Learn to read Nepali
A short, active path into reading Nepali: learn how a Devanagari letter carries its own vowel, decode ten real words before the full alphabet, follow the verb to the end of the sentence, and read a small story before opening your first book.
Once upon a time, and how Nepali reports what was said
- A folktale opens उहिले उहिलेuhile uhile“long, long ago”; एक दिनek din“one day” starts the action.
- A quotation is closed, not opened: the words, then भनेरbhanera, then the speaker, then the verb. Nothing stands in front, where English puts “that”.
- रेre at the end of a sentence means “so they say”.
- पनिpani“also” comes after the word it adds to.
The words that hold a story together
| English | Nepali | English | Nepali |
|---|---|---|---|
| long, long ago | उहिले उहिलेuhile uhile | and | रra |
| one day | एक दिनek din | but | तरtara |
| and then, next | अनिani | also, too | पनिpani |
र joins things, अनि events in order.
“Where are you going?” “तिमी कहाँ जान्छौ?” भनेरtimī kahā̃ jānchau? bhanera asked सोध्योsodhyo the jackal स्याललेsyālle.
“तिमी कहाँ जान्छौ?” भनेर स्यालले सोध्यो।
timī kahā̃ jānchau? bhanera syālle sodhyo
Quote, भनेर, speaker, verb. English announces the speaker first; Nepali finishes with them, and the verb is still last.
A tiger lived in that forest, they say.
त्यो बनमा एउटा बाघ थियो रे।
tyo banmā euṭā bāgh thiyo re
रे is the storyteller shrugging: handed-down truth, not something I saw. It sits after the verb, where few words ever do.
Joined-up sentences
- एक दिन बाघ आयो। अनि ऊ रूखमुनि बस्यो।
The second follows on in time.
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ek din bāgh āyo. ani ū rūkhmuni basyo — “One day a tiger came. And then he sat under the tree.” - “म खुसी छु,” भनेर मुसाले भन्यो।
Closing word, speaker, verb.
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“ma khusī chu,” bhanera musāle bhanyo — “‘I am happy,’ said the mouse.”