Unit 4 — Grammar Focus

Asking “Who?”, Compound Nouns, and Polite Present Verbs

In this section, you will learn three useful grammar patterns for talking about people:

• asking “who?” questions with को (ko)
• using compound nouns for family and relationship groups
• using polite present-tense verbs to talk about what someone does

These patterns are common in introductions, family conversations, classroom interactions, and polite everyday speech.

Interrogative Pronoun: को

को (ko) means “who?” in Nepali. It is used to ask about a person’s identity, such as a name, role, profession, or relationship.

These questions are usually identity questions. A simple way to think about them is:

X = who?

For example:

उहाँ को हुनुहुन्छ?
uhā̃ ko hunuhuncha?
Who is he/she?

यो को हो?
yo ko ho?
Who is this?

उनीहरू को हुन्?
unīharū ko hun?
Who are they?

The word को (ko) does not change. Instead, the verb changes according to number and respect level.

For example:

• हो (ho) — plain singular
• हुन् (hun) — plain plural
• हुनुहुन्छ (hunuhuncha) — respectful / honorific

Table 11.4.1 – Interrogative pronoun को (ko): “who?” identity questions

Simple Rule

Use को (ko) to ask “who?”

Change the identity verb to match the subject.

For example:

यो को हो?
yo ko ho?
Who is this?

उहाँ को हुनुहुन्छ?
uhā̃ ko hunuhuncha?
Who is he/she?

उहाँहरू को हुनुहुन्छ?
uhā̃harū ko hunuhuncha?
Who are they? respectful

Learner Tip

Do not confuse को (ko) “who?” with –को (–ko) used for possession.

को
ko
who?

रामको
rāmko
Ram’s / of Ram

Examples:

उहाँ को हुनुहुन्छ?
uhā̃ ko hunuhuncha?
Who is he/she?

यो रामको किताब हो।
yo rāmko kitāb ho.
This is Ram’s book.

Try It Now

Ask and answer.

A: उहाँ को हुनुहुन्छ?
uhā̃ ko hunuhuncha?
Who is he/she?

B: उहाँ शिक्षक हुनुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ śikṣak hunuhuncha.
He/She is a teacher.

A: यो को हो?
yo ko ho?
Who is this?

B: यो राम हो।
yo rām ho.
This is Ram.

Compound Nouns in Nepali

A compound noun is formed when two nouns join together and behave like one noun with one combined meaning.

Nepali uses compound nouns very often in everyday speech. They are especially common for family pairs, relationship groups, and social sets.

For example:

आमाबुबा
āmābubā
parents

दाजुभाइ
dājubhāi
brothers

दिदीबहिनी
didībahinī
sisters

These words sound natural because they express a pair or group as one unit.

A simple learner rule is:

The first noun introduces the pair, and the second noun completes it.

Table 11.4.2 – Common family/relationship compound nouns (N + N → one noun)

Compound Nouns as One Unit

A compound noun works like one noun. This means grammar endings are usually added to the whole compound, not to each part separately.

For example:

आमाबुबा
āmābubā
parents

आमाबुबालाई
āmābubālāī
to the parents

दाजुभाइ
dājubhāi
brothers

दाजुभाइसँग
dājubhāisaṅga
with brothers

Table 11.4.3 – Compound nouns with case endings

Simple Rule

Treat a compound noun as one word or one meaning unit.

Add grammar endings to the whole compound.

Try It Now

Read the compound nouns aloud.

आमाबुबा
āmābubā
parents

दाजुभाइ
dājubhāi
brothers

दिदीबहिनी
didībahinī
sisters

छोराछोरी
chorāchorī
children / sons and daughters

Learner Tip

Do not translate compound nouns word by word every time. Learn them as natural Nepali relationship terms.

For example, आमाबुबा (āmābubā) literally combines “mother” and “father,” but it is best understood as “parents.”

Polite Simple Present Verbs

To talk about what someone does now or usually does, Nepali often uses present-tense verb forms.

These verbs are useful for talking about:

• work
• study
• teaching
• living somewhere
• daily activities
• regular actions

When speaking respectfully about someone, Nepali uses polite or honorific present verb forms.

These forms are used with respectful pronouns such as:

उहाँ
uhā̃
he/she, respectful

उहाँहरू
uhā̃harū
they, respectful

In this chapter, उहाँ (uhā̃) and उहाँहरू (uhā̃harū) use the same polite verb form for simplicity.

Key Idea

Honorific present verbs often end in –नुहुन्छ (–nuhuncha).

For example:

पढ्नुहुन्छ
paḍhnuhuncha
studies / reads / teaches, respectful depending on context

काम गर्नुहुन्छ
kām garnuhuncha
works, respectful

बस्नुहुन्छ
basnuhuncha
lives / sits, respectful depending on context

Table 11.4.4 – Common polite simple present verbs (–नुहुन्छ forms)

Table 11.4.5 – Asking polite questions about work/study/teaching/living

Table 11.4.6 – Giving polite answers about work/study/teaching/living

Simple Rule

Use –नुहुन्छ (–nuhuncha) when speaking respectfully about what someone does.

For example:

उहाँ पढ्नुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ paḍhnuhuncha.
He/She studies. / He/She reads.

उहाँ काम गर्नुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ kām garnuhuncha.
He/She works.

उहाँ नेपालमा बस्नुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ nepālmā basnuhuncha.
He/She lives in Nepal.

Asking Questions with Polite Present Verbs

You can ask polite questions using the same verb forms.

For example:

उहाँ के गर्नुहुन्छ?
uhā̃ ke garnuhuncha?
What does he/she do?

उहाँ कहाँ बस्नुहुन्छ?
uhā̃ kahā̃ basnuhuncha?
Where does he/she live?

उहाँ के पढ्नुहुन्छ?
uhā̃ ke paḍhnuhuncha?
What does he/she study/read?

Try It Now

Practise the questions and answers.

A: उहाँ के गर्नुहुन्छ?
uhā̃ ke garnuhuncha?
What does he/she do?

B: उहाँ शिक्षक हुनुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ śikṣak hunuhuncha.
He/She is a teacher.

A: उहाँ कहाँ बस्नुहुन्छ?
uhā̃ kahā̃ basnuhuncha?
Where does he/she live?

B: उहाँ क्यानाडामा बस्नुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ kyānāḍāmā basnuhuncha.
He/She lives in Canada.

A: उहाँ के पढ्नुहुन्छ?
uhā̃ ke paḍhnuhuncha?
What does he/she study/read?

B: उहाँ नेपाली पढ्नुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ nepālī paḍhnuhuncha.
He/She studies Nepali.

Common Mistake

Do not use a plain verb form when the subject is respectful.

Less appropriate for this level:

उहाँ पढ्छ।
uhā̃ paḍhcha.

Better:

उहाँ पढ्नुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ paḍhnuhuncha.
He/She reads or studies.

Use the respectful verb form with उहाँ (uhā̃) and तपाईं (tapāī̃).

Can You Do This Now?

At the end of this section, you should be able to:

• ask “who?” questions with को (ko)
• use identity verbs such as हो (ho), हुन् (hun), and हुनुहुन्छ (hunuhuncha) with को (ko)
• understand the difference between को (ko) “who?” and –को (–ko) “of / ’s”
• recognize common compound nouns such as आमाबुबा (āmābubā) and दाजुभाइ (dājubhāi)
• treat compound nouns as one meaning unit
• use polite present-tense verbs ending in –नुहुन्छ (–nuhuncha)
• ask polite questions such as उहाँ के गर्नुहुन्छ? (uhā̃ ke garnuhuncha?) and उहाँ कहाँ बस्नुहुन्छ? (uhā̃ kahā̃ basnuhuncha?)