Conversations, both sides
Nepali dialogues for tourists
Phrasebooks teach you what to say. Dialogues teach you what comes back. These eight conversations cover the most common — and most stressful — exchanges a tourist will have in Nepal: the airport taxi, the dal bhat refill, the headache at altitude, the pashmina haggle. Real Nepali, both speakers, audio on every line.
Browse by situation
Eight real conversations — taxi haggling, dal bhat ordering, altitude-sickness descent — with both sides of the exchange.
16 dialogues.
- beginnertransport4 min
Taking a Taxi from Kathmandu Airport to Thamel
A short Nepali dialogue showing how to refuse the inflated airport-taxi price and counter-offer your way to a fair fare into Thamel.
Read the dialogue - beginnerfood4 min
Ordering Dal Bhat at a Trail Teahouse
Order dal bhat in Nepali with a vegetarian-only modifier, ask about egg in the curry, and stop the refill spiral with 'pugyo.' Real teahouse pacing.
Read the dialogue - beginnertrekking3 min
Asking Your Porter to Slow Down and Wait
How to politely tell a fast porter to ease the pace, wait at the next bend, and confirm how many hours remain to the lodge. Trail-tested phrasing.
Read the dialogue - intermediatemedical4 min
Telling Your Guide You Have Altitude Sickness
The conversation that saves lives at altitude — describing a headache, nausea, and the firm decision to descend immediately. Real Nepali, no euphemism.
Read the dialogue - intermediateshopping4 min
Bargaining for a Pashmina in Thamel
A full Nepali bargaining exchange for a pashmina shawl — opening price 1,800, counter 700, settle at 1,000 with the walk-away threat at the right moment.
Read the dialogue - intermediateetiquette3 min
Politely Refusing More Food at a Village Home
A short Nepali dialogue showing how to refuse a fourth helping of dal bhat without offending a Nepali host. The polite 'no, thank you' protocol.
Read the dialogue - intermediatefood3 min
Ordering a Vegetarian Curry Without MSG and Ice
A short Nepali dialogue ordering veg curry without Ajinomoto (MSG), no ice in the drink, and confirming there's no peanut. Real Kathmandu restaurant pacing.
Read the dialogue - intermediatelodging4 min
Asking for Extra Blankets and a Hot Shower at a Cold Teahouse
A short Nepali dialogue at a high-altitude teahouse — asking for extra blankets, a working hot shower, and confirming the charging-point price.
Read the dialogue - beginnerwellness4 min
Booking a Singing Bowl Sound Healing Session in Thamel
A short Nepali dialogue at a Thamel sound healing studio — confirming session length, the shoes-off rule, beginner singing-bowl selection, and the cash-only payment.
Read the dialogue - beginnerpilgrimage4 min
Arranging an Overnight Stay at a Lumbini Monastery
A short Nepali dialogue at a Theravada monastery in Lumbini — the Buddhist greeting, dana donation amount, the 5:30 am prayer schedule, and the shoes-off threshold.
Read the dialogue - intermediatesafari4 min
Pre-Departure Briefing for a Chitwan Jeep Safari
A short Nepali dialogue with a Chitwan safari guide — earth-tone clothing, the 'roknus' stop signal, sunrise timing, and the canoe extension after the jeep ride.
Read the dialogue - beginnerpokhara4 min
Hiring a Rowboat on Phewa Lake to Barahi Temple
A short Nepali dialogue at Pokhara Lakeside — fixed-rate boat hire for two hours, a Barahi Temple stop, the life jacket request, and the late-return rule.
Read the dialogue - intermediatepokhara4 min
Pre-Flight Briefing for Tandem Paragliding from Sarangkot
A short Nepali dialogue with a Sarangkot tandem paragliding pilot — harness tightening, the RUN-LEGS-UP-STOP signals, abort procedure, and the mid-flight 'fly lower' request.
Read the dialogue - intermediatesafety3 min
Deflecting an Aggressive Tout as a Solo Female Traveler
A short Nepali dialogue in Thamel — escalating from a polite 'pardina dhanyabad' to the firm 'chhadnus' deterrent, and finally to the maximum 'I will call the police' line.
Read the dialogue - intermediatepermits4 min
Extending a Tourist Visa at the Immigration Counter
A short Nepali dialogue at the Kathmandu Department of Immigration — fifteen-day extension request, fee payment, the photo and form requirements, and same-day pickup.
Read the dialogue - intermediatefestivals3 min
Receiving Dashain Tika from an Elder at a Family Home
A short Nepali dialogue at a Nepali family's Dashain celebration — kneeling for tika, the elder's 'Ayushman bhava' blessing, the dakshina envelope, and the warm acknowledgment.
Read the dialogue