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Unit 15 · Intermediate
The words the trail runs on: ask for a teahouse room and food, find out how many hours to the next village, and handle uphill and down.
Trekking vocabulary and culture (lesson 15)
Public-domain audio — FSI Nepali Basic Course (via Live Lingua).
Trekker
यहाँ कोठा पाइन्छ?
Yahaa kothaa paaincha?
Can I get a room here?
Owner
पाइन्छ। एक रात बस्ने?
Paaincha. Ek raat basne?
Yes. Staying one night?
Trekker
हो। नाम्चे कति घण्टा लाग्छ?
Ho. Namche kati ghantaa laagchha?
Yes. How many hours to Namche?
Owner
करिब पाँच घण्टा, उकालो छ।
Karib paanch ghantaa, ukaalo chha.
About five hours — it's uphill.
Trekker
खाना पाइन्छ?
Khaanaa paaincha?
Is food available?
Owner
दाल भात पाइन्छ।
Daal bhaat paaincha.
Daal bhaat is available.
The trekker's magic word. [thing] paaincha? = "Can one get X? / Is X available?": Kothaa paaincha? (a room?), Khaanaa paaincha? (food?), Garam paani paaincha? (hot water?). Answer paaincha (yes) or paaindaina (no).
In the hills, ask Kati ghantaa laagchha? ("how many hours does it take?") rather than kilometres: Namche kati ghantaa laagchha? Answer karib paanch ghantaa ("about five hours").
ukaalo (uphill) and oraalo (downhill) run through every trail conversation: Ukaalo chha ("it's uphill"), Oraalo baato ("a downhill path"). Pace yourself on the ukaalo and save your knees on the long oraalo.
1. Ask "Can I get a room here?"
यहाँ कोठा पाइन्छ? (Yahaa kothaa paaincha?)
2. Ask "How many hours to Namche?"
नाम्चे कति घण्टा लाग्छ? (Namche kati ghantaa laagchha?)
3. Ask "Is hot water available?"
गरम पानी पाइन्छ? (Garam paani paaincha?)
4. What is "uphill"?
उकालो (ukaalo).