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.
Word lists: animals, people, nature, body, numbers
- Open this when a noun in a book blocks you; the two readings at the end need nothing from here.
- Nepali counts with its own words, and one of them is spelled exactly like the word for “is”.
- Family words are more specific than English ones: an older and a younger sibling are different words.
- A long Nepali word is very often two short ones stuck together.
You do not need this section to finish the lesson. Open it when a noun in a book stops you, or when you want a theme in one place. Every word the two stories use is taught in the sections along the path instead.
Animals that turn up in fables
| English | Nepali | English | Nepali |
|---|---|---|---|
| dog | कुकुरkukur | tiger | बाघbāgh |
| cat | बिरालोbirālo | jackal | स्यालsyāl |
| mouse | मुसाmusā | monkey | बाँदरbā̃dar |
| bird | चराcarā | crow | कागkāg |
| fish | माछाmāchā | goat | बाख्राbākhrā |
| cow | गाईgāī | elephant | हात्तीhāttī |
People
| English | Nepali | English | Nepali |
|---|---|---|---|
| person | मान्छेmānche | child | बच्चाbaccā |
| mother | आमाāmā | older brother | दाइdāi |
| father | बुबाbubā | older sister | दिदीdidī |
| boy | केटाkeṭā | younger brother | भाइbhāi |
| girl | केटीkeṭī | younger sister | बहिनीbahinī |
केटा and केटी differ by one vowel mark, and the four sibling words are used for anyone older or younger than you, strangers included — do not assume a family tree.
Sky, land and house
| English | Nepali | English | Nepali |
|---|---|---|---|
| sun | घामghām | tree | रूखrūkh |
| moon | जूनjūn | flower | फूलphūl |
| sky | आकाशākāś | field | खेतkhet |
| rain | पानीpānī | village | गाउँgāũ |
| wind | हावाhāvā | door | ढोकाḍhokā |
| mountain | हिमालhimāl | food | खानाkhānā |
पानीpānī is water and also rain: पानी पर्योpānī paryo“it rained” is literally “water fell”.
Parts of the body
| English | Nepali | English | Nepali |
|---|---|---|---|
| head | टाउकोṭāuko | mouth | मुखmukh |
| eye | आँखाā̃khā | hand | हातhāt |
| nose | नाकnāk | foot, leg | खुट्टाkhuṭṭā |
One to ten
| Digit | Word | Digit | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| १ | एकek | ६ | छcha |
| २ | दुईduī | ७ | सातsāt |
| ३ | तीनtīn | ८ | आठāṭh |
| ४ | चारcār | ९ | नौnau |
| ५ | पाँचpā̃c | १० | दशdaś |
Six is छcha — spelled and said exactly like the is-word. The sentence sorts it out, and Nepali finds this no funnier than English finds “a bat”. To count things, वटाvaṭā is added: दुईवटाduīvaṭā“two of them”, often shortened to दुइटाduiṭā. एउटाeuṭā“one, a” is the same ending on एक.