Course
Loading lessons…
Course
Unit 5 · Beginner
Personal pronouns and the levels of politeness behind "you", plus the neat -sanga trick Nepali uses instead of a verb "to have".
I, you, we — pronouns and honorifics (lesson 5)
Public-domain audio — FSI Nepali Basic Course (via Live Lingua).
Traveller
नमस्ते, कोठा छ?
Namaste, kothaa chha?
Hello, do you have a room?
Host
छ। कति जना हुनुहुन्छ?
Chha. Kati jana hununhunchha?
Yes. How many of you are there?
Traveller
हामी दुई जना छौं।
Haami dui jana chhau.
There are two of us.
Host
तपाईंसँग पासपोर्ट छ?
Tapai-sanga passport chha?
Do you have a passport?
Traveller
छ, यो रह्यो।
Chha, yo rahyo.
Yes, here it is.
ma (I) and haami (we) are easy. "You" is the tricky one: Nepali picks a level. tapai is polite — your safe default with any adult or stranger. timi is familiar, for friends and younger people (plus a very intimate form you should avoid as a learner). u is he / she, uniharu is they.
Nepali has no single verb "to have". For things you carry or possess, use X-sanga … chha — literally "with X there is": Ma-sanga paisaa chha = "I have money" (with-me money there-is). Tapai-sanga passport chha? = "Do you have a passport?"
Notice it's chha (existence), not ho — exactly the split you met in Unit 3.
People are counted with the special counter jana: dui jana (two people), teen jana (three people), kati jana? (how many people?). Haami dui jana chhau = "There are two of us."
1. Ask "Do you have a room?"
कोठा छ? (Kothaa chha?)
2. Say "I have a passport."
मसँग पासपोर्ट छ। (Ma-sanga passport chha.)
3. Say "There are two of us."
हामी दुई जना छौं। (Haami dui jana chhau.)
4. Which "you" is the safe default with a stranger?
तपाईं (tapai).