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Unit 16 · Intermediate
The glue of real talk — small talk, quick check-ins, reacting and agreeing, and the little tag questions Nepali speakers sprinkle everywhere.
Sample conversations — restaurant and market (lesson 17)
Public-domain audio — FSI Nepali Basic Course (via Live Lingua).
Raju
ए, कस्तो छ?
E, kasto chha?
Hey, how's it going?
Emma
ठीकै छ, तपाईंलाई नि?
Thikai chha, tapailai ni?
I'm fine, and you?
Raju
मलाई पनि ठीकै। के गर्दै हुनुहुन्छ?
Malai pani thikai. Ke gardai hununhunchha?
I'm fine too. What are you up to?
Emma
केही छैन, घुम्दै छु।
Kehi chhaina, ghumdai chhu.
Nothing much, just wandering around.
Raju
राम्रो, पछि भेटौँला।
Raamro, pachhi bhetaula.
Nice — see you later.
The textbook Tapailai kasto chha? shrinks in real life to just Kasto chha? ("how's it going?"). The default reply is Thikai chha ("fine") or Ramro chha ("good").
Bounce it back with ...ni?: Tapailai ni? ("and you?"). That little ni does a lot of friendly work.
Nepali loves a tag. ...hoina? turns a statement into "...isn't it?": Ramro chha, hoina? ("It's nice, isn't it?"). ...hai? adds a warm "okay?": Bholi aaunchhau, hai? ("You'll come tomorrow, okay?").
The particles ni and na soften requests and add warmth: Sunnuhos na ("do listen", gentler), Bhetaula ni ("we'll meet, then"). Sprinkling them is the difference between sounding clipped and sounding natural.
1. Greet a friend with "How's it going?"
कस्तो छ? (Kasto chha?)
2. Reply "I'm fine, and you?"
ठीकै छ, तपाईंलाई नि? (Thikai chha, tapailai ni?)
3. Add a tag: "It's nice, isn't it?"
राम्रो छ, होइन? (Ramro chha, hoina?)
4. Say "See you later."
पछि भेटौँला। (Pachhi bhetaula.)