अ
क
ने
म
ख
स

Master the Basics

Complete guide to Nepali Grammar & Structure

Chapter 1 Writing System

Vowels (स्वर वर्ण)

The sounds that give life to words.

अa
आaa
इi
ईee
उu
ऊoo
ऋri
एe
ऐai
ओo
औau
अंam
अःah

Consonants (व्यञ्जन वर्ण)

The building blocks of speech.

कka
खkha
गga
घgha
ङnga
चcha
छchha
जja
झjha
ञyan
टta
ठtha
डda
ढdha
णna
तta
थtha
दda
धdha
नna
पpa
फpha
बba
भbha
मma
यya
रra
लla
वwa
शsha
षsha
सsa
हha
क्षksha
त्रtra
ज्ञgya
Chapter 2 Nouns & Pronouns

Personal Pronouns (सर्वनाम)

Person Word Pronunciation Meaning
I (1st) म Ma I
We (1st) हामी Hami We
You (Low) तँ Tah You (Close/Junior)
You (Med) तिमी Timi You (Friends)
You (High) तपाईं Tapai You (Respect)
He/She (Low) ऊ U Remote (Low)
He/She (Med) उनी Uni Remote (Med)
He/She (High) वहाँ Uha Remote (High)

Gender & Plurals

Gender (Linga)

Nepali has grammatical gender, but it mostly affects people and animals. Inanimate objects are usually treated as masculine/neutral.

Boy/Son Chora
Girl/Daughter Chori

Suffix '-a' usually Masc, '-i' usually Fem.

Plurals (Bachan)

To make a noun plural, simply add -haru to the end.

Kitab (Book) → Kitabharu (Books)
Manche (Person) → Mancheharu (People)

Case Markers (विभक्ति)

Particles act as "suffixed prepositions".

लेle

Subject Marker
Used in Past Tense (Transitive)

लाईlai

To / For
Ram-lai (To Ram)

koko

Of / 's (Possessive)
Ram-ko (Ram's)

माma

In / At / On
Nepal-ma (In Nepal)

बाटbata

From
Ghar-bata (From home)

Chapter 3 Verbs & Tenses

Verb Basics (क्रिया)

Conjugation for Khanu (To Eat).

Tense Nepali Roman Meaning
Root खानु Khanu To eat
Past खाएँ Kha-e I ate
Present खान्छु Khan-chu I eat
Future खानेछु Khane-chu I will eat
Cont. खाँदै छु Khandai chu I am eating

The "To Be" Verbs

Nepali has two forms of "is/am/are".

Ho (Identification)

Used to define WHAT something is.

Yo ho.
This is (it).

Cha (Description)

Used to describe HOW/WHERE something is.

U yaha cha.
He is here.

Negation (Negative Form)

To say "No" or "Don't", verbs change form.

Present Tense

Positive: Garchu (I do)
Negative: Gardina (I don't do)

Past Tense

Positive: Garey (I did)
Negative: Garina (I didn't do)

Aspect (State of Action)

Aspect Suffix Example Meaning
Continuous -dai Khadai Eating (Right now)
Perfect -eko Khaeko Eaten (Finished)
Chapter 4 Modifiers

Adjectives & Adverbs

Type Nepali Roman Meaning
Adj राम्रो Ramro Good / Beautiful
Adj ठुलो Thulo Big
Adj रातो Rato Red
Adv छिटो Chito Fast
Adv अहिले Ahile Now
Adv यहाँ Yaha Here
Chapter 5 Sentence Structure

S-O-V Structure

Sentence Order

English

Subject - Verb - Object

vs Nepali

Subject - Object - Verb

English: I eat rice.
Nepali: Ma (I) Bhaat (Rice) Khanchu (Eat).