Lessons
Advanced grammar
Commands at three honorific levels
Every Nepali imperative comes in three flavours — low, mid, and high — and choosing the wrong one can land somewhere between charming and offensive. This page shows the eight verbs you'll use daily in each form, with a rule of thumb that keeps tourists safe.
Why three levels exist
Nepali bakes politeness into the verb itself. A father telling his small child to come says आइज (aaija). The same father asking his elderly mother to come says आउनुहोस् (aaunuhos). The action is identical; the relationship between speaker and listener determines the form.
The table: 8 verbs × 3 levels
Tap any cell to hear it spoken. The high column is the one to learn first.
| Verb | LOW (तँ) | MID (तिमी) | HIGH (तपाईं) |
|---|---|---|---|
गर्नु garnu — to do | गर् gar Sharp command. Only with children or in anger. | गर / गरेऊ gara / gareu Friendly request to a peer or younger. | गर्नुहोस् / गर्नुस् garnuhos / garnus Default polite. -nus is slightly more casual than -nuhos. |
खानु khaanu — to eat | खा khaa Sharp. Parent to small child, or with food animals. | खाऊ khaau Casual offer — 'eat.' | खानुहोस् khaanuhos Polite offer at table — 'please eat.' The standard host phrase. |
जानु jaanu — to go | जा jaa Brusque. Avoid with adults. | जाऊ jaau Friendly — 'go (on, then).' | जानुहोस् jaanuhos Polite — 'please go.' Used to direct a guest or hand over the door. |
बस्नु basnu — to sit / stay | बस् bas Sharp — 'sit down!' | बस basa Casual — 'have a seat.' | बस्नुहोस् basnuhos Polite — the host's word for 'please be seated.' |
सुत्नु sutnu — to sleep | सुत् sut Parent to child at bedtime. | सुत suta Friend to friend — 'go to sleep.' | सुत्नुहोस् sutnuhos Polite — 'please rest.' Used to wish a guest goodnight. |
हेर्नु hernu — to look / see | हेर् her Sharp — 'look!' | हेर hera Friendly — 'have a look.' | हेर्नुहोस् hernuhos Polite — 'please take a look.' Used in shops and clinics. |
भन्नु bhannu — to say / tell | भन् bhan Sharp — 'say it!' | भन bhana Casual — 'tell me.' | भन्नुहोस् bhannuhos Polite — 'please tell me / please say.' Doctor and counter staff use this constantly. |
दिनु dinu — to give | दे de Sharp — 'give!' | देऊ deu Casual — 'give me.' | दिनुहोस् dinuhos Polite — 'please give.' Standard at a tea stall or counter. |
The tourist's rule of thumb
When you're a foreigner, default to -नुहोस् / -नुस् (-nuhos / -nus). Drop to the mid form (-ऊ, -eu) only with younger close colleagues who have explicitly invited the shift. Never use the low form with strangers — it ranges from comical to insulting depending on context.
Household-staff imperatives
With didi (housekeeper), cook, gardener, driver — pair the verb with -दिनुस् (-dinus, “please do for me”). This causative + benefactive turn keeps tasks polite without becoming distant.
Please clean the room
कोठा सफा गरिदिनुस्
Koṭhā saphā garidinus
Please cook dal bhat
दाल भात पकाइदिनुस्
Dāl bhāt pakāidinus
Please wash the clothes
लुगा धोइदिनुस्
Lugā dhoidinus
Please bring water
पानी ल्याइदिनुस्
Pānī lyāidinus
Please sweep the floor
भुइँ बढारिदिनुस्
Bhuĩ baḍhāridinus
Please come tomorrow
भोलि आइदिनुस्
Bholi āidinus
Five-scenario imperative quiz
1. You want a Thamel shopkeeper to show you a pashmina. Pick the right form.
2. You ask your household didi (housekeeper) to clean the bedroom. Best form?
3. A senior monk visits your office. You offer him a seat. Which?
4. A close 20-something colleague comes for dinner. You invite him to eat.
5. A stranger at a counter asks if you need help. You want to say 'please tell me.'