Unit 4 — Grammar Focus

Basic Word Order in Nepali

Nepali usually follows Subject–Object–Verb word order. This means the verb normally comes at the end of the sentence.

A simple way to remember this is:

Subject + Object + Verb

In English, we often say:

I read a book.

In Nepali, the order is closer to:

I book read.

For example:

म किताब पढ्छु।
ma kitāb paḍhchu.
I read a book.

In this unit, you will practise three common sentence patterns:

• Action sentences
• Identity sentences with हो / हुन् (ho / hun)
• Existence, location, and possession sentences with छ / छन् (cha / chan)

Table 3.4.1 – Word order with action verbs (S–O–V)

The table below illustrates basic S–O–V word order with common action verbs. Notice that the subject (who does the action) comes first, the object (what is acted on) comes next, and the verb (the action) comes last. The “Literal” column shows the Nepali order more directly so you can see how the verb stays at the end.

Table 3.4.2 – Word order in identity sentences (हो / हुन्)

The table below shows that the identity verb हो / हुन् comes at the end.

Table 3.4.2 – Word order with छ / छन्

The table below shows verb-final word order in each pattern.

Try It Now

Read the sentence aloud:

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

Now replace किताब (kitāb) with another word:

यो कलम हो।
yo kalam ho.
This is a pen.

यो झोला हो।
yo jholā ho.
This is a bag.

Demonstratives: This, That, These, Those

Demonstratives are “pointing words.” They help us point to people, places, and objects.

In Nepali, demonstratives show two things:

distance: near or far
number: singular or plural

The main forms are:

यो (yo) — this
त्यो (tyo) — that
यी (yī) — these
ती (tī) — those

1. Near and Far

Use यो (yo) and यी (yī) for things close to the speaker.

Use त्यो (tyo) and ती (tī) for things farther away.

Table 3.4.3 – Demonstratives: near vs. far (singular/plural)

Simple Rule

Near + singular → यो (yo)
Far + singular → त्यो (tyo)
Near + plural → यी (yī)
Far + plural → ती (tī)

Try It Now

Point to something close to you and say:

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

Now point to something farther away and say:

त्यो किताब हो।
tyo kitāb ho.
That is a book.

Demonstratives Before Nouns

In Nepali, demonstratives usually come before the noun.

For example:

यो किताब
yo kitāb
this book

त्यो घर
tyo ghar
that house

यी किताबहरू
yī kitābharū
these books

ती घरहरू
tī gharharū
those houses

Table 3.4.4 – Demonstratives Before a Noun

Try It Now

Complete the phrase by changing the noun.

यो __________ हो।
yo __________ ho.
This is a __________.

You can use:

किताब
kitāb
book

कलम
kalam
pen

झोला
jholā
bag

घर
ghar
house

Demonstratives as Pronouns

Demonstratives can also stand alone. This means they can replace a noun when the meaning is already clear.

For example:

यो के हो?
yo ke ho?
What is this?

त्यो के हो?
tyo ke ho?
What is that?

यी के हुन्?
yī ke hun?
What are these?

ती के हुन्?
tī ke hun?
What are those?

Table 3.4.5 – Demonstratives as Pronouns

Try It Now

Ask and answer:

यो के हो?
yo ke ho?
What is this?

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

Now change यो (yo) to त्यो (tyo):

त्यो के हो?
tyo ke ho?
What is that?

त्यो कलम हो।
tyo kalam ho.
That is a pen.

Singular and Plural Agreement

In Nepali, singular demonstratives usually go with singular forms, and plural demonstratives usually go with plural forms.

Use यो (yo) and त्यो (tyo) for singular nouns.

Use यी (yī) and ती (tī) for plural nouns.

Nepali also changes the verb depending on whether the sentence is about identity or location/existence.

Use हो (ho) with singular identity sentences.

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

Use हुन् (hun) with plural identity sentences.

यी किताबहरू हुन्।
yī kitābharū hun.
These are books.

Table 3.4.6 – Singular vs Plural With हो / हुन् (Identity)

Simple Rule

यो / त्यो + हो
yo / tyo + ho
this / that is

यी / ती + हुन्
yī / tī + hun
these / those are

Try It Now

Read the pairs aloud:

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

यी किताब हुन्।
yī kitāb hun.
These are books.

त्यो कुर्सी हो।
tyo kursī ho.
That is a chair.

ती कुर्सीहरू हुन्।
tī kursīharū hun.
Those are chairs.

Use छ (cha) with singular existence or location sentences.

यो यहाँ छ।
yo yahā̃ cha.
This is here.

Use छन् (chan) with plural existence or location sentences.

यी यहाँ छन्।
yī yahā̃ chan.
These are here.

Table 3.4.7 – Singular vs Plural With छ/छन् (Existence / location)

Simple Rule

यो / त्यो + छ
yo / tyo + cha
this / that is here or there

यी / ती + छन्
yī / tī + chan
these / those are here or there

Use छ (cha) when you are talking about one thing.

Use छन् (chan) when you are talking about more than one thing.

Try It Now

Read the pairs aloud:

यो किताब यहाँ छ।
yo kitāb yahā̃ cha.
This book is here.

यी किताबहरू यहाँ छन्।
yī kitābharū yahā̃ chan.
These books are here.

त्यो कुर्सी त्यहाँ छ।
tyo kursī tyahā̃ cha.
That chair is there.

ती कुर्सीहरू त्यहाँ छन्।
tī kursīharū tyahā̃ chan.
Those chairs are there.

Demonstratives for People

Demonstratives can also refer to people, but learners should be careful.

For respectful reference, use उहाँ (uhā̃) for “he” or “she.” This is the safest and most polite form for beginners.

For example:

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

उहाँ विद्यार्थी हुनुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ widyārthī hunuhuncha.
He/She is a student.

In everyday beginner Nepali, it is better to use उहाँ (uhā̃) when speaking respectfully about another person.

Table 3.4.8 – Demonstratives for People

Learner Tip

For objects, use यो (yo) and त्यो (tyo).

For people, use उहाँ (uhā̃) when you want to be respectful.

Useful Question Patterns with Demonstratives

Demonstratives are very useful in questions. You can use them to ask what something is, whose something is, or which item someone means.

Pattern 1: Identification

यो के हो?
yo ke ho?
What is this?

त्यो के हो?
tyo ke ho?
What is that?

Table 3.4.9 – Object Identification Questions

Pattern 2: Ownership

यो कस्को किताब हो?
yo kasko kitāb ho?
Whose book is this?

त्यो कस्को झोला हो?
tyo kasko jholā ho?
Whose bag is that?

Table 3.4.10 – Ownership Questions

Pattern 3: Choice

यो हो कि त्यो?
yo ho ki tyo?
Is it this or that?

Table 3.4.11 – Choosing / Comparing

Try It Now

Practise with a partner.

A: यो के हो?
yo ke ho?
What is this?

B: यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

A: यो कस्को किताब हो?
yo kasko kitāb ho?
Whose book is this?

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

Check Your Understanding

Pronouns

Pronouns are words that replace nouns.

For example, instead of repeating a person’s name, we can say “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” or “we.”

In Nepali, pronouns show:

person: I, you, he/she, we
number: singular or plural
respect: familiar, polite, or honorific

Some common pronouns are:

म (ma) — I
हामी (hāmī) — we
तपाईं (tapāī̃) — you, polite
उहाँ (uhā̃) — he/she, respectful

First Person Pronouns: I and We

Use म (ma) for “I.”

Use हामी (hāmī) for “we.”

These forms do not change for politeness.

Table 3.4.12 – First-person pronouns (I, we)

Try It Now

Read aloud:

म विद्यार्थी हुँ।
ma widyārthī hũ.
I am a student.

हामी विद्यार्थी हौं।
hāmī widyārthī haũ.
We are students.

Second Person Pronouns: You

Nepali has different words for “you.” These forms show the relationship between speakers.

For beginners, the safest and most respectful form is तपाईं (tapāī̃).

तँ (tã) is very informal and may sound rude. Beginners should avoid it.

तिमी (timī) is familiar. It may be used with friends, younger people, or close peers.

तपाईं (tapāī̃) is polite and respectful. This is the best default form for learners.

For plural “you,” Nepali can add –हरू (–harū):

तपाईंहरू
tapāī̃harū
you, plural polite

Table 3.4.13 – Second person pronouns (you)

Learner Tip

When you are not sure which form to use, choose तपाईं (tapāī̃).

It is polite, respectful, and appropriate in most public, classroom, and workplace situations.

Third Person Pronouns: He, She, They

For respectful reference, Nepali commonly uses:

उहाँ
uhā̃
he/she, respectful

For plural respectful reference, use:

उहाँहरू
uhā̃harū
they, respectful

For beginners, this is the most useful rule:

Use उहाँ (uhā̃) when speaking respectfully about a person.

For example:

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

उहाँ डाक्टर हुनुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ ḍākṭar hunuhuncha.
He/She is a doctor.

Table 3.4.14 – Third person pronouns (he, she, they)

Try It Now

Change the noun:

उहाँ __________ हुनुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ __________ hunuhuncha.
He/She is a __________.

Use:

शिक्षक
śikṣak
teacher

विद्यार्थी
widyārthī
student

डाक्टर
ḍākṭar
doctor

Check Your Understanding

Two “To Be” Patterns in Nepali

English uses “am,” “is,” and “are” for many different meanings.

Nepali does not use one single pattern for all of these meanings. Instead, Nepali uses different forms depending on the meaning of the sentence.

This is one of the most important ideas in beginner Nepali.

There are two main patterns:

Identity or classification: हो / हुन् (ho / hun)
Existence, location, condition, or possession: छ / छन् (cha / chan)

Pattern 1: Identity or Classification

Use हो (ho) or हुन् (hun) when you are saying what something is.

This pattern means:

X = Y

For example:

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

त्यो घर हो।
tyo ghar ho.
That is a house.

यी किताब हुन्।
yī kitāb hun.
These are books.

Simple Rule

Singular identity → हो (ho)
Plural identity → हुन् (hun)

Try It Now

Make three identity sentences.

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

यो कलम हो।
yo kalam ho.
This is a pen.

यो झोला हो।
yo jholā ho.
This is a bag.

Pattern 2: Location, Condition, Existence, and Possession

Use छ (cha) or छन् (chan) for location, condition, existence, and possession.

For example:

किताब टेबलमा छ।
kitāb ṭebalmā cha.
The book is on the table.

मलाई ठीक छ।
malāī ṭhīk cha.
I am fine.

यहाँ किताब छ।
yahā̃ kitāb cha.
There is a book here.

मसँग किताब छ।
masaṅga kitāb cha.
I have a book.

Simple Rule

Identity: use हो / हुन् (ho / hun)
Location, condition, existence, possession: use छ / छन् (cha / chan)

Common Mistake

Do not use हो (ho) for location.

Incorrect:

किताब टेबलमा हो।
kitāb ṭebalmā ho.

Correct:

किताब टेबलमा छ।
kitāb ṭebalmā cha.
The book is on the table.

Using हो for Identifying Objects

In this unit, we focus on the identity pattern.

Use हो (ho) to identify one object.

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

यो कलम हो।
yo kalam ho.
This is a pen.

त्यो झोला हो।
tyo jholā ho.
That is a bag.

In these sentences, हो (ho) links the object to its name or category.

For plural objects, use हुन् (hun).

यी किताब हुन्।
yī kitāb hun.
These are books.

ती कुर्सीहरू हुन्।
tī kursīharū hun.
Those are chairs.

Negative Identity Sentences

Use होइन (hoina) for singular negative identity.

Use होइनन् (hoinan) for plural negative identity.

यो किताब होइन।
yo kitāb hoina.
This is not a book.

यी किताब होइनन्।
yī kitāb hoinan.
These are not books.

Table 3.4.15 – Identity sentences: affirmative (हो/हुन्/हुनुहुन्छ)

Table 3.4.16 – Identity sentences: negative (होइन/होइनन्/हुनुहुन्न)

Table 3.4.17 – WH-questions (के हो? / के हुन्?)

Try It Now

Change the sentence from affirmative to negative.

Affirmative:

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

Negative:

यो किताब होइन।
yo kitāb hoina.
This is not a book.

Now try:

त्यो झोला हो।
tyo jholā ho.
That is a bag.

त्यो झोला होइन।
tyo jholā hoina.
That is not a bag.

Asking and Answering Yes/No Questions

In Nepali, yes/no questions often keep the same word order as statements.

The difference is usually rising intonation.

Statement:

यो नेपाल हो।
yo nepāl ho.
This is Nepal.

Question:

यो नेपाल हो?
yo nepāl ho?
Is this Nepal?

In speech, your voice rises at the end of the question.

Intonation: Statement or Question

In Nepali, the written form may look almost the same for a statement and a question.

The difference is in how you say it.

Falling intonation → statement
Rising intonation → question

Table 3.4.18 – Intonation: statement vs. yes/no question

Practice Tip

Say this sentence twice:

यो नेपाल हो।
yo nepāl ho.
This is Nepal.

First, say it as a statement.

Then, say it as a question:

यो नेपाल हो?
yo nepāl ho?
Is this Nepal?

Optional Question Particle के

Nepali can also use के (ke) at the beginning of a yes/no question.

के (ke) makes the sentence clearly into a question.

For example:

के यो नेपाल हो?
ke yo nepāl ho?
Is this Nepal?

के त्यो किताब हो?
ke tyo kitāb ho?
Is that a book?

The word order does not change after के (ke).

Table 3.4.19 – Yes/no questions with के (optional question particle)

Try It Now

Turn the statement into a question.

Statement:

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

Question with intonation:

यो किताब हो?
yo kitāb ho?
Is this a book?

Question with के:

के यो किताब हो?
ke yo kitāb ho?
Is this a book?

Saying “Yes” and “No”

In Nepali, there are different ways to say “yes” and “no.”

For beginners, the safest forms are:

हो
ho
yes

होइन
hoina
no

In casual conversation, you may also hear:

अँ
ã
yes, informal

अहँ
ahã
no, informal

For classroom and public situations, use हो (ho) and होइन (hoina).

Table 3.4.20 – Saying “yes” and “no” (common responses)

Answer Strategy

In Nepali, short answers often repeat the main verb from the question.

Question:

यो क्यानाडा हो?
yo kyānāḍā ho?
Is this Canada?

Affirmative answer:

हो, यो क्यानाडा हो।
ho, yo kyānāḍā ho.
Yes, this is Canada.

Negative answer:

होइन, यो अमेरिका हो।
hoina, yo amerikā ho.
No, this is America.

Table 3.4.21 – Answer strategy: repeating the copula

Try It Now

Practise with a partner.

A: यो किताब हो?
yo kitāb ho?
Is this a book?

B: हो, यो किताब हो।
ho, yo kitāb ho.
Yes, this is a book.

A: त्यो कलम हो?
tyo kalam ho?
Is that a pen?

B: होइन, त्यो सिसाकलम हो।
hoina, tyo sisākalam ho.
No, that is a pencil.

Check Your Understanding

Nouns in Nepali

Nouns are words that name people, places, objects, and ideas.

Examples:

विद्यार्थी
widyārthī
student

शिक्षक
śikṣak
teacher

किताब
kitāb
book

कुर्सी
kursī
chair

घर
ghar
house

In Nepali, nouns often appear with demonstratives such as यो (yo) “this” and त्यो (tyo) “that.”

For example:

यो किताब हो।
yo kitāb ho.
This is a book.

त्यो घर हो।
tyo ghar ho.
That is a house.

Nouns can also appear with possessive words:

मेरो किताब
mero kitāb
my book

तपाईंको झोला
tapāī̃ko jholā
your bag, polite

Table 3.4.22 – Common nouns (people, places, objects)

Gender in Nepali Nouns

Most Nepali nouns do not change form for masculine or feminine gender.

For example:

विद्यार्थी
widyārthī
student

डाक्टर
ḍākṭar
doctor

शिक्षक
śikṣak
teacher

These words can refer to people of different genders depending on the context.

However, some Nepali nouns are gendered by meaning, especially family words.

For example:

आमा
āmā
mother

दिदी
didī
elder sister

छोरी
chorī
daughter

बुबा
bubā
father

दाइ
dāi
elder brother

छोरा
chorā
son

Simple Rule

Most Nepali nouns do not need gender agreement.

Learn gendered nouns as vocabulary.

Feminine Nouns

Many feminine nouns are feminine because of their meaning.

Some feminine nouns end in –ी (–ī), such as:

केटी
keṭī
girl

दिदी
didī
elder sister

छोरी
chorī
daughter

बहिनी
bahinī
younger sister

But this is only a helpful pattern, not a fixed rule. For example, आमा (āmā) “mother” does not end in –ी (–ī).

Table 3.4.23 – Feminine Nouns

Masculine Nouns

Some nouns are masculine because of their meaning.

For example:

बुबा
bubā
father

दाइ
dāi
elder brother

छोरा
chorā
son

These words refer to male persons by meaning. They do not need a special masculine marker.

Table 3.4.24 – Masculine nouns

Try It Now

Sort the words into feminine and masculine meaning.

आमा
āmā

दाइ
dāi

दिदी
didī

छोरा
chorā

छोरी
chorī

बुबा
bubā

Plural Nouns

The most common way to make a noun plural in Nepali is to add –हरू (–harū).

For example:

विद्यार्थी
widyārthī
student

विद्यार्थीहरू
widyārthīharū
students

किताब
kitāb
book

किताबहरू
kitābharū
books

Table 3.4.25 – Singular and plural nouns

Try It Now

Make the nouns plural.

किताब
kitāb
book

किताबहरू
kitābharū
books

कलम
kalam
pen

कलमहरू
kalamharū
pens

विद्यार्थी
widyārthī
student

विद्यार्थीहरू
widyārthīharū
students

When –हरू Is Not Needed

Nepali does not always need –हरू (–harū) to show plural meaning.

Plural meaning may already be clear from:

plural demonstratives: यी (yī), ती (tī)
numbers
plural verbs: छन् (chan), हुन् (hun)

For example:

यी किताब हुन्।
yī kitāb hun.
These are books.

Here, यी (yī) and हुन् (hun) already show plural meaning, so किताब (kitāb) does not always need –हरू (–harū).

Table 3.4.26 – Plural nouns without –हरू when plurality is clear

Learner Tip

Use –हरू (–harū) when you want to make plurality clear.

But remember: Nepali can also show plural meaning through other words in the sentence.

Articles in Nepali

English uses articles such as “a,” “an,” and “the.”

Nepali does not have articles in the same way.

For example:

किताब
kitāb
book / a book / the book

The exact meaning depends on context.

When speakers want to be more specific, they often use demonstratives:

यो किताब
yo kitāb
this book / the book

त्यो किताब
tyo kitāb
that book / the book

Table 3.4.27 – No articles in Nepali

Simple Rule

Nepali does not use “a,” “an,” or “the.”

Use context, यो (yo), or त्यो (tyo) to make meaning clear.

Final Practice

Read and translate the following sentences.

1. यो किताब हो।
   yo kitāb ho.
2. त्यो झोला होइन।
   tyo jholā hoina.
3. यी किताब हुन्।
   yī kitāb hun.
4. के यो कलम हो?
   ke yo kalam ho?
5. हो, यो कलम हो।
   ho, yo kalam ho.
6. होइन, त्यो सिसाकलम हो।
   hoina, tyo sisākalam ho.
7. उहाँ शिक्षक हुनुहुन्छ।
   uhā̃ śikṣak hunuhuncha.
8. किताब टेबलमा छ।
   kitāb ṭebalmā cha.

Can You Do This Now?

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

• identify basic Nepali word order
• use यो (yo), त्यो (tyo), यी (yī), and ती (tī)
• ask यो के हो? (yo ke ho?)
• answer with यो किताब हो (yo kitāb ho)
• use हो (ho) for singular identity
• use हुन् (hun) for plural identity
• use होइन (hoina) and होइनन् (hoinan) for negative identity
• recognize the difference between हो / हुन् (ho / hun) and छ / छन् (cha / chan)
• use तपाईं (tapāī̃) and उहाँ (uhā̃) respectfully
• recognize basic singular and plural noun forms
• understand that Nepali does not use “a,” “an,” and “the” in the same way as English