Lessons
Grammar foundation
Nepali question words — they all start with क
Every Nepali question word — what, where, when, why, how, how much, who, which — begins with the syllable क (ka). That single fact carries you further than memorising any individual word.
The nine essential question words
| Word | Romanized | Meaning | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| के | ke | what | यो के हो? Yo ke ho? What is this? | |
| कसले | kasle | who (subject) | कसले गर्यो? Kasle garyo? Who did it? | |
| कुन | kun | which | कुन बाटो? Kun baato? Which road? | |
| कहाँ | kahaa~ | where | होटल कहाँ छ? Hotel kahaa~ chha? Where is the hotel? | |
| कहिले | kahile | when | कहिले जानुहुन्छ? Kahile jaanuhunchha? When are you going? | |
| किन | kina | why | किन आउनुभयो? Kina aaunubhayo? Why did you come? | |
| कसरी | kasari | how (process) | कसरी जाने? Kasari jaane? How to go? | |
| कस्तो | kasto | how (condition / what kind) | कस्तो छ? Kasto chha? How is it? | |
| कति | kati | how much / how many | कति पर्छ? Kati parchha? How much does it cost? |
Yes/no questions: just raise your voice
Nepali does not change word order to ask a yes/no question. The statement becomes a question through intonation only — same way English makes echo questions like “You're leaving?”
तपाईं जानुहुन्छ।
Tapaai~ jaanuhunchha.
Statement: You are going.
तपाईं जानुहुन्छ?
Tapaai~ jaanuhunchha?
Question with rising tone: Are you going?
You can optionally start with the question particle के (ke) for clarity: के तपाईं जानुहुन्छ? — same meaning, just signposted.
Frequently asked questions
Why do all Nepali question words start with क-?
It's a shared Indo-Aryan pattern, similar to English wh- words. If you forget a specific Nepali question word, start with क (ka) and most listeners will help you finish the sentence.
How do I ask a yes/no question in Nepali?
No word-order change. Just raise the intonation at the end of the sentence, the way English does for echo questions. 'तपाईं जानुहुन्छ?' (You are going?) with rising tone = 'Are you going?'
What's the difference between कस्तो (kasto) and कसरी (kasari)?
कस्तो asks about a condition or quality ('how is the food?' — कस्तो छ?). कसरी asks about a process ('how do I get there?' — कसरी जाने?). English uses 'how' for both.