Some Nepali Jokes (And Why They're Funny)
Nepali humor is usually quite goofy in nature. Although I have noticed some instances of sarcasm and dry humor, this is definitely the exception, not the rule.
When I was first learning Nepali I talked with a nice lady who enthusiastically told me a Nepali joke. Although I didn't understand everything at that time, I got the gist of it. It basically went like this:
A grocery store owner puts a sign in front of his shop: "Pay Today, Get Your Items Tomorrow." So people go and give their money and their orders. They come in the next day to pick their things up, but the owner points at the sign and says "See, it says come tomorrow, not today!"The lady was laughing hysterically at this joke. She elaborated by explaining that however many days passed, it was always 'today' and never 'tomorrow.'
This was my first foray into Nepali humor. Fortunately, there are a lot of jokes that I find much funnier than that first one I heard. But maybe it's because now that I have been living in Nepal and married to a Nepali man, my sense of humor is changing...?
Nepali humor is pretty blunt and is usually funniest when it has to do with daily life. When it comes to Nepali comedies, the jokes are usually about in-laws, angry wives, or dead-beat neighbors causing trouble. Usually the punchline is someone getting hit on the head with a flip-flop or staring wide-eyed at the camera while a comedic sound effect plays. While this sounds kind of ridiculous, it does grow on you after a while, and the sheer contrast from what you see on American television makes for an interesting experience at the very least.
Not to be ignored is the written word when it comes to Nepali humor.
Nepali jokes are frequently printed in the newspapers for people to enjoy while drinking their chiya (chai tea) and donuts before heading to work in the morning. Nepali 'memes' are prevalent among the younger generation too. (I just put the word 'memes' in quotes - twice - which means I'm old).
And a quick Google search will bring up a bunch of Nepali jokes - some of which seem like the typical English joke when translated, and others that make sense only to Nepalis.
Here's a sampling of a few I found:
हुलास भए अरु किन खोज्ने
शेरे र रामे एउटा घरमा चोरी गर्न गएछन् ।रामेले सुन, पैसाहरू चोरेछ तर शेरेले १ किलो हुलास गहुँको पिठो ल्याएछ।
रामे: ओइ, सुन चाँदी छोडेर तैँले यो पिठो मात्र किन चोरेको?
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.
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शेरे: (मुसुक्क हाँस्दै) हुलास भए अरु किन खोज्ने ?
Transliteration:
Hulaas bhae aru kina khojne?
ज्योतिष: तेरो जीवनमा एउटी राम्री च्वाँक केटी आउनेछ अनि तेरो मुटु चोरेर लानेछे…..!!! .
भ्यागुता: (खुशी हुँदै) त्यो केटी कहाँ भेट्छु त मैले ……??
ज्योतिष : Biology को Practical Lab मा ….. .
भ्यागुता त ठाउँको ठाउँ बेहोश….
Transliteration:
Why it's funny:
Shere ra Raame eutaa gharmaa chori garna gaechan.
Raamele sun, paisaaharu chorecha tara Sherele ek (1) kilo Hulaas gahu~ko piTho lyaaecha.
Raame: Oi, sun chandi choDera tai~le yo piTho maatra kina choreko?
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.
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Shere: (musukka haa~sdai) Hulaas bhae aru kina khojne?
Translation:
"When you have Hulaas, why would you look for anything else?"
Shere and Raame went to rob a house.
Raame stole gold and money but Shere has only taken 1 kilo of "Hulaas" brand flour.
Raame: Hey, why did you leave the gold and silver and instead take only this flour?!
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. (dramatic pause)
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Shere: (giggling) "When you've got Hulaas, why would you look for anything else?"
Why it's funny:
This is a motto for the Hulaas brand which everyone is familiar with (much like famous advertisement mottos in the U.S.). So this is a joke which is only funny in Nepal!
भ्यागुताको भविष्य
एउटा भ्यागुता ज्योतिषकोमा गएछ र आफ्नो भविष्य हेरिदिनु भनेछ ….ज्योतिष: तेरो जीवनमा एउटी राम्री च्वाँक केटी आउनेछ अनि तेरो मुटु चोरेर लानेछे…..!!! .
भ्यागुता: (खुशी हुँदै) त्यो केटी कहाँ भेट्छु त मैले ……??
ज्योतिष : Biology को Practical Lab मा ….. .
भ्यागुता त ठाउँको ठाउँ बेहोश….
Transliteration:
Bhyagutaako bhavisya
Eutaa bhyagutaa jyotishkomaa gaecha ra aaphno bhavisya heridinu bhanecha...
Jyotish: Tero jivanmaa euti ramri chwa~k keTi aaunecha ani tero muTu chorera laanecha!
Bhyagutaa: (khusi hundai) Tyo keTi kahaa~ bhetchu ta maile?
Jyotish: Biology ko Practical Lab maa...
Bhyagutaa ta Thau~ko Thau~ behosh..
Translation:
Frog's Future
Translation:
Frog's Future
A frog goes to a fortune teller and asks to see his future.
Fortune teller: A beautiful girl is going to come into your life and steal your heart!
Frog: (becoming happy) Where will I meet this girl?
Fortune teller: In a biology lab...
The frog faints.
Why it's funny:
Get it??? Because she's LITERALLY going to take his heart! As in dissection!!!! Of a frog....!!!!
It did make me laugh though. So...
शेरेले एउटीलाई धेरै माया गर्थ्यो
शेरेले एउटी केटीलाई धेरै माया गर्थ्यो तर डराएर केही भन्न सकेको थिएन ।
1 दिन उसले म्यासेजमा I love u लेखेर पठाउने निर्णय गरेछ ।
उसले राती ‘I LOVE U’ लेखेर केटीको नंबरमा म्यासेज पठाएछ ।
केही समय पछि शेरेको मोबाइलमा म्यासेजको रिङटोन बजेछ तर उसले भोलीपल्ट बिहान नुहाइधुवाई गरेर मन्दिर गएर मात्र म्यासेज पढ्ने निर्णय गरेछ र सुतेछ ।
रात भरि केटीकै सपना देखेछ ।
बिहान उठेर नुहाएछ र मन्दिर गएछ । अनि मन्दिर गएर आएर म्यासेज पढेको त यस्तो लेखेको रैछ
+9771414 Your
Message Not delivered.
Account balance: 0.17 Rupees.
Please recharge in time.
Thank you
1 दिन उसले म्यासेजमा I love u लेखेर पठाउने निर्णय गरेछ ।
उसले राती ‘I LOVE U’ लेखेर केटीको नंबरमा म्यासेज पठाएछ ।
केही समय पछि शेरेको मोबाइलमा म्यासेजको रिङटोन बजेछ तर उसले भोलीपल्ट बिहान नुहाइधुवाई गरेर मन्दिर गएर मात्र म्यासेज पढ्ने निर्णय गरेछ र सुतेछ ।
रात भरि केटीकै सपना देखेछ ।
बिहान उठेर नुहाएछ र मन्दिर गएछ । अनि मन्दिर गएर आएर म्यासेज पढेको त यस्तो लेखेको रैछ
+9771414 Your
Message Not delivered.
Account balance: 0.17 Rupees.
Please recharge in time.
Thank you
Transliteration:
Sherele euTilaai dherai maayaa garthyo.
Sherele euTi keTilaai dherai maayaa garthyo tara Daraaera kehi bhanna sakeko thiena.
Ek (1) din usle myaasejmaa I love u lekhera paThaune nirNaya garecha.
Usle raati 'I LOVE U' lekhera keTiko nambarmaa myaasej paThaaecha.
Kehi samaye pachi Shereko mobaailmaa myaasejko ringTon bajecha tara usle bholipalta bihaana nuhaaidhuwaai garera mandir gaera maatra myaasej paDhne nirNaye garecha ra sutecha.
Raat bhari keTikai sapanaa dekhecha.
Bihaana uThera nuhaaeko ra mandir gaecha. Ani mandir gaera aaera myaasej paDheko ta yesto lekheko raicha:
+9771414 Your
Message Not delivered.
Account balance: 0.17 Rupees.
Please recharge in time.
Thank you
Message Not delivered.
Account balance: 0.17 Rupees.
Please recharge in time.
Thank you
Translation:
Shere was in love with a girl but he was too afraid to say anything.
One day he decided to send a message saying "I love you."
That night he wrote "I LOVE U" and sent it to the girl's number.
After a while his phone's message ringtone rang, but he decided to wait until morning, wash up and go to the temple before reading the reply.
He dreamed of the girl all night long.
In the morning he showered and went to the temple. After coming back he read the message, which said:
+9771414 Your
Message Not delivered.
Account balance: 0.17 Rupees.
Please recharge in time.
Thank you
Message Not delivered.
Account balance: 0.17 Rupees.
Please recharge in time.
Thank you
Why it's funny:
Nepal's two major cell phone service companies (Ncell and NTC) offer only prepaid plans (like Tracfone, etc).
So running out of minutes on your phone and having to buy a recharge card is a part of daily life.
Poor Shere here received the message that his account was out of money instead of the reply he was expecting - the girl never got the message he thought he sent her.
Oh well, at least he still has that kilo of Hulaas flour. And honestly, why would you need to look for anything else?
*ba-dum-TSSH*
I too have a joke which goes like this:
ReplyDeleteA doctor was on vacation in a small farming town. While walking through the streets, he saw an accident, and a large crowd gathered around the car. Going by instinct, the doctor was eager to get to the injured but he couldn't get near the car. Trying to be clever, he started shouting loudly. "Let me go there!x2 I m the son of the victim." The crowd made the way for him. Finally, he saw that it was a donkey who was lying in front of the car.