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Chapter 10 – Introductions and Social Exchanges

Unit 3 — Conversations

Model dialogues

These sample dialogues show how people politely meet for the first time in everyday Nepali settings—like a school, café, or social event. They practice simple skills: greeting, asking and giving names, and talking about where someone lives or is from. The conversations use basic, respectful Nepali, including common patterns such as “What is your name?”, “Where is your home?”, and structures with ho (identity) and cha (location). Each dialogue repeats key phrases while adding a little new language, helping beginners quickly notice patterns and use them in real conversations.

Meeting a Classmate

Two classmates meet for the first time at school. They greet each other, share their names, and talk about where their homes are.

Speaker Nepali Transliteration
Ramesh नमस्ते। namaste.
Anita नमस्ते। namaste.
Ramesh तपाईंको नाम के हो? tapāī̃ko nām ke ho?
Anita मेरो नाम अनिता हो। तपाईंको नाम के हो? mero nām anitā ho. tapāī̃ko nām ke ho?
Ramesh मेरो नाम रमेश हो। mero nām rameś ho.
Ramesh तपाईंको घर कहाँ हो? tapāī̃ko ghar kahā̃ ho?
Anita मेरो घर क्यानाडा हो। mero ghar kyānāḍā ho.
Ramesh तपाईंको घर क्यानाडामा कहाँ छ? tapāī̃ko ghar kyānāḍāmā kahā̃ cha?
Anita मेरो घर भ्यानकुभरमा छ। तपाईंको नि? mero ghar bhyānkubharmā cha. tapāī̃ko ni?
Ramesh मेरो घर नेपाल हो। मेरो घर काठमाडौंमा छ। mero ghar nepāl ho. mero ghar kāṭhamānḍaũmā cha.
Anita ओहो, राम्रो। oho, rāmro.


At a social event

Arjun and Sofia are meeting for the first time at a social event. After greeting each other, they begin by asking simple personal questions.

Speaker Nepali Transliteration
Arjun नमस्ते। namaste.
Sofia नमस्ते। namaste.
Arjun मेरो नाम अर्जुन हो। तपाईंको नाम के हो? mero nām arjun ho. tapāī̃ko nām ke ho?
Sofia मेरो नाम सोफिया हो। तपाईंलाई भेटेर खुशी लाग्यो। mero nām sophiyā ho. tapāī̃lāī bheṭera khuśī lāgyo.
Arjun मलाई पनि खुशी लाग्यो। malāī pani khuśī lāgyo.
Sofia तपाईं कहाँबाट हुनुहुन्छ? tapāī̃ kahā̃bāṭa hunuhuncha?
Arjun म टोरन्टोबाट हुँ। ma ṭoranṭobāṭa hũ.
Sofia टोरन्टो? तपाईं क्यानेडियन हुनुहुन्छ? ṭoranṭo? tapāī̃ kyāneḍiyan hunuhuncha?
Arjun होइन, म क्यानेडियन होइन। म भारतीय हुँ। hoina, ma kyāneḍiyan hoina. ma bhāratīya hũ.
Sofia ओहो, बुझें। माफ गर्नुहोस्। oho, bujhẽ. māph garnuhos.
Arjun केही छैन। तपाईं कहाँबाट हुनुहुन्छ? kehi chaina. tapāī̃ kahā̃bāṭa hunuhuncha?
Sofia म सिड्नीबाट हुँ, तर म अष्ट्रेलियन होइन। ma siḍnībāṭa hũ, tara ma aṣṭreliyan hoina.
Arjun ए, त्यसो भए तपाईं के हुनुहुन्छ? e, tyaso bhaye tapāī̃ ke hunuhuncha?
Sofia मेरा आमाबुबा जापानी हुनुहुन्छ, त्यसैले म पनि जापानी हुँ। merā āmābubā jāpānī hunuhuncha, tyasaile ma pani jāpānī hũ.
Arjun राम्रो। जापान धेरै सुन्दर देश हो। rāmro. jāpān dherai sundar deś ho.
Sofia धन्यवाद। हो, धेरै राम्रो ठाउँ हो। dhanyawād. ho, dherai rāmro ṭhāũ ho.

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Introduction to the Nepali Language Copyright © 2026 by Binod Shrestha; Salina Dolmo Lama; Mark Turin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.