Practical Nepali

Phrases you can use today, organised by where you will need them. The grammar behind them is at Nepali; this page is for getting through this week.

Two things make all of it work better. Nepali has levels of respect built into the verb, and everything below uses the polite middle level, which is never wrong with a stranger. And the aspirated consonants - the ones written with an h - carry a real puff of air that changes the word, so lean into it rather than smoothing it out.

The six that do most of the work

Nepali	Say	Means
नमस्ते	Namaste	Hello, and goodbye. With palms together
धन्यवाद	Dhanyabad	Thank you
हजुर	Hajur	Yes, pardon, and a polite way to address someone
कति?	Kati?	How much?
माफ गर्नुस्	Maaf garnus	Excuse me, or sorry
मैले बुझिन	Maile bujhina	I did not understand

If you learn nothing else, learn these. Hajur in particular is extraordinarily useful: it answers, it asks for repetition, and it addresses someone politely, all in two syllables.

Meeting someone

Nepali	Say	Means
सञ्चै हुनुहुन्छ?	Sanchai hunuhunchha?	Are you well?
सञ्चै छु	Sanchai chhu	I am well
हजुरको नाम के हो?	Hajurko naam ke ho?	What is your name?
मेरो नाम ... हो	Mero naam ... ho	My name is ...
म नेपाली अलि अलि बोल्छु	Ma Nepali ali ali bolchhu	I speak a little Nepali
बिस्तारै बोल्नुस्	Bistarai bolnus	Please speak slowly
फेरि भन्नुस्	Feri bhannus	Please say that again

In a shop or a market

Nepali	Say	Means
कति पैसा?	Kati paisa?	How much money?
महँगो भयो	Mahango bhayo	That is expensive
अलि कम गर्नुस् न	Ali kam garnus na	Reduce it a little, please
मलाई ... चाहियो	Malai ... chahiyo	I need ...
यो के हो?	Yo ke ho?	What is this?
छ?	Chha?	Do you have it?
छैन	Chhaina	There is none

Bargaining is normal in markets and with taxis, and not in shops with marked prices. Mahango bhayo said pleasantly, followed by a pause, does most of the negotiating.

Numbers

1-5	Ek, dui, tin, char, panch
6-10	Chha, saat, aath, nau, das
Larger	Bees (20), panchas (50), sae (100), hajaar (1,000)

Numbers are worth learning properly and early, because prices, platform numbers and addresses all depend on them and guessing is expensive.

In a taxi

Nepali	Say	Means
... जाने?	... jaane?	Will you go to ...?
मिटर हाल्नुस्	Meter halnus	Use the meter, please
कति लाग्छ?	Kati lagchha?	How much will it cost?
यहीँ रोक्नुस्	Yahin roknus	Stop here
बायाँ / दायाँ	Bayan / dayan	Left / right
सिधै	Sidhai	Straight on
पुग्यो	Pugyo	We have arrived, or that is enough

Agree the fare or insist on the meter before getting in. After that, the conversation is much harder.

Food

Nepali	Say	Means
पानी	Pani	Water
चिया	Chiya	Tea
खाना	Khana	Food, or a meal
भात	Bhaat	Rice, and by extension a full meal
शाकाहारी	Shakahari	Vegetarian
पिरो नहाल्नुस्	Piro nahalnus	Please do not make it spicy
मिठो छ	Mitho chha	It is delicious
अलि अलि	Ali ali	A little
पुग्यो, धन्यवाद	Pugyo, dhanyabad	That is enough, thank you

Pugyo is the phrase to have ready when you are being served more than you can eat, which will happen.

At a hospital or pharmacy

Nepali	Say	Means
अस्पताल कहाँ छ?	Aspatal kaha chha?	Where is the hospital?
डाक्टर चाहियो	Doctor chahiyo	I need a doctor
मेरो ... दुख्यो	Mero ... dukhyo	My ... hurts
ज्वरो आयो	Jwaro aayo	I have a fever
औषधि	Aushadhi	Medicine
यो औषधि खाएको छु	Yo aushadhi khaeko chhu	I take this medicine
मलाई ... ले एलर्जी छ	Malai ... le allergy chha	I am allergic to ...

Carry the names of your medicines and any allergy written down, in both Roman letters and ideally Devanagari. Healthcare covers the system.

Time and days

Nepali	Say	Means
अहिले	Ahile	Now
आज / भोलि / हिजो	Aaja / bholi / hijo	Today / tomorrow / yesterday
बिहान / दिउँसो / बेलुका	Bihana / diunso / beluka	Morning / afternoon / evening
कति बज्यो?	Kati bajyo?	What time is it?
... बजे	... baje	At ... o'clock
आज बन्द छ	Aaja banda chha	It is closed today
खुल्ला छ?	Khulla chha?	Is it open?

Aaja banda chha is worth recognising, because you will hear it - offices, shops and roads close for festivals, strikes and public holidays more often than a newcomer expects. Events and festivals covers the calendar.

At an office

Nepali	Say	Means
कागजपत्र	Kaagajpatra	Documents
कुन काउन्टर?	Kun counter?	Which counter?
कति बेर लाग्छ?	Kati ber lagchha?	How long will it take?
कहाँ जाने?	Kaha jaane?	Where should I go?
सही	Sahi	Signature
भोलि	Bholi	Tomorrow

Kun counter? is the single most useful question in any Nepali government building, and asking it politely at the entrance saves a great deal of walking. Government and administration covers how offices are organised.

Small conventions worth knowing

Not phrases, but they govern how the phrases land.

Use your right hand to give or receive anything, or both hands for something important. Namaste with palms together rather than offering a handshake first, particularly with an older person or a woman. Take your shoes off at the door of a home, and often a shop or a temple. Do not point with a single finger, or with your feet.

And hajur does an enormous amount of work as a general marker of politeness. Adding it to the end of a sentence, or using it alone to mean "yes" or "pardon", softens almost anything.

Where this goes wrong

• Using the casual verb form with an older person or a stranger.
• Flattening the aspirated consonants. They change the word.
• Getting into a taxi before agreeing the fare or the meter.
• Learning phrases only in Roman letters, and mispronouncing them permanently.
• Not learning numbers, which every transaction depends on.

Where to go next

Nepali covers the script and the grammar these phrases sit on, and Nepali language covers studying it in Nepal.