Learning in Practice

In this section, you will use छ (cha) and छैन (chaina) to talk about what exists, what does not exist, and what someone has. You will practise simple sentences about belongings, classroom objects, and everyday items.

Try it in real life

Look inside your bag, on your desk, or around your room. Choose five objects. Say what you have and what you do not have.

Example:

मेरो किताब छ।
mero kitāb cha.
I have a book.

मेरो कलम छ।
mero kalam cha.
I have a pen.

मेरो कापी छैन।
mero kāpī chaina.
I do not have a notebook.

मेरो मोबाइल छ।
mero mobāil cha.
I have a mobile phone.

मेरो पानीको बोतल छैन।
mero pānīko botal chaina.
I do not have a water bottle.

Practice task

Practise this short exchange with a partner:

A: तपाईंको किताब छ?
tapāī̃ko kitāb cha?

B: हो, मेरो किताब छ।
ho, mero kitāb cha.

A: तपाईंको कलम छ?
tapāī̃ko kalam cha?

B: हो, मेरो कलम छ।
ho, mero kalam cha.

A: तपाईंको कापी छ?
tapāī̃ko kāpī cha?

B: होइन, मेरो कापी छैन।
hoina, mero kāpī chaina.

Mini culture note

In Nepali, छ (cha) is very useful. It can mean “is,” “exists,” or “has,” depending on the sentence.

For example, मेरो किताब छ (mero kitāb cha) means “I have a book.” The sentence does not need a separate verb for “have.” This is an important Nepali pattern.

Common mistake

Do not use हो (ho) when you mean “has” or “there is.”

Use हो (ho) to identify something:

यो मेरो किताब हो।
yo mero kitāb ho.
This is my book.

Use छ (cha) to say that something exists or that someone has something:

मेरो किताब छ।
mero kitāb cha.
I have a book.

Use छैन (chaina) for the negative:

मेरो किताब छैन।
mero kitāb chaina.
I do not have a book.

Say it aloud

Practise these slowly. Then say them more naturally.

After you practise, use the audio recorder below to record yourself. Listen to your recording and try again if you want to improve your pronunciation.

छ।
cha.
There is / has.

छैन।
chaina.
There is not / does not have.

मेरो किताब छ।
mero kitāb cha.
I have a book.

मेरो कलम छ।
mero kalam cha.
I have a pen.

मेरो कापी छैन।
mero kāpī chaina.
I do not have a notebook.

तपाईंको झोला छ?
tapāī̃ko jholā cha?
Do you have a bag?

Rhythm practice

Read this short exchange aloud:

तपाईंको किताब छ?
tapāī̃ko kitāb cha?

हो, मेरो किताब छ।
ho, mero kitāb cha.

तपाईंको कलम छ?
tapāī̃ko kalam cha?

हो, मेरो कलम छ।
ho, mero kalam cha.

तपाईंको कापी छ?
tapāī̃ko kāpī cha?

होइन, मेरो कापी छैन।
hoina, mero kāpī chaina.

Can-do checklist

By the end of this chapter, I can:

• use छ (cha) to say that something exists
• use छैन (chaina) to say that something does not exist
• say what I have
• say what I do not have
• ask if someone has something
• answer yes/no questions about possession
• understand the difference between हो (ho) and छ (cha)
• use मेरो … छ (mero … cha) in simple sentences
• use मेरो … छैन (mero … chaina) in simple negative sentences