people is mandatory in certain situations. You might have already noticed that तपाईको (tapai-ko) is used in the previous example as the honorific version of तिम्रो (timro), the informal version of 'your'. Here are some other ways to show politeness:
| Nepali (individual language) | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| कृपया | kripaya | Please |
| धन्यवाद | dhanyavad | Thank you |
| सुप्रभात | suprabhat | Good morning |
| सुधर्नुस | sudharnus | Excuse me (when interrupting) |
Conversation Starters
Starting a conversation in Nepali is easy if you know some basic sentences. Here are some examples:
- के छ? (ke cha?) - What's up?
- तपाईंलाई नयाँ कुरा भन्नु छ || (tapailai naya kura bhanu chha?) - Can I tell you something new?
- तपाईंलाई कति समय छ? || (tapailai kati samaya chha?) - What time is it?
- मलाई सिर्जना र पर्यटन सँग सम्बन्धित कुरा गर्न मन पर्छ || (malai sirjana ra parjatan sang sambandhit kura garna man parchha) - I want to talk about creativity and tourism
Common Phrases
Here are some common phrases in Nepali that can be useful in different situations:
- एकदमै राम्रो छ || (ekdama-i ramro cha) - It's very good
- मेरो साथी छ || (mero sathi cha) - My friend is here
- कस्तो छ? || (kasto cha?) - How is it?
- के तपाईं कुन पठाउँ चाहानुहुन्छ? || (ke tapain kun patha-un cha-ha-nu-hunchha?) - Which address would you like to send it to?
- धेरै खसौरी छ || (dherai khasauri cha) - It's very tasty
- सिपाहीले शहीद भएको स्थान छ? || (sipahi-le shahid bha-e-ko sthan cha?) - Is this the place where the soldiers became martyrs?
The key to learning any language is practice. Try to use these words and phrases in everyday conversations with Nepali speakers, and you'll see how far you can go.
Other Lessons
- Resources
- Count to 10
- Languages bhashaharu भाषाहरू
- Geography
- Days of the Week
- Greetings and Introductions
- Food in Nepali
- Fruits
- Clothes
- Drinks in Nepali
| ◀️ Greetings and Introductions — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Food in Nepali ▶️ |