Nepali Verb Conjugation — Hunu, Garnu, Jaanu, Khaanu Explained | KidSchooler

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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.
Pronoun	Affirmative	Negative
मma	छुchhu	छैनँchhaina~
हामीhaami	छौँchhau~	छैनौँchhainau~
तँta~	छस्chhas	छैनस्chhainas
तिमीtimi	छौchhau	छैनौchhainau
तपाईंtapaai~	हुनुहुन्छhunuhunchha	हुनुहुन्नhunuhunna
ऊu	छchha	छैनchhaina
उनीuni	छन्chhan	छैनन्chhainan
उहाँuhaa~	हुनुहुन्छhunuhunchha	हुनुहुन्नhunuhunna

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.
Pronoun	Affirmative	Negative
मma	गर्छुgarchhu	गर्दिनँgardina~
हामीhaami	गर्छौँgarchhau~	गर्दैनौँgardainau~
तँta~	गर्छस्garchhas	गर्दैनस्gardainas
तिमीtimi	गर्छौgarchhau	गर्दैनौgardainau
तपाईंtapaai~	गर्नुहुन्छgarnuhunchha	गर्नुहुन्नgarnuhunna
ऊu	गर्छgarchha	गर्दैनgardaina
उनीuni	गर्छन्garchhan	गर्दैनन्gardainan
उहाँuhaa~	गर्नुहुन्छgarnuhunchha	गर्नुहुन्नgarnuhunna

Past tense

गर्नु past-tense conjugation
Pronoun	Affirmative	Negative
मma	गरेँgare~	गरिनँgarina~
हामीhaami	गर्‍यौँgaryau~	गरेनौँgarenau~
तँta~	गरिस्garis	गरिनस्garinas
तिमीtimi	गर्‍यौgaryau	गरेनौgarenau
तपाईंtapaai~	गर्नुभयोgarnubhayo	गर्नुभएनgarnubhaena
ऊu	गर्‍योgaryo	गरेनgarena
उनीuni	गरेgare	गरेनन्garenan
उहाँuhaa~	गर्नुभयोgarnubhayo	गर्नुभएनgarnubhaena

Future tense

गर्नु future-tense conjugation
Pronoun	Affirmative	Negative
मma	गर्नेछुgarnechhu	गर्नेछैनँgarnechhaina~
हामीhaami	गर्नेछौँgarnechhau~	गर्नेछैनौँgarnechhainau~
तँta~	गर्नेछस्garnechhas	गर्नेछैनस्garnechhainas
तिमीtimi	गर्नेछौgarnechhau	गर्नेछैनौgarnechhainau
तपाईंtapaai~	गर्नुहुनेछgarnuhunechha	गर्नुहुनेछैनgarnuhunechhaina
ऊu	गर्नेछgarnechha	गर्नेछैनgarnechhaina
उनीuni	गर्नेछन्garnechhan	गर्नेछैनन्garnechhainan
उहाँuhaa~	गर्नुहुनेछgarnuhunechha	गर्नुहुनेछैनgarnuhunechhaina

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.

Infinitive	Romanized	Stem	Meaning
हुनु	hunu	हु-	to be
गर्नु	garnu	गर्-	to do
जानु	jaanu	जा-	to go
खानु	khaanu	खा-	to eat
आउनु	aaunu	आ-	to come
बस्नु	basnu	बस्-	to sit / stay
सुत्नु	sutnu	सुत्-	to sleep
हेर्नु	hernu	हेर्-	to look / see
पढ्नु	padhnu	पढ्-	to read / study
लेख्नु	lekhnu	लेख्-	to write
सुन्नु	sunnu	सुन्-	to hear / listen
बोल्नु	bolnu	बोल्-	to speak
हिंड्नु	hi~dnu	हिंड्-	to walk
बुझ्नु	bujhnu	बुझ्-	to understand
भन्नु	bhannu	भन्-	to say / tell
दिनु	dinu	दि-	to give
लिनु	linu	लि-	to take
देख्नु	dekhnu	देख्-	to see
पाउनु	paaunu	पा-	to obtain / get
किन्नु	kinnu	किन्-	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