Language/Nepali-individual-language/Grammar/Introduction-to-Nepali-Verbs
As a Nepali language teacher with 20 years of experience, I can tell you that learning Nepali verbs is an essential part of mastering the language. In this lesson, we will introduce the basic structure of Nepali verbs and their usage in sentences. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form simple sentences using Nepali verbs in the present tense.
After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Adverbs in Nepali & Gender.
Verbs in Nepali
Verbs in Nepali are words that express actions or existence. A Nepali sentence typically consists of a noun (subject) and a verb.
Basic Structure of Nepali Verbs
Nepali verbs consist of a stem and various suffixes that indicate tense, aspect, and mood. Unlike in English, the suffixes in Nepali are more complex and convey more information regarding the tense, aspect, and mood of the verb.
Let's look at an example verb "khana" which means "to eat".
| Nepali (individual language) | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| खानु (khaanu) | [kʰɑː.nu] | to eat |
In the above table, you can see that the stem of the verb is "khaan" and it is the basic form of the verb. The suffix "u" indicates that it is an infinitive verb, which means it is not bound by any tense, aspect, or mood. In English, "to eat" is an example of an infinitive verb.
Present Tense in Nepali
Present tense in Nepali is used to indicate an action that is currently happening or a state that is unchanged.
To form the present tense in Nepali, we add the suffix "-cha" to the stem of the verb. Here is an example using the verb "khana" (to eat):
| Nepali (individual language) | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| म खाँछु (ma khaanchu) | [mɑː kʰɑː.ɲu] | I eat |
In the above table, you can see that the stem of the verb "khana" is "khaan" and the present tense suffix is "-cha". When we add the two together, we get "khaancha" which means "is eating".
Here are some more examples:
- म बोल्छु (ma bolchu) – I speak
- हामी खेल्छौं (haami khelchhaun) – We play
- तिनी खाँछु (tini khaanchu) – She eats
Verb Agreement
In Nepali, verbs agree with the subject of the sentence in person and number. This means that the verb form changes according to the subject of the sentence. Here is an example:
| Nepali (individual language) | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| म खाँछु (ma khaanchu) | [mɑː kʰɑː.ɲu] | I eat |
| तपाईं खाँदैनुहुन्छ (tapai khaandai-nu-hun-chha) | [tʌ.pɑɪ̯ kʰɑːn.ɖai̯.nʊ.hʊn.t͡ʃʰʌ] | You (singular) do not eat |
| तिनी खाँछिन् (tini khaanchhin) | [ti.ni kʰɑː.ɲʰin] | She does not eat |
| हामी खाँछौं (haami khaanchhaun) | [ha.mi kʰɑː.ɲʰaũ] | We eat |
| तिनीहरू खाँछन् (tini-haru khaanchhan) | [ti.ni.hʌ.rʊ kʰɑː.ɲʰʌn] | They eat |
In the above table, you can see that the verb form changes according to the subject of the sentence in person and number. Note that the second person singular pronoun in Nepali is "tapai" and it is often used as a polite form of address.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we introduced the basic structure of Nepali verbs and their usage in sentences. We learned that Nepali verbs consist of a stem and various suffixes that convey information regarding tense, aspect, and mood. We also learned that verbs agree with the subject of the sentence in person and number. In the next lesson, we will learn about the present tense in Nepali and how it is used in different types of sentences.
Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Interrogatives in Nepali & Conditional Mood.
Other Lessons
- Negation in Nepali
- Future Tense in Nepali
- How to Use Be
- Negation
- Questions
- Give your Opinion
- Adjectives in Nepali
- Adjectives
- Noun Cases in Nepali
- Verbs kriyaharu क्रियाहरू