Nepalese Rupee ConverterCommon Nepali words
Nepali to English Translation
| Nepali Translation: Common Nepali Words | |
| Nepali Translation. | English Translation |
| Basic Greetings and chitchat | |
| 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? |
| Pani | Water |
| Yo ke ho? | What is this? |
| Dhanyabaad | Thank you |
| Hoina | No |
| (Tapaiilai) Kasto Cha? | How are you? |
| (Malai) Thik Cha | I am fine |
| ma birami chu | I’m Sick |
| Khana khannu bhaiyo? | Have you eaten? (used often as informal greeting) |
| Ho | Yes |
| Tapaiiko naam ke ho? | What is your name? |
| Mero naam John Major ho | My name is John Major |
| 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 | |
| John Major-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 | Alu / Potato |
| Bandakobi / Cabbage | Saag / Spinach |
| Makai / Corn | Kerau / Peas |
| Parsi / Pumpkin | Pyaaj / Onion |
| Lasun / Garlic | Simee / Beans |
| Kaankro / Cucumber | Adhuwa / Ginger |
| Coursani / Chili | Bhatamas / Soybean |
| Golbheraa / Tomato | Dhal / Lentil |
| Bhadam / Peanut | Kaju / Cashew |
| Moha / 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 | Gau / Village |
| Bajar / Market | Khola / River |
| Kotha / Room | 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 | Bholi / Tomorrow |
| Hijo / Yesterday | 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 possessionTapaiiko / John-ko / Didi-ko – Your / John’s / Didi’s (older sister’s)Some pronouns have special formsMa – 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. John Majorsanga / with John Major |
| 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 | |
| Cha / Chainna | Ho / Hoina |
| To Locate something on you, to have something | |
| ex. Chiya Cha? | |
| To state facts, truths, to define, to be or not to be | ex. Yo Thamel ho? |
| Is this Thamel (tourist area of Kathmandu)? | |
| 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 | Dar / scared |
| Alchee / lazy | Jaado / cold |
| Nindra / sleepy | 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 ______ |
Phrases
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