Nepali dictionary & glossary

The alphasyllabic script used to write Nepali (and Hindi, Sanskrit, and Marathi). Each consonant carries an inherent vowel that is modified by attached vowel signs (matra).

A vowel. Devanagari has 13 vowels in their independent form (अ, आ, इ, ई, उ …), used at the start of a word or syllable.

A consonant. Nepali has 33 base consonants, each carrying an inherent 'a' sound unless a matra or halanta changes it.

A dependent vowel sign attached to a consonant to change its inherent vowel. The vowel आ (aa) becomes the matra ा, so क + ा = का (kaa).

The virama mark (्) written beneath a consonant to delete its inherent vowel, leaving a bare consonant sound — e.g. क् is a pure 'k'.

A ligature formed when two consonants meet with no vowel between them. क + ष fuse into क्ष (kṣa); ज + ञ into ज्ञ (gya).

The nasal dot (ं) written above a letter that nasalizes the syllable, as in अं (an). It marks a nasal consonant or nasalized vowel.

The rule by which the inherent 'a' (schwa) of a written consonant is dropped in pronunciation — so नेपाल is said 'Nepaal', not 'Nepaala'.

A particle that follows the noun to mark its grammatical role — Nepali's equivalent of an English preposition. -मा (in), -बाट (from), -लाई (to), -ले (by).

A grammatical register that encodes respect. Nepali has three levels — low (तँ), mid (तिमी), and high (तपाईं) — each with its own verb endings.

A linking 'be' verb. Nepali has two — हो (ho) for identity and छ (cha) for state, location, or possession — and choosing the wrong one is the classic beginner error.

The Nepali copula of identity or equation — 'is / am / are' when stating what something fundamentally is. म डाक्टर हो — 'I am a doctor.'

The Nepali copula of state, location, or existence — 'is / are' for where something is, how it is, or that it exists. किताब यहाँ छ — 'the book is here.'

The case marked by the postposition -ले that flags the agent (doer) of a transitive verb, especially in the past tense. रामले खायो — 'Ram ate (it).'

The grammatical marking of how an action unfolds in time — habitual, progressive, perfect, or simple — independent of when it happened.

A copula form (रहेछ, रैछ) that grammatically marks newly discovered or inferred information — 'oh, it turns out…'. Nepali encodes the source of your knowledge in the verb.

A verb form meaning 'to make/have someone do something', usually built with the -आउ infix. खानु (to eat) → खुवाउनु (to feed).

A counting word placed between a number and a noun. -वटा for things, -जना for people: दुईवटा किताब (two books), तीनजना मान्छे (three people).

How Nepali says 'not'. The negative is built into the verb — छैन (is not), होइन (is not, identity), गर्दिन (I don't do) — rather than added as a separate word.

Subject–Object–Verb, Nepali's default word order. The verb almost always comes last: म भात खान्छु — literally 'I rice eat.'

The universal Nepali greeting, used any time of day with anyone. Said with palms pressed together, it means 'I bow to the divine in you.'

A more formal version of namaste, used with elders, in business settings, or to show extra respect.

'Thank you'. Used in shops, restaurants, and with guides and porters — Nepalis often reserve it for genuine favours rather than everyday small kindnesses.

Nepal's national meal — lentil soup (daal) over steamed rice (bhaat) with vegetable curry, served with unlimited refills on most trekking trails.

Nepali tea — black tea boiled with milk, sugar, and often ginger or cardamom. 'Kalo chiya' is black tea without milk.

Water. Tap water is unsafe for visitors, so ask for 'mineral paani' (bottled) or 'filter paani'. The same word also means 'rain'.

Steamed or fried dumplings filled with vegetables, buff, or chicken — Nepal's most beloved street food, served with a tomato-based achar.

'Older brother' — also the polite, warm way to address any man slightly older than you, including waiters, drivers, and shopkeepers.

'Older sister' — and the respectful way to address any woman slightly older than you, from a market vendor to your host.

'How much' or 'how many' — the single most useful word for shopping and bargaining. यो कति हो? — 'How much is this?'

'Where' — paired with छ (cha) to ask the location of anything. ठमेल कहाँ छ? — 'Where is Thamel?'

Altitude sickness — the word every guide and lodge owner above 3,000 m understands. मलाई लेक लाग्यो — 'I have altitude sickness' — should never be said lightly.

'Good', 'nice', or 'beautiful' — one of the most-used adjectives in Nepali, applied to food, views, people, and weather alike.

'Spicy / hot' (chilli heat). The survival phrase 'kam piro' means 'less spicy' — though Nepali 'mild' still runs hot for most Western palates.

A trailside lodge offering simple rooms and meals to trekkers — the backbone of Nepal's 'teahouse trekking'. Ask 'kotha cha?' for a room and 'tato paani cha?' for hot water.

Nepal's biggest and longest festival — a 15-day Hindu celebration of the goddess Durga's victory over evil, marked by family reunions, tika, and animal offerings.

The five-day 'festival of lights', honouring crows, dogs, cows, and finally siblings on Bhai Tika. Homes glow with oil lamps and marigold garlands.

The mark of rice, yoghurt, and red vermilion pressed onto the forehead as a blessing — central to Dashain and given by elders to juniors.

An act of worship or ritual offering made to a deity — at home shrines, temples, and during festivals, often with flowers, incense, and lamps.

A domed Buddhist monument, such as Boudhanath or Swayambhunath, circled clockwise by pilgrims spinning prayer wheels and reciting mantras.

'The guest is god' — the Sanskrit ethos of hospitality that shapes how Nepalis treat visitors, from a free cup of tea to walking you to your destination.

An ethnic group of the Everest (Khumbu) region renowned for high-altitude mountaineering; also used loosely for trekking guides. Their home language is Sherpa, but they speak Nepali as the lingua franca.

Nepal's official solar calendar, roughly 56–57 years ahead of the Gregorian (AD) calendar. Government documents and festivals follow Bikram Sambat (BS).

The Nepali rupee (NPR), Nepal's currency. Prices over a hundred are often quoted in round hundreds — 'paanch saya' for 500.

A Nepali proverb or folk saying (often paired as 'ukhan-tukka'). Elders use them constantly, and knowing a few signals deep cultural fluency.