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Forty Nepali Words and Phrases Every Traveller Should Know
· 4 min read · By Lokoon
English is widely spoken in Nepal's tourist areas, and you can travel comfortably without a word of Nepali. Learning a little, though, changes how people respond to you. A greeting in their own language draws smiles from shopkeepers, softens a bargaining session and earns patience when you are lost. The phrases below are written roughly as they sound.
Pronunciation in brief
a as in "about"; aa as in "father".
i as in "sit" or "see"; u as in "put" or "moon".
e as in "day"; o as in "go".
chh is a strongly breathed "ch".
th, dh, bh, kh are the plain consonant followed by a puff of air, not the English "th" sound.
Stress is fairly even across syllables.
Do not worry about getting it perfect. The attempt is what counts.
Greetings and courtesies
Namaste – hello and goodbye. Said with palms together. Namaskar is more formal.
Tapai lai kasto chha? – How are you?
Thik chha – I am fine; it is okay.
Dhanyabad – thank you. Nepalis use it sparingly, for real favours; a smile and a nod are more usual for small things.
Maaf garnuhos – excuse me; sorry.
Hajur – a polite word meaning "yes?", "pardon?" or "sir/madam".
Pheri bhetaunla – see you again.
Mero naam ... ho – my name is ...
Tapai ko naam ke ho? – what is your name?
Yes, no and useful replies
Ho – yes, it is. Hoina – no, it is not.
Chha – there is; I have. Chhaina – there is not; I do not have.
Hunchha – all right; agreed. Hundaina – that will not do.
Pugyo – enough. Essential when your plate is being refilled.
Bujhina – I do not understand.
Ali ali – a little. As in "I speak a little Nepali": ma ali ali Nepali bolchhu.
Addressing people
Nepalis address strangers with family terms, which is friendly and respectful.
Dai – older brother; any man somewhat older than you.
Bhai – younger brother; a younger man or boy.
Didi – older sister; a woman somewhat older than you.
Bahini – younger sister; a younger woman or girl.
Call a shopkeeper "dai" or "didi" and you will see the effect at once.
Getting around
... kaha chha? – where is ...?
Yo bato ... jaanchha? – does this path go to ...?
Kati taadha? – how far?
Bistarai – slowly. The trekker's motto: bistarai, bistarai.
Jaam jaam – let's go.
Dayaa / baayaa / sidha – right / left / straight.
Rokhnuhos – please stop.
Shopping
Kati ho? – how much is it?
Mahango bhayo – that is expensive.
Ali kam garnuhos – please reduce it a little.
Malai yo chahinchha – I want this. Chahidaina – I do not need it.
Food and drink
Paani – water. Tato paani – hot water.
Chiya – tea. Khana – food, a meal.
Mitho chha – it is delicious. Say it to every cook.
Piro – spicy hot. Piro nahalnu – do not make it spicy.
Ma masu khandina – I do not eat meat.
Khana khanu bhayo? – have you eaten? A common greeting as well as a question.
Numbers
Ek, dui, tin, char, paanch – one, two, three, four, five.
Chha, saat, aath, nau, das – six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Bis, pachaas, saya, hajaar – twenty, fifty, hundred, thousand.
Help
Malai sahayog chahinchha – I need help. Daaktar – doctor. Birami – ill.
A few cultural notes
The head wobble. A sideways tilt or gentle wobble of the head means "yes", "okay" or "I understand". It is easily mistaken for "no".
Polite forms. Nepali has several levels of "you". Tapai is the polite one and is right for everyone you will meet. Endings in -nuhos make a request courteous.
Thank you. Because "dhanyabad" is formal, it can sound stiff when overused. Warmth of tone matters more than the word.
"Bholi." It means "tomorrow" and often signifies "at some point". Patience is part of the language.
Other languages
Nepali is the national lingua franca, but well over a hundred languages are spoken in the country. In the Kathmandu Valley you may hear Newar, in the mountains Sherpa or Tamang, in the plains Maithili, Bhojpuri or Tharu. "Namaste" works everywhere. In Tibetan-speaking communities, "tashi delek" is the usual greeting.
Forty words will not make you fluent. They will make you a guest who took the trouble, and in Nepal that is noticed.
Written by Lokoon · More guides