Reading
Intermediate Nepali
Graded reader
Short Nepali stories for A2 and B1 learners — the level where the standalone phrasebook starts to feel small. Each story is split into sentences with English translation on demand, hoverable vocabulary, and tap-to-hear audio per line.
Reading is the cheapest way to grow vocabulary at this stage. Pick a story, tap a sentence, listen, then read again with the English hidden.
- A25 min
An Evening at the Teahouse
A trekker arrives at a lodge above Namche and orders dinner
Beyond the village, the wind sang against the prayer flags.
Open story - A24 min
Morning at the Market
Bargaining for oranges in Pokhara's Lakeside
Three oranges, one careful number, and the warmest smile of the morning.
Open story - B16 min
Dashain at Grandmother's
Receiving tika and a small envelope of rupees
Her hand was cool, her thumbprint warm. The year began that afternoon.
Open story - A24 min
The Tourist Bus to Pokhara
Seven hours of mountain road, momos at a roadside stall, and one perfect view
The road climbed and the river fell, and we were the difference between them.
Open story - B15 min
A Visit to the CIWEC Clinic
Stomach trouble in Kathmandu, and the small kindness of a Nepali nurse
She handed me the prescription and said "don't worry" in three languages.
Open story - B15 min
Losing the Trail Above Tengboche
Fog, a wrong turn, and the kindness of a yak herder
The mountain disappeared into white. The trail disappeared with it.
Open story - B14 min
Holi with Friends in Pokhara
Red and yellow powder, water guns, and the loudest morning of the year
Everyone was a color. Nobody was a stranger.
Open story - B26 min
Grandmother's Sel Roti Recipe
A handwritten recipe in a kitchen that smells of cardamom
Some flour, some sugar, the right wrist motion — and the year took on its proper shape.
Open story
How to use the reader
- 1. Read the Nepali sentence first. Don't rush to the translation.
- 2. Tap the audio button — hear it before you read the English.
- 3. Hover or tap a marked word to see its meaning.
- 4. Hide the English and re-read the whole story.
- 5. Add any word you keep tripping on to your flashcards.