Language/Nepali-individual-language/Grammar/Questions
Hi Nepali (individual language) learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on Nepali questions! We will learn how to ask questions using "what", "why", "how", "who", "when" and "where". We will also explore different types of questions such as yes/no questions, open questions, and tag questions.
Basic Questions
One way to ask questions in Nepali (individual language) is by using the verb at the end of the sentence. For example:
- तपाईंलाई नेपाली भाषा थाहा छ? (tapā'īnlā'ī nepālī bhāṣā thāhā cha?) - Do you understand Nepali language?
In the above example, "छ?" (cha?) is the verb which is placed at the end of the sentence to turn a statement into a question. It is usually written in Devanagari script as "?" is not used in Nepali script.
Here are some common question words you can use in Nepali:
| Nepali (individual language) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| के (ke) | ke | What |
| किन (kin) | kin | Why |
| कसरी (kasarī) | kasari | How |
| को (ko) | ko | Who |
| कहाँ (kahām̐) | kahaan | Where |
| कहिले (kahile) | kahile | When |
When using these question words, the verb usually comes at the end of the sentence. Here are some examples:
- तपाईं कसरी नेपाली बोल्नुहुन्छ? (tapā'ī kasarī nepālī bolnuhunchha?) - How do you speak Nepali?
- यो के हो? (yo ke ho?) - What is this?
- तपाईं कहाँ बस्नुहुन्छ? (tapā'ī kahām̐ basnuhunchha?) - Where do you live?
Yes/No Questions
In Nepali (individual language), you can ask questions that require only a "yes" or "no" answer. To do this, you can use the words "हो" (ho) and "छैन" (chain) at the end of the sentence. The word "हो" (ho) means "yes" and "छैन" (chain) means "no".
Here are some examples:
- तपाईंलाई नेपाली बोल्न सक्नुहुन्छ? (tapā'īnlā'ī nepālī bolna saknuhunchha?) - Can you speak Nepali?
- तपाईंलाई गाडी चलाउन सक्नुहुन्छ? (tapā'īnlā'ī gāḍī chalā'un saknuhunchha?) - Can you drive a car?
If you're expecting a "yes" answer, use "हो" (ho) at the end of the sentence. If you're expecting a "no" answer, use "छैन" (chain) at the end of the sentence.
- हामीले पुस्तक पढ्न सकेमा हो? (hāmīle pustak paḍhna sake'mā ho?) - Can we read a book? (expecting a "yes" answer)
- के तपाईंलाई सन्देश पठाउन सक्नुहुन्छ? (ke tapā'īnlā'ī sandeś paṭhā'un saknuhunchha?) - Can you send a message? (expecting a "yes" or "no" answer)
Open Questions
These are questions that are designed to generate a full and meaningful answer. The person answering the question has the opportunity to provide a detailed answer.
- तपाईंलाई नेपालमा तपाईंको सबैभन्दा प्रिय जगह कुन हो? (tapā'īnlā'ī nepālamā tapā'īnko sabai-bhanda priya jagah kun ho?) - What's your favorite place in Nepal?
- तपाईंले कहाँसम्म पढे छन्? (tapā'īle kahām̐sam̐ma paḍhe chan?) - Where have you studied so far?
Tag Questions
Tag questions are added to the end of a statement to confirm or check information. They are often spoken with a rising intonation to indicate uncertainty.
- तपाईलाई नेपाली बोल्न सक्नुहुन्छ, होइन? (tapā'īlā'ī nepālī bolna saknuhunchha, ho'in?) - You can speak Nepali, can't you?
Dialogue
Here is a conversation between Raj and Sita to illustrate how to use Nepali questions:
- Raj: के तपाईं सुन्दर दिन हुनुभएको छ? (ke tapā'ī sundar din hunubhaekō cha?) - Did you have a nice day?
- Sita: हो, मलाई दिन राम्रो भयो। (ho, malā'ī din rāmro bhayō.) - Yes, I had a nice day.
- Raj: कसरी? (kasari?) - How?
- Sita: मैले नयाँ ठाउँ घुम्न सकेँ। (mailē nayām̐ ṭhā'um̐ ghumn sakēm̐.) - I was able to visit a new place.
Practice
To practice your Nepali questions, you can find native speakers here and ask them any questions.
Sources
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Related Lessons
- Give your Opinion
- How to Use Be
- Gender
- Nouns
- How to Use Have
- Negation
- Verbs kriyaharu क्रियाहरू
- Conditional Mood
- Future Tense