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.
Verb lookup: respect, wanting, having to, and used to
- Open this when a long verb ending blocks you; neither reading at the end uses any of it.
- Nepali has no verb for “have”. It says the thing exists, with the owner wearing a tag.
- Respect lengthens the verb rather than changing the word.
- Want, can and must are fixed shapes glued onto a verb you already know.
- A second past tense, ending थ्योthyo, means “used to”.
You do not need this section to finish the lesson. Open it when a tail on the end of a verb stops you; neither story at the end uses one.
I have a house. I do not have a house.
मसँग एउटा घर छ। मसँग घर छैन।
masãga euṭā ghar cha. masãga ghar chaina
Literally “with me a house exists”. सँगsãga“with” attaches to the owner, and the is-word for where and how does the rest. It is a third short word that keeps its final a, alongside तरtara and बाटbāṭa.
The same sentence at three levels of respect
| To whom | You are | He or she goes |
|---|---|---|
| a small child or an intimate | तँ होस्tã hos | ऊ जान्छū jāncha |
| a friend, a child, a fable animal — the you stories use | तिमी हौtimī hau | उनी जान्छन्unī jānchan |
| an adult, or anyone senior | तपाईं हुनुहुन्छtapāī̃ hunuhuncha | उहाँ जानुहुन्छuhā̃ jānuhuncha |
Respect is added by making the verb longer, most often with हुन् inside it. The meaning does not change — read past the extra syllables and the verb underneath is one you know.