Unit 4 — Grammar Focus

Binod Shrestha; Mark Turin; Salina Dolmo Lama

Chapter 5 – Identifying People

Unit 4 — Grammar Focus

Revision: Identity sentences (identifying people)

As a reminder from the previous chapter, identity sentences are used only for labeling or identifying (X = Y): stating who someone is or what something is (name, role, or category).

Do not use identity forms for location, existence (“there is/are”), or temporary states or conditions (“hungry,” “tired”). These meanings use छ / छन् (cha / chan) patterns, which are covered in other sections.

In Nepali, identity sentences (X = Y) use present-tense forms of हो (ho) and हुनु (hunu). The form changes depending on:

the subject (I, we, he, she, they, you)
the level of respect (plain vs. honorific)

Negative forms:

Plain subjects → होइन (hoina) / होइनन् (hoinan)
Honorific subjects → हुनुहुन्न (hunuhunna)

The table below shows the most common identity forms for people in the present tense, along with their negatives.

Table 5.4.1 – Non-honorific present “ho” forms

These forms are used in casual, non-honorific contexts. In this book, you will mostly use polite forms with तपाईं (tapāī̃). This table is included mainly for recognition.

Subject	Affirmative	Negative
म (ma)	हुँ (hũ)	होइन (hoina)
हामी (hāmī)	हौँ (haũ)	होइनौँ (hoinaũ)
ऊ (ū)	हो (ho)	होइन (hoina)
उनी / यिनी / तिनी (unī / yinī / tinī)	हुन् (hun)	होइनन् (hoinan)
उनीहरू (unīharū)	हुन् (hun)	होइनन् (hoinan)

Table 5.4.2 – Honorific/polite present “ho” forms

Use these forms for polite/respectful subjects such as तपाईं (tapāī̃) and उहाँ (uhā̃).

Subject	Affirmative	Negative
तपाईं (tapāī̃)	हुनुहुन्छ (hunuhuncha)	हुनुहुन्न (hunuhunna)
उहाँ (uhā̃)	हुनुहुन्छ (hunuhuncha)	हुनुहुन्न (hunuhunna)
उहाँहरू (uhā̃harū)	हुनुहुन्छ (hunuhuncha)	हुनुहुन्न (hunuhunna)

Table 5.4.3 – Identity sentences (affirmative)

Nepali	Transliteration	Meaning
यी विद्यार्थी हुन्।	yī widyārthī hun.	These are students.
म विद्यार्थी हुँ।	ma widyārthī hũ.	I am a student.
जोन शिक्षक हो।	jon śikṣak ho.	John is a teacher.
तपाईं प्राध्यापक हुनुहुन्छ।	tapāī̃ prādhyāpak hunuhuncha.	You (polite) are a professor.
उहाँ डाक्टर हुनुहुन्छ।	uhā̃ ḍākṭar hunuhuncha.	He/She (hon.) is a doctor.

Table 5.4.4 – Identity sentences (Negative)

Nepali	Transliteration	Meaning
उनीहरू विद्यार्थी होइनन्।	unīharū widyārthī hoinan.	They are not students.
उहाँ प्राध्यापक हुनुहुन्न।	uhā̃ prādhyāpak hunuhunna.	He/She (hon.) is not a professor.
तपाईं विद्यार्थी हुनुहुन्न।	tapāī̃ widyārthī hunuhunna.	You (polite) are not a student.

Questions with the identity verb

To ask “who” questions about people in Nepali, use the interrogative को (ko) “who?” with identity verb forms such as हो (ho), हुन् (hun), and हुनुहुन्छ (hunuhuncha), depending on number and level of respect.

You can also form yes/no identity questions by adding के (ke) at the beginning of the sentence or by using rising intonation.

The key rule is that the verb must match the subject’s politeness level:

Plain subjects → हो (ho) / हुन् (hun)
Honorific subjects → हुनुहुन्छ (hunuhuncha)

Table 5.4.5 – Identity questions (yes/no)

Nepali	Transliteration	Meaning
के यी विद्यार्थी हुन्?	ke yī widyārthī hun?	Are these students?
के तपाईं प्राध्यापक हुनुहुन्छ?	ke tapāī̃ prādhyāpak hunuhuncha?	Are you (polite) a professor?
के उहाँ डाक्टर हुनुहुन्छ?	ke uhā̃ ḍākṭar hunuhuncha?	Is he/she (hon.) a doctor?

Interrogative pronoun: -ko

In Nepali, को (ko) means “who?” and is used to ask about a person’s identity.

In identity questions, को (ko) is placed before the identity verb. The verb form then changes according to number and level of respect (e.g., हो (ho), हुन् (hun), हुनुहुन्छ (hunuhuncha)).

Table 5.4.6 – Who-questions with को (ko)

Nepali	Transliteration	English
त्यो को हो?	tyo ko ho?	Who is that?
म को हुँ?	ma ko hũ?	Who am I?
तपाईं को हुनुहुन्छ?	tapāī̃ ko hunuhuncha?	Who are you (polite)?
उहाँ को हुनुहुन्छ?	uhā̃ ko hunuhuncha?	Who is he/she (hon.)?

Table 5.4.7 – Short answers (identity)

Nepali	Transliteration	English
त्यो जोन हो।	tyo jon ho.	That is John.
ती विद्यार्थी हुन्।	tī widyārthī hun.	Those are students.
उहाँ जोन हुनुहुन्छ।	uhā̃ jon hunuhuncha.	He/She (hon.) is John.
उहाँ शिक्षक हुनुहुन्छ।	uhā̃ śikṣak hunuhuncha.	He/She (hon.) is a teacher.

Expressing origin

In Nepali, कहाँबाट (kahā̃bāṭa) means “from where?” and is used to ask about a person’s or thing’s origin.

It is formed from कहाँ (kahā̃) “where” + बाट (bāṭa) “from”.

Nepali uses postpositions, meaning the marker comes after the noun it refers to. For example, “from Nepal” is नेपालबाट (nepālbāṭa), not बाट नेपाल (bāṭa nepāl).

Table 5.4.8 – Origin questions (कहाँबाट …?)

Nepali	Transliteration	English
तपाईं कहाँबाट हुनुहुन्छ?	tapāī̃ kahā̃bāṭa hunuhuncha?	Where are you from?
उहाँ कहाँबाट हुनुहुन्छ?	uhā̃ kahā̃bāṭa hunuhuncha?	Where is he/she (hon.) from?

Origin vs nationality: two different answers

In Nepali, “where someone is from” (origin) and “what someone is” (nationality/identity) are expressed using two different patterns.

A) Place of origin (uses बाट “from”)

To express where a person is from, Nepali uses the postposition बाट (bāṭa) meaning “from,” attached to a place name.

The sentence then uses a form of हुनु (hunu) such as हुँ (hũ) or हुनुहुन्छ (hunuhuncha), depending on the subject and level of respect.

Example:

नेपालबाट (nepālbāṭa) = from Nepal

Table 5.4.9 – Origin statements with –बाट (–bāṭa)

Nepali	Transliteration	English
म नेपालबाट हुँ।	ma nepālbāṭa hũ.	I am from Nepal.
तपाईं क्यानडाबाट हुनुहुन्छ।	tapāī̃ kyānāḍābāṭa hunuhuncha.	You are from Canada.

Meaning focus:

This pattern describes origin or source (“coming from a place”).

B) Nationality / identity label (no बाट)

To state nationality or identity, Nepali uses a noun or adjective (e.g., “Nepali,” “Canadian”) without बाट (bāṭa).

This is an identity statement (X = Y), and it also uses हुनु (hunu) forms.