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Grammar foundation #2

Nepali verb conjugation — every verb ends in -नु

Every Nepali verb you'll see in a dictionary ends in -नु (-nu). Drop the -nu, attach a person-and-tense suffix, and you have a conjugated verb. This page covers the two irregular building blocks (हुनु, गर्नु), the regular suffix rule, twenty high-frequency verbs, and the compound-verb pattern that makes “I like it” and “I'm hungry” possible.

The verb हुनु (to be) — three present forms

Unlike English, Nepali splits “to be” into three. Get the choice right and you sound natural; get it wrong and you sound translated.

  • हो

    ho

    Defines identity / essence

    यो के हो? — What is this?

  • छ

    chha

    Describes state / existence

    पानी छ। — There is water.

  • हुन्छ

    hunchha

    Regular occurrence / future

    खाना हुन्छ। — Food will be / happens.

छ (chha) — conjugated by person

The state-of-being verb. You'll hear this constantly: ठीक छ (“it's fine”), बजार कहाँ छ? (“where is the market?”).

हुनु (to be) — present-tense conjugation by person, affirmative and negative.
PronounAffirmativeNegativeAudio
मmaछुchhuछैनँchhaina~
हामीhaamiछौँchhau~छैनौँchhainau~
तँta~छस्chhasछैनस्chhainas
तिमीtimiछौchhauछैनौchhainau
तपाईंtapaai~हुनुहुन्छhunuhunchhaहुनुहुन्नhunuhunna
ऊuछchhaछैनchhaina
उनीuniछन्chhanछैनन्chhainan
उहाँuhaa~हुनुहुन्छhunuhunchhaहुनुहुन्नhunuhunna

गर्नु (to do) — across all three tenses

The model verb for almost every regular consonant-stem verb. Memorise the तपाईं row and you can already form polite questions and statements.

Present tense

गर्नु (to do) — present-tense conjugation by person, affirmative and negative.
PronounAffirmativeNegativeAudio
मmaगर्छुgarchhuगर्दिनँgardina~
हामीhaamiगर्छौँgarchhau~गर्दैनौँgardainau~
तँta~गर्छस्garchhasगर्दैनस्gardainas
तिमीtimiगर्छौgarchhauगर्दैनौgardainau
तपाईंtapaai~गर्नुहुन्छgarnuhunchhaगर्नुहुन्नgarnuhunna
ऊuगर्छgarchhaगर्दैनgardaina
उनीuniगर्छन्garchhanगर्दैनन्gardainan
उहाँuhaa~गर्नुहुन्छgarnuhunchhaगर्नुहुन्नgarnuhunna

Past tense

गर्नु past-tense conjugation
PronounAffirmativeNegative
मmaगरेँgare~गरिनँgarina~
हामीhaamiगर्‍यौँgaryau~गरेनौँgarenau~
तँta~गरिस्garisगरिनस्garinas
तिमीtimiगर्‍यौgaryauगरेनौgarenau
तपाईंtapaai~गर्नुभयोgarnubhayoगर्नुभएनgarnubhaena
ऊuगर्‍योgaryoगरेनgarena
उनीuniगरेgareगरेनन्garenan
उहाँuhaa~गर्नुभयोgarnubhayoगर्नुभएनgarnubhaena

Future tense

गर्नु future-tense conjugation
PronounAffirmativeNegative
मmaगर्नेछुgarnechhuगर्नेछैनँgarnechhaina~
हामीhaamiगर्नेछौँgarnechhau~गर्नेछैनौँgarnechhainau~
तँta~गर्नेछस्garnechhasगर्नेछैनस्garnechhainas
तिमीtimiगर्नेछौgarnechhauगर्नेछैनौgarnechhainau
तपाईंtapaai~गर्नुहुनेछgarnuhunechhaगर्नुहुनेछैनgarnuhunechhaina
ऊuगर्नेछgarnechhaगर्नेछैनgarnechhaina
उनीuniगर्नेछन्garnechhanगर्नेछैनन्garnechhainan
उहाँuhaa~गर्नुहुनेछgarnuhunechhaगर्नुहुनेछैनgarnuhunechhaina

The suffix rule for regular verbs

Drop -नु from the infinitive to get the stem. For consonant-stem verbs (गर्नु → गर्-, बस्नु → बस्-, हेर्नु → हेर्-), attach these present-tense suffixes:

  • म-छुगर्छु
  • हामी-छौँगर्छौँ
  • तिमी-छौगर्छौ
  • तपाईं-नुहुन्छ (on full -नु form)गर्नुहुन्छ
  • ऊ-छगर्छ
  • उनी-छन्गर्छन्
  • उहाँ-नुहुन्छगर्नुहुन्छ

For vowel-stem verbs (खानु → खा-, जानु → जा-, आउनु → आ-), insert a -न- before the suffix: म खान्छु, ऊ खान्छ.

20 most useful Nepali verbs

Infinitive, stem, and English meaning for the verbs that show up in 80% of tourist conversations.

InfinitiveRomanizedStemMeaningAudio
हुनुhunuहु-to be
गर्नुgarnuगर्-to do
जानुjaanuजा-to go
खानुkhaanuखा-to eat
आउनुaaunuआ-to come
बस्नुbasnuबस्-to sit / stay
सुत्नुsutnuसुत्-to sleep
हेर्नुhernuहेर्-to look / see
पढ्नुpadhnuपढ्-to read / study
लेख्नुlekhnuलेख्-to write
सुन्नुsunnuसुन्-to hear / listen
बोल्नुbolnuबोल्-to speak
हिंड्नुhi~dnuहिंड्-to walk
बुझ्नुbujhnuबुझ्-to understand
भन्नुbhannuभन्-to say / tell
दिनुdinuदि-to give
लिनुlinuलि-to take
देख्नुdekhnuदेख्-to see
पाउनुpaaunuपा-to obtain / get
किन्नुkinnuकिन्-to buy

The compound-verb pattern: लाग्नु and मन पर्नु

A handful of crucial Nepali verbs don't take a subject the way English verbs do. Hunger, thirst, cold, and liking all happen to the speaker — the speaker is grammatically the recipient, not the doer.

  • मलाई भोक लाग्यो।

    Malaai bhok laagyo.

    I'm hungry. (lit. To-me hunger happened.)

  • मलाई जाडो लाग्छ।

    Malaai jaado laagchha.

    I'm cold.

  • मलाई मन पर्‍यो।

    Malaai man paryo.

    I liked it. (lit. To-me it fell-to-mind.)

  • मलाई पानी चाहिन्छ।

    Malaai paani chaahinchha.

    I need water.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Nepali have three different words for 'to be'?

हो (ho) defines identity ('this is a hat'), छ (chha) describes state or existence ('there is water'), and हुन्छ (hunchha) handles regular events or the future ('food happens' / 'food will be'). They're not interchangeable.

What does the -नु ending mean?

Every Nepali verb's infinitive (dictionary form) ends in -नु (-nu). Drop the -nu and you have the stem you conjugate from. गर्नु → गर्- (gar-) → गर्छु (garchhu, 'I do').

Do I really need to learn 8 conjugations for every verb?

Not as a tourist. Focus on the तपाईं (high-honorific) row. It works with every adult stranger you'll address and is always polite. The other rows are useful for understanding what you hear, not for what you say.

Try the verb conjugator

Pick any of 25 verbs, choose a tense, and see the full conjugation table — including negatives — with audio on every form.

Open the conjugator tool