Language/Nepali-individual-language/Grammar/Pronouns-in-Nepali

◀️ Noun Cases in Nepali — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Introduction to Nepali Verbs ▶️

Nepali (individual language) Grammar → Pronouns in Nepali

In the beautiful tapestry of language, pronouns serve as essential threads that connect thoughts and ideas seamlessly. They help reduce redundancy, making communication smoother and more efficient. In Nepali, pronouns play a crucial role in both spoken and written forms, allowing speakers to refer to people, things, and concepts without repeating nouns over and over again.

This lesson is designed to introduce you to the various types of pronouns in Nepali, how they're used in sentences, and the nuances that accompany their usage. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of Nepali pronouns, which will empower you to construct meaningful sentences with greater ease.

Overview of Pronouns in Nepali

Pronouns in Nepali can be categorized into several types based on their function. Understanding these categories is vital for mastering their usage. Here are the main types of pronouns we will cover:

• Personal Pronouns – Refer to specific people or things

• Demonstrative Pronouns – Point to specific things

• Interrogative Pronouns – Used to ask questions

• Relative Pronouns – Connect clauses or phrases

• Indefinite Pronouns – Refer to non-specific things or persons

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are used to refer to specific people or things. They can be categorized based on the number (singular/plural) and formality (formal/informal). Here's a table to illustrate personal pronouns in Nepali:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
म (ma)	/ma/	I
तिमी (timī)	/timi/	You (informal)
तपाईं (tapā'ī)	/tapai/	You (formal)
ऊ (ū)	/uː/	He/She/It
हामी (hāmī)	/hami/	We
उनीहरू (unīharū)	/uniːhəruː/	They

Personal pronouns change form based on the case they are in (subject, object, possessive). Let’s take a closer look.

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence. Here are some examples:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
म पुस्तक पढ्छु। (ma pustak paḍchu)	/ma pustak pədʱtʃu/	I read a book.
तिमी कस्तो छौ? (timī kasto chhau)	/timi kəstəʊ tʃʌʊ/	How are you?
ऊ यहाँ छ। (ū yahāṃ cha)	/uː jəhɑː̃ tʃʌ/	He is here.

Object Pronouns

Object pronouns are used when the pronoun is the object of the verb. Here are some usage examples:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
मलाई यो मन पर्छ। (malā'ī yo mana parda)	/malaːi jo mʌnə pərʧʌ/	I like this.
तिमीलाई म देख्छु। (timīlā'ī ma dekchhu)	/timilaːi maː d̪eɪkʧʌ/	I see you.
उनलाई म चिन्छु। (unlā'ī ma chīnchu)	/unlaːi ma tʃinʧʊ/	I know him/her.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns indicate ownership. Here’s how they work:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
मेरो (mero)	/meɾo/	My
तिम्रो (timro)	/timro/	Your (informal)
तपाईंको (tapā'īko)	/tapai̯ko/	Your (formal)
उनको (unko)	/unko/	His/Her
हाम्रो (hāmro)	/hamro/	Our
उनीहरूको (unīharuko)	/uniharuːko/	Their

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to point to specific things. In Nepali, they can indicate proximity (near or far). Here's a quick guide:

• यो (yo) – This (near)

• त्यो (tyo) – That (far)

• यी (yī) – These (near, plural)

• तिनी (tini) – Those (far, plural)

Let’s see how they are used in sentences:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
यो पुस्तक मेरो हो। (yo pustak mero ho)	/jo pustak meɾo ho/	This book is mine.
त्यो घर सुन्दर छ। (tyo ghar sundar cha)	/tjo ɡʌɾ sʊndər tʃʌ/	That house is beautiful.
यी फूलहरू रंगीन छन्। (yī phūlaharu raṅgīn chhan)	/jiː pʰuːlʌhuː ɾəŋɡin tʃʌn/	These flowers are colorful.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. The main interrogative pronouns in Nepali are:

• कसैले (kasailē) – Who

• के (ke) – What

• कसरी (kasarī) – How

• कसको (kaskō) – Whose

Here are some examples to illustrate their use:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
तिमी कसैले आउँछौ? (timī kasailē āuñchau)	/timi kəsailē aʊ̃tʃʌʊ/	Who are you coming with?
के यो तिम्रो हो? (ke yo timro ho)	/ke jo timro ho/	Is this yours?
उनी कसरी आयो? (unī kasarī āyo)	/uniː kəsəri aɪo/	How did he/she come?

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns are used to connect clauses or phrases. The main relative pronouns in Nepali include:

• जसले (jaslē) – Who/Which

• जसको (jaskō) – Whose

Let’s look at how they are used:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
ऊ जसले यो पुस्तक लेखेको छ। (ū jaslē yo pustak lekhēkō cha)	/uː dʒəsle jo pustak lekeɪkɔː tʃʌ/	He who wrote this book is here.
तिम्रो जिन्दगी जसको छ। (timro jindagī jaskō cha)	/timro dʒɪndəɡiː jaskɔː tʃʌ/	Your life is yours (belonging to you).

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific things or people. Some examples include:

• कसै (kasai) – Someone

• केही (kehī) – Something

• कसैलाई (kasailā'ī) – Anyone

Here’s how they can be used in sentences:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
कसैले केही भनेको छ। (kasailē kehī bhanēkō cha)	/kəsailē kehi bʌnɛkɔː tʃʌ/	Someone has said something.
मैले कसैलाई भेटें। (maile kasailā'ī bhēṭēn)	/maɪlə kəsailai̯ bʰeɪʈɛn/	I met someone.

Exercises

Now that we have covered the various types of pronouns, let’s put your knowledge to the test with some exercises!

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct personal pronoun.

1. ___ (I) like to read books.

2. ___ (You - informal) are my friend.

3. ___ (He/She) is going to the market.

4. ___ (We) are learning Nepali.

5. ___ (They) are coming to the party.

Answers:

1. म (ma)

2. तिमी (timī)

3. ऊ (ū)

4. हामी (hāmī)

5. उनीहरू (unīharū)

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Demonstrative Pronoun

Choose the correct demonstrative pronoun from the options given.

1. ___ पुस्तक मेरो हो। (This/That)

2. ___ फूलहरू सुन्दर छन्। (These/Those)

3. ___ घर ठूलो छ। (This/That)

Answers:

1. यो (yo)

2. यी (yī)

3. त्यो (tyo)

Exercise 3: Translate the Sentences

Translate the following sentences into Nepali using the correct pronouns.

1. Who is your friend?

2. What is this?

3. How did he come?

Answers:

1. तिम्रो साथी को हो? (timro sāthī ko ho?)

2. यो के हो? (yo ke ho?)

3. ऊ कसरी आयो? (ū kasarī āyo?)

Exercise 4: Identify the Pronoun

Identify the pronoun in the following sentences.

1. ऊ यहाँ छ।

2. तिमी कस्तो छौ?

3. यो मेरो हो।

Answers:

1. ऊ (ū) - He

2. तिमी (timī) - You (informal)

3. यो (yo) - This

Exercise 5: Create Your Own Sentences

Using the personal pronouns, create your own sentences in Nepali. You can use the following prompts:

1. (I) –

2. (You - formal) –

3. (They) –

Sample Answers:

1. म सोध्न चाहन्छु। (I want to ask.)

2. तपाईं पुस्तक पढ्नुहुन्छ। (You are reading a book.)

3. उनीहरूले खेल खेलिरहेका छन्। (They are playing a game.)

Exercise 6: Make a Sentence with Demonstrative Pronouns

Use the appropriate demonstrative pronouns to complete these sentences.

1. ___ (This) घर सुन्दर छ।

2. ___ (Those) फूलहरू रंगीन छन्।

3. ___ (That) पुस्तक मेरो हो।

Answers:

1. यो (yo)

2. ती (tī)

3. त्यो (tyo)

Exercise 7: Form Questions

Form questions using the interrogative pronouns provided.

1. Who – ___

2. What – ___

3. How – ___

Sample Answers:

1. कसैले आउँछ? (kasailē āuñchha?) – Who is coming?

2. के यो तिम्रो हो? (ke yo timro ho?) – Is this yours?

3. ऊ कसरी आयो? (ū kasarī āyo?) – How did he come?

Exercise 8: Fill in the Table

Fill in the table with the correct forms of the possessive pronouns.

• My – ___

• Your (informal) – ___

• Their – ___

Answers:

• मेरो (mero)

• तिम्रो (timro)

• उनीहरूको (unīharuko)

Exercise 9: Match the Pronouns to Their English Translations

Match the following Nepali pronouns to their English meanings.

1. म (ma)

2. तिमी (timī)

3. ऊ (ū)

Answers:

1. I

2. You (informal)

3. He

Exercise 10: Create Questions Using Relative Pronouns

Create questions using the relative pronouns provided.

1. जसले – ___

2. जसको – ___

Sample Answers:

1. ऊ जसले यो पुस्तक लेखेको छ, को हो? (ū jaslē yo pustak lekhēkō cha, ko ho?) – Who is he who wrote this book?

2. तिम्रो जिन्दगी जसको छ, त्यो राम्रो छ। (timro jindagī jaskō cha, tyō rāmrō cha.) – Your life, which is yours, is beautiful.

In this lesson, we have explored the fascinating world of pronouns in Nepali. By mastering these pronouns, you are one step closer to fluently expressing yourself in Nepali. Keep practicing, and soon you will feel more comfortable using them in conversation!

Table of Contents - Nepali (individual language) Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Introduction to Nepali Nouns
• Noun Cases in Nepali
• Pronouns in Nepali

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Introduction to Nepali Verbs
• Present Tense in Nepali
• Past Tense in Nepali
• Future Tense in Nepali

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives in Nepali
• Comparison of Adjectives in Nepali
• Adverbs in Nepali

  ---

Negation and Interrogatives

• Negation in Nepali
• Interrogatives in Nepali

  ---

Numbers in Nepali

• Cardinal Numbers
• Ordinal Numbers
• Plural and Fractional Numbers

  ---

Words and Phrases

• Greetings and Introductions
• Common Nepali Words and Phrases

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Food in Nepali
• Drinks in Nepali

  ---

Festivals in Nepal

• Dashain Festival
• Tihar Festival
• Holi Festival

  ---

Nepali Society

• Family and Marriage in Nepal
• Religion and Beliefs in Nepal

  ---

Nepali Cuisine

• Traditional Nepali Dishes
• Nepali Spices and Herbs

  ---

Nepali Arts and Crafts

• Nepali Handicrafts
• Nepali Music and Dance

Other Lessons

• Questions
• Introduction to Nepali Nouns
• Adjectives in Nepali
• Adjectives
• Future Tense in Nepali
• Negation in Nepali
• Future Tense
• Present Tense in Nepali
• Past Tense in Nepali
• Give your Opinion

◀️ Noun Cases in Nepali — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Introduction to Nepali Verbs ▶️