Are you going to Nepal and want to learn some basic Nepali words and phrases? If yes, what a great idea! Here, I’ve listed the most essential phrases in Nepali, which will help you learn in various situations, such as in a market, at a hotel, getting to know people, and many similar situations.
The Nepali language is part of the Indo-Aryan language family, spoken by the Nepali people. It is the official language of Nepal, with 32 million speakers as of 2021. They are written in the Devanagari script and are also part of the Indian subcontinent, like Sikkim and West Bengal.
Greetings in Nepali
Knowing a few basic words and phrases in Nepali will make you much more open and friendly to locals.
- Hi/Hello – Namaste!
- What’s your name? – Timro naam ke ho?
- How are you? – Timilai kosto cho?
- What’s up? – Timi ke gardai cho?
- Good morning! – Subh bihani
- Nice to meet you – Timilai bhetera khusi lagyo!
- See you later! – Pachi bhetaumla
- Welcome – Swagat cho!
Must Read: Basic Greetings Words in Nepali
20+ Phrases in Nepali
| No. | English | Nepali |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hi, my name is … | Namaste, mero naam … |
| 2 | Where are you from? | Topai kohabato hunuhuncho? |
| 3 | I am from Nepal | Mo Nepal bato hu |
| 4 | What do you do? | Tapaim ke garnuhuncha? |
| 5 | I work at Kathmandu university | Ma Kathmandu vishwavidyalaya ma kam garchu. |
| 6 | You are beautiful | Timi sundar chau |
| 7 | Do you love me? | Ke timi malai maya garcho |
| 8 | I love you | Ma timilai maya garcho |
| 9 | Can I get your phone number | Ke mo tapainko number pauna sakcho |
| 10 | Yes | Hoo |
| 11 | Do you have facebook | Ke tapa insamga facebook cha? |
| 12 | No | Ho’ina |
| 13 | I miss you | Mo timilai samjhancho |
| 14 | I am sorry | Malai maph garnuhos |
| 15 | Do you know English? | Ke timilai Angreji umcha? |
| 16 | I am learning Nepali | Mo Nepali sikdai cho |
| 17 | I don’t understand | Malai bujhi’ena |
| 18 | Can you help me? | Ke tapai malai madat garna saknuhuncho? |
| 19 | I am lost | Mo harae |
| 20 | Where can I find this? | Mo yo kaha paun sakcho? |
| 21 | There | Tyaha |
| 22 | Thank you | Dhanyavad |
How to Address Others in Nepali
Sir and madam are quite common words in Nepal. If you want to address them in their local language. You can use these basic Nepali words.
Brother – Bhai
Sister – Bahini
Uncle – Kaka
Aunty – Kaki
Directions and Transportation
If you’re travelling to a new town or village and can’t find a certain sight, you may need to ask general questions for directions to the locals.
- Where is the bus stand? – Bus stop kaha cho?
- Where is the bathroom? – Bathroom kaha cho?
- Where is the restroom? – Restroom kaha cho?
- Where is it? – …. kaha cha?
- How long will it take! – Koti samai lagnecho?
- Where should I get off? – Mo kaha orlanu parcho?
- How do I get to … – Mo kasari pugna sakchu
- Left – Baya
- Right – Dahine
- Straight – Sidha
- Here – Yaha
Basic Nepali for Eating at a Restaurant or Hotel
Here are a few Nepali words for eating and ordering food. When you’re visiting a restaurant where speaking Nepali is optional. Most hotel staff are fluent in English. So, you may not need to worry about speaking Nepali at a restaurant or hotel.
- Could I see the menu? – Ke mo menu herna sakcho?
- What is this? – Yo ke ho?
- I am a vegetarian – Mo sakahari ho!
- How much is it? – Yosko koti parcho?
- I want this – Malai yo chahincho
- I want more … – Malai ajhai chahincho
- One cup of tea – Ek cup chai
- It’s hot – Garmi cho!
- Water – Pani
- It was delicious – Yo svadistha thiyo!
Shopping at the local market
Can I change money? – Ke mo paisa satna sakcho?
How much is this? – Yo koti ho?
It’s too expensive – Yo dherai mahanga cho?
Lower the price – Mulya ghata unhos
I don’t want it – Malai yo chahidaina
Nepali Numbers
When you go shopping, you need to know the Nepali numbers, especially at the local market. Because they can’t be sure that everyone speaks English there.
- One – ek
- Two – dui
- Three – teen
- Four – char
- Five – panch
- Six – cho
- Seven – sat
- Eight – ath
- Nine – nau
- Ten – das
- Twenty – bis
- Thirty – tis
- Forty – chalis
- Fifty – pachas
- Sixty – sathi
- Seventy – sattari
- Eighty – assi
- Ninety – nabbe
- Hundred – ek saya
- Five hundred – panch saya
- One thousand – ek hajar
If you want to learn more Nepali numbers 1 to 100.
Must visit: 12 Months in Nepali and English
FAQs on Nepali Language Words and Phrases
Q1. How do you say hello in the Nepali language?
Ans: You can say Namaste in Nepali.
Q2. How do I say I am fine in Nepali?
Ans: I am fine is said as Mo thik cho
Q3. What is your name in Nepali?
Ans: You can ask “Timro naam ke ho?“.
Q4. How do you say “I love you” in Nepali?
Ans: You can say Mo timilai maya garcho.
Q5. How can I say Where are you going in Nepali?
Ans: Timi kaha jamdai cho?