Course
Unit 4 · Beginner
Asking questions
The handful of question words that unlock real conversation — who, where, when, why and how — and where to slot them into sentences you already know.
In this unit you'll learn to
- Use the question words ke, ko, kahaa, kahile, kina, kasari
- Ask and say where you are from with -baata
- Recognise the polite verb ending -hunchha
- Turn statements into questions
Listen along
Question words — ke, ko, kaha, kati (lesson 4)
Public-domain audio — FSI Nepali Basic Course (via Live Lingua).
Getting to know someone
Sita
तपाईं कहाँबाट हुनुहुन्छ?
Tapai kahaabaata hununhunchha?
Where are you from?
John
म बेलायतबाट हुँ।
Ma Belaayat-baata hun.
I'm from the UK.
Sita
कहाँ जाँदै हुनुहुन्छ?
Kahaa jaandai hununhunchha?
Where are you going?
John
म पोखरा जाँदैछु।
Ma Pokhara jaandaichhu.
I'm going to Pokhara.
Sita
किन?
Kina?
Why?
John
फेवा ताल हेर्न।
Phewa taal herna.
To see Phewa Lake.
Vocabulary
- को ko
- who
- कहाँ kahaa
- where
- कहिले kahile
- when
- किन kina
- why
- कसरी kasari
- how
- कहाँबाट kahaabaata
- from where
- बाट -baata
- from
- जानु jaanu
- to go
- आउनु aaunu
- to come
Grammar
The question words
Nepali question words mostly begin with k-: ke (what), ko (who), kahaa (where), kahile (when), kina (why), kasari (how), kati (how much / how many, from Unit 2).
They sit exactly where the answer would go, and — as always — the verb stays at the end: Tapai kahaa jaanuhunchha? is literally "You where go?"
-baata = from
Add -baata to a place to mean "from" it: Nepal-baata (from Nepal), kahaa-baata (from where). So "Where are you from?" is Tapai kahaa-baata hununhunchha? and you answer Ma [place]-baata hun.
The polite -hunchha ending
With tapai, verbs take a respectful ending you'll hear constantly: hununhunchha ("are / do you", very polite), jaanuhunchha (do you go). For now just recognise -hunchha as the marker of a polite question or statement; you'll build these forms properly later.
Practice
1. Ask "Where are you from?" politely.
Show answer
तपाईं कहाँबाट हुनुहुन्छ? (Tapai kahaabaata hununhunchha?)
2. Say "I am from Nepal."
Show answer
म नेपालबाट हुँ। (Ma Nepal-baata hun.)
3. Ask "Where are you going?"
Show answer
तपाईं कहाँ जानुहुन्छ? (Tapai kahaa jaanuhunchha?)
4. Which question word means "why"?
Show answer
किन (kina).