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.
Nothing moves to the front
- The verb is the last word of the sentence. Read it first: it tells you what happened.
- English puts to, from, of, in front of a noun; Nepali sticks the same words on the back.
- लाईlāī marks who something is done to; लेle marks the doer when a past action lands on something else.
- कोko after a noun means “of”; को standing on its own means “who”.
- A question word sits exactly where its answer would sit, and nothing else changes.
I मma go जान्छुjānchu to the forest बनमाbanmā.
म बनमा जान्छु।
ma banmā jānchu
Two moves at once. The verb went to the back, and the word for “to” went to the back of “forest”. Follow the colours.
The small words that come after a noun
| Meaning | Nepali | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in, at, on, to | माmā | बनमाbanmā“in the forest” |
| from | बाटbāṭa | घरबाटgharbāṭa“from the house” |
| to, and the one it happens to | लाईlāī | मुसालाईmusālāī“the mouse, as the one it happens to” |
| marks the doer of a past action on something | लेle | बाघलेbāghle“the tiger, as doer” |
| of | को / की / काko / kī / kā | बाघको घरbāghko ghar“the tiger’s house” |
| under | मुनिmuni | रूखमुनिrūkhmuni“under the tree” |
| above, on top of | माथिmāthi | रूखमाथिrūkhmāthi“on top of the tree” |
| than | भन्दाbhandā | हात्ती मुसाभन्दा ठूलो छhāttī musābhandā ṭhūlo cha“the elephant is bigger than the mouse” |
Of these, को is the one that changes shape: it matches the thing owned, taking की for a female and का for more than one.
The tiger बाघलेbāghle saw देख्योdekhyo the mouse मुसालाईmusālāī.
बाघले मुसालाई देख्यो।
bāghle musālāī dekhyo
The tags carry the meaning, so the two nouns could swap places and the tiger would still be the one doing the seeing. Do not ask what came first; ask what is tagged what, and find the verb at the end.
The question words
| English | Nepali | English | Nepali |
|---|---|---|---|
| what | केke | where | कहाँkahā̃ |
| who | कोko | here | यहाँyahā̃ |
| why | किनkina | there | त्यहाँtyahā̃ |
| when | कहिलेkahile | how many | कतिkati |
Nothing inverts and nothing moves: the question word sits where the answer would sit. Compare ऊ बनमा छū banmā cha“he is in the forest” with ऊ कहाँ छ?ū kahā̃ cha“where is he?” — the question word simply sat down in the forest’s chair.
Find the verb, then the tags
- मुसा बाटोमा छ।
Last word first, then the tag on the road.
Show answer +Hide answer −
musā bāṭomā cha — “The mouse is on the road.” - बाघले पानी देख्यो।
Who wears ले?
Show answer +Hide answer −
bāghle pānī dekhyo — “The tiger saw the water.” - त्यो को हो?
Here को is standing alone, not attached to a noun.
Show answer +Hide answer −
tyo ko ho — “Who is that?”