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The Nepali grammar cheat sheet

Every grammar table from this site, condensed to a single printable page. Pronouns, the ten verbs you'll actually use in their तपाईं form, postpositions, question words, and the eight sentence frames. Print landscape, fold once, slip into a passport wallet.

Pronouns & honorifics

PersonDevanagariRomanizedWhen
1st singularमmaI
1st pluralहामीhaamiwe
2nd lowतँta~you (low)
2nd midतिमीtimiyou (mid)
2nd highतपाईंtapaai~you (high)
3rd lowऊuhe / she (low)
3rd midउनीunihe / she (mid)
3rd highउहाँuhaa~he / she (high)

Top 10 verbs — तपाईं (high) present form

InfinitiveMeaningAffirmative (तपाईं)Negative (तपाईं)
हुनुto beहुनुहुन्छहुनुहुन्न
गर्नुto doगर्नुहुन्छगर्नुहुन्न
जानुto goजानुहुन्छजानुहुन्न
खानुto eatखानुहुन्छखानुहुन्न
आउनुto comeआउनुहुन्छआउनुहुन्न
बस्नुto sit / stayबस्नुहुन्छबस्नुहुन्न
सुत्नुto sleepसुत्नुहुन्छसुत्नुहुन्न
हेर्नुto look / seeहेर्नुहुन्छहेर्नुहुन्न
पढ्नुto read / studyपढ्नुहुन्छपढ्नुहुन्न
लेख्नुto writeलेख्नुहुन्छलेख्नुहुन्न

Postpositions

  • -मा-maa — in / at / on
  • -बाट-baata — from
  • -सम्म-samma — until / up to
  • -लाई-laai — to / for (dative)
  • -ले-le — by / agent marker
  • -सँग-sa~ga — with (accompaniment)
  • -को-ko — of / possessive
  • -भन्दा-bhandaa — than (comparative)
  • -को लागि-ko laagi — for (purpose)
  • -देखि-dekhi — since / from (time)

Question words (all start with क)

  • केke — what
  • कसलेkasle — who (subject)
  • कुनkun — which
  • कहाँkahaa~ — where
  • कहिलेkahile — when
  • किनkina — why
  • कसरीkasari — how (process)
  • कस्तोkasto — how (condition / what kind)
  • कतिkati — how much / how many

Eight sentence patterns

  1. 01. मलाई ___ चाहिन्छ।

    Malaai ___ chaahinchha. — I need / want ___.

  2. 02. ___ कहाँ छ?

    ___ kahaa~ chha? — Where is ___?

  3. 03. यो कति पर्छ?

    Yo kati parchha? — How much does this cost?

  4. 04. मैले ___ खान्न।

    Maile ___ khaanna. — I don't eat ___.

  5. 05. के तपाईंसँग ___ छ?

    Ke tapaai~sa~ga ___ chha? — Do you have ___?

  6. 06. म ___ जाँदैछु।

    Ma ___ jaa~daichhu. — I am going to ___.

  7. 07. ___ भन्नुस् न।

    ___ bhannus na. — Please tell ___.

  8. 08. मलाई बुझेन।

    Malaai bujhena. — I didn't understand.

Past tenses (perfect + continuous) — गर्नु / खानु

Past perfect — gareko thiyo
मगरेको थिएँgareko thiye~
हामीगरेका थियौँgareka thiyau~
तिमीगरेका थियौgareka thiyau
तपाईंगर्नुभएको थियोgarnubhaeko thiyo
ऊगरेको थियोgareko thiyo
उनीगरेका थिएgareka thie
उहाँगर्नुभएको थियोgarnubhaeko thiyo
Past continuous — khaa~dai thiyo
मखाँदै थिएँkhaa~dai thiye~
हामीखाँदै थियौँkhaa~dai thiyau~
तिमीखाँदै थियौkhaa~dai thiyau
तपाईंखाँदै हुनुहुन्थ्योkhaa~dai hunuhunthyo
ऊखाँदै थियोkhaa~dai thiyo
उनीखाँदै थिएkhaa~dai thie
उहाँखाँदै हुनुहुन्थ्योkhaa~dai hunuhunthyo

Negation mini-table

ContextFormRomanizedExample
Existence / state negationछैनchhainaपानी छैन।
Habitual present (1st sg)गर्दिनँgardina~म गर्दिनँ।
Habitual present (3rd)गर्दैनgardainaऊ गर्दैन।
Simple past negationगरेनgarenaउसले गरेन।
Present perfect negationगरेको छैनgareko chhainaमैले गरेको छैन।
Future negationगर्ने छैनgarne chhainaऊ गर्ने छैन।
Identity negationहोइनhoinaयो खाना होइन।
Never (kahilyai + neg)कहिल्यै + negkahilyai + negकहिल्यै गर्दिनँ।
Nowhereकहीँ छैनkahi~ chhainaकहीँ छैन।
Nobodyकोही छैनkohi chhainaकोही छैन।
Negative imperative — highनगर्नुहोस्nagarnuhosत्यहाँ नजानुहोस्।
Negative imperative — midनगरnagaraत्यहाँ नजाऊ।

Discourse particles

  • र (ra)Additive — "and / too / also." Spoken "and then."
  • त (ta)Topic / contrast marker — "as for…"; shifts focus to the marked element.
  • नि (ni)Mild emphasis / "you know." Softens requests; very colloquial solidarity marker.
  • पो (po)Surprise / contradiction — "actually / in fact (contrary to what you assumed)."
  • मात्र (maatra)Restrictive — "only / just." Limits the scope of the preceding noun.
  • ता (taa)Affirmative tag — "right? isn't it?" Like French "n'est-ce pas?"
  • ल (la)Discourse marker — "ok / alright / well then." Closes a topic; signals agreement.
  • बा (baa)Intimacy / mild assertion. Regional (Kathmandu Valley); urges familiarly.

Pro tip: print this in landscape to fit two columns cleanly on a single page.