Chapter 11 – Family and Relationships
Unit 1 — Key Vocabulary
In this unit, you will learn common Nepali words for talking about family and relationships. You will practise asking about people in a photo, naming family members, and describing what someone does or studies.
Study the words below first. Read each Nepali word or phrase, look at the transliteration, and practise saying it aloud. Use the English meaning to check your understanding.
Vocabulary
| Nepali | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| अहिले | ahile | now |
| कहाँ | kahā̃ | where? |
| कति जना | kati janā | how many people |
| काम | kām | work / job |
| कम्प्युटर | kampyūṭar | computer |
| गणित | gaṇit | math |
| पढ्नु | paḍhnu | to study / to read |
| पढाउनु | paḍhāunu | to teach |
| फोटो | phoṭo | photo |
| बस्नु | basnu | to live / to stay |
| भेट्नु | bheṭnu | to meet |
| बुझ्नु | bujhnu | to understand |
| विज्ञान | wijñān | science |
| विषय | wiṣaya | subject |
| अतिथि | atithi | guest |
| आगन्तुक | āgantuk | visitor |
Family and Kinship Terms
These words help you identify family members and talk about relationships.
| Nepali | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| आमाबुबा | āmābubā | parents |
| आमा | āmā | mother |
| काका | kākā | uncle (father’s younger brother) |
| काकी | kākī | aunt (father’s younger brother’s wife) |
| गृहिणी | gṛhiṇī | homemaker |
| दाइ | dāi | elder brother; common everyday form |
| दाजु | dāju | elder brother; more formal/respectful form |
| दिदी | didī | elder sister |
| बच्चा | baccā | child |
| बहिनी | bahinī | younger sister |
| बा | bā | dad; father; familiar everyday form |
| बुबा | bubā | father; common respectful form |
| भाइ | bhāi | younger brother |
| परिवार | pariwār | family |
| श्रीमान | śrīmān | husband |
| श्रीमती | śrīmatī | wife |
| हजुरआमा | hajurāmā | grandmother |
| हजुरबा | hajurbā | grandfather |
| छोरी | chorī | daughter |
| छोरा | chorā | son |
Useful Phrases
Use these phrases to ask about family members, people in photos, and what someone does.
| Nepali | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| यो फोटोमा को हुनुहुन्छ? | yo phoṭomā ko hunuhuncha? | Who is this in the photo? |
| उहाँ को हुनुहुन्छ? | uhā̃ ko hunuhuncha? | Who is he/she? (hon.) |
| उहाँको नाम के हो? | uhā̃ko nām ke ho? | What is his/her name? |
| उहाँ अहिले कहाँ हुनुहुन्छ? | uhā̃ ahile kahā̃ hunuhuncha? | Where is he/she now? |
| उहाँ के गर्नुहुन्छ? | uhā̃ ke garnuhuncha? | What does he/she do? |
| उहाँ के पढ्नुहुन्छ? | uhā̃ ke paḍhnuhuncha? | What does he/she study? |
| उहाँ कुन विषय पढाउनुहुन्छ? | uhā̃ kun wiṣaya paḍhāunuhuncha? | What subject does he/she teach? |
| तपाईंको परिवारमा कति जना हुनुहुन्छ? | tapāī̃ko pariwārmā kati janā hunuhuncha? | How many people are in your family? |
| तपाईंको दाइ हुनुहुन्छ? | tapāī̃ko dāi hunuhuncha? | Do you have an elder brother? |
| तपाईंकी दिदी हुनुहुन्छ? | tapāī̃kī didī hunuhuncha? | Do you have an elder sister? |
| ओहो, राम्रो। | oho, rāmro. | Oh, nice. |
| धन्यवाद। | dhanyawād. | Thank you. |
Useful Sentence Patterns
Use the vocabulary above with these simple sentence patterns.
| Nepali | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| यो मेरो परिवार हो। | yo mero pariwār ho. | This is my family. |
| यो मेरो आमा हुनुहुन्छ। | yo mero āmā hunuhuncha. | This is my mother. |
| यो मेरो बुबा हुनुहुन्छ। | yo mero bubā hunuhuncha. | This is my father. |
| उहाँ मेरो दाइ हुनुहुन्छ। | uhā̃ mero dāi hunuhuncha. | He is my elder brother. |
| उहाँ मेरी दिदी हुनुहुन्छ। | uhā̃ merī didī hunuhuncha. | She is my elder sister. |
| मेरो परिवारमा पाँच जना हुनुहुन्छ। | mero pariwārmā pā̃c janā hunuhuncha. | There are five people in my family. |
| उहाँ गणित पढाउनुहुन्छ। | uhā̃ gaṇit paḍhāunuhuncha. | He/She teaches math. |
| उहाँ विज्ञान पढ्नुहुन्छ। | uhā̃ wijñān paḍhnuhuncha. | He/She studies science. |
| उहाँ अहिले क्यानाडामा बस्नुहुन्छ। | uhā̃ ahile kyānāḍāmā basnuhuncha. | He/She lives in Canada now. |
Practice
Look at a family photo or imagine your family. Practise asking and answering questions in Nepali.
Example:
यो फोटोमा को हुनुहुन्छ?
yo phoṭomā ko hunuhuncha?
Who is this in the photo?
उहाँ मेरो बुबा हुनुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ mero bubā hunuhuncha.
He is my father.
तपाईंको परिवारमा कति जना हुनुहुन्छ?
tapāī̃ko pariwārmā kati janā hunuhuncha?
How many people are in your family?
मेरो परिवारमा पाँच जना हुनुहुन्छ।
mero pariwārmā pā̃c janā hunuhuncha.
There are five people in my family.
