Lessons
Advanced grammar
Aspect — perfective, imperfective, habitual
Tense says when; aspect says how the action unfolds — one shot, ongoing, habitual, or completed-with-relevance. Nepali marks aspect more sharply than English does. Tourists confuse खान्छु (khaanchhu, habitual) with खाँदैछु (khaa~daichhu, right now) constantly.
The three core aspects
Habitual present
V-stem + -छु / -छ / -छन्
I eat (regularly)
Scheduled, repeated, or general-truth action.
Present progressive
V-stem + -दैछु
I am eating (now)
Action ongoing right at the time of speaking.
Present perfect
V-एको + छ / छु
I have eaten
Completed action with present relevance — "already done, don't bring more."
Five verbs across five aspects
| Verb | Habitual | Progressive | Perfect | Simple past | Past progressive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
खानु to eat | खान्छु khaanchhu | खाँदैछु khaa~daichhu | खाएको छु khaeko chhu | खाएँ khaae~ | खाँदै थिएँ khaa~dai thiye~ |
जानु to go | जान्छु jaanchhu | जाँदैछु jaa~daichhu | गएको छु gaeko chhu | गएँ gaae~ | जाँदै थिएँ jaa~dai thiye~ |
गर्नु to do | गर्छु garchhu | गर्दैछु gardaichhu | गरेको छु gareko chhu | गरें gare~ | गर्दै थिएँ gardai thiye~ |
बस्नु to sit / stay | बस्छु baschhu | बस्दैछु basdaichhu | बसेको छु baseko chhu | बसेँ base~ | बस्दै थिएँ basdai thiye~ |
हेर्नु to look / watch | हेर्छु herchhu | हेर्दैछु herdaichhu | हेरेको छु hereko chhu | हेरेँ here~ | हेर्दै थिएँ herdai thiye~ |
One sentence per aspect
habitual
म रोज चिया खान्छु।
Ma roj chiyaa khaanchhu.
I drink tea every day.
progressive
म अहिले खाँदैछु।
Ma ahile khaa~daichhu.
I am eating right now.
perfect
मैले खाएको छु।
Maile khaeko chhu.
I have eaten (already — don't bring more food).
simplePast
मैले हिजो खाएँ।
Maile hijo khaae~.
I ate yesterday.
pastProgressive
म खाँदै थिएँ जब ऊ आयो।
Ma khaa~dai thiye~ jaba uu aayo.
I was eating when he came.
Common questions
- What's the difference between खाएँ and खाएको छु?
- खाएँ is simple past — "I ate (yesterday, an hour ago, doesn't matter)." खाएको छु is present perfect — "I have eaten (and the result still matters now)." When someone offers you food and you've just eaten, use खाएको छु; when describing what you did yesterday, use खाएँ.
- When do I use खान्छु vs खाँदैछु?
- खान्छु is habitual — what you usually/generally do. "म चिया खान्छु" = "I drink tea (it's my habit)." खाँदैछु is right-now progressive. "म अहिले खाँदैछु" = "I'm eating at this moment." Don't mix them.
- Is past progressive useful for tourists?
- Yes — for "I was doing X when Y happened" narratives. "म सुत्दै थिएँ जब फोन बज्यो" (I was sleeping when the phone rang). Stories about lost passports, missed buses, and delayed flights all use this aspect.