Course
Unit 20 · Intermediate
Review and moving on
Pull the threads together: the big ideas behind everything you've learned, a quick self-check, and where to take your Nepali next.
In this unit you'll learn to
- Recall ho vs chha, the two verbs of being
- Recall the verb-final word order
- Self-test the core phrases of the course
- Plan your next steps in Nepali
Listen along
Review and final recap (lesson 30)
Public-domain audio — FSI Nepali Basic Course (via Live Lingua).
Putting it together
Tourist
नमस्ते! यो कति पर्छ?
Namaste! Yo kati parchha?
Hello! How much is this?
Seller
तीन सय। कहाँबाट हुनुहुन्छ?
Teen saya. Kahaabaata hununhunchha?
Three hundred. Where are you from?
Tourist
म अष्ट्रेलियाबाट। अलि कम गर्नुहोस् न।
Ma Australia-baata. Ali kam garnuhos na.
I'm from Australia. Lower it a bit, please.
Seller
ल, दुई सय पचास।
La, dui saya pachaas.
Okay, two hundred fifty.
Tourist
हुन्छ, लिन्छु। धन्यवाद!
Hunchha, linchhu. Dhanyabaad!
Okay, I'll take it. Thanks!
Vocabulary
- हो ho
- is (identity)
- छ chha
- is (location / state)
- होइन hoina
- isn't (identity)
- छैन chhaina
- isn't / there isn't
- के ke
- what
- कहाँ kahaa
- where
- कति kati
- how much / many
- गर्नुहोस् garnuhos
- please do
- दिनुहोस् dinuhos
- please give
- पाइन्छ paaincha
- is available
Grammar
The two "to be" verbs — the heart of Nepali
If you remember one thing from this course, remember ho vs chha. ho is identity ("X is Y", equals): Yo chiyaa ho ("this is tea"). chha is existence, location and state ("there is", "is at", "is [feeling]"): Chiyaa chha? ("is there tea?"), Ma yahaa chhu ("I'm here").
Their negatives are hoina and chhaina. Get this split right and most sentences fall into place.
The verb goes last
Nepali word order is Subject–Object–Verb: the verb sits at the very end, every time. Ma Nepali sikchhu is literally "I Nepali learn". Front-load the who and the what; finish with the doing.
Where to go from here
With strangers, lean on tapai and the -nuhos / -nuhunchha forms; namaste, dhanyabaad and maaph garnuhos carry you through almost anything. From here your Nepali grows fastest by listening a lot and adding vocabulary — keep the FSI audio playing, and use what you've learned out loud at every chance.
Practice
1. ho or chha: "There is tea." — Chiyaa ___.
Show answer
छ (chha) — existence.
2. ho or chha: "This is tea." — Yo chiyaa ___.
Show answer
हो (ho) — identity.
3. Say "I'm learning Nepali."
Show answer
म नेपाली सिक्छु। (Ma Nepali sikchhu.)
4. Bargain: "Lower it a bit, please."
Show answer
अलि कम गर्नुहोस् न। (Ali kam garnuhos na.)