Basic Nepali -- vowels and essential phrases

 

Vowels

Vowels have an independent form (usually when used alone or at the beginning of a syllable) as well as a combined form (when combined with a consonant sound.)
The combined form looks different than the independent form and modifies the look of the consonant letter in different ways.

Independent Form	Combined Form (when combined with a consonant)	Roman Transliteration	Pronunciation
अ	क	a	“uh” like “ago”
आ	का      ा	ā	“ah” like “naan bread”
इ	कि      ि	i	“ee” like “feet” Or  “ih” like “pit”
ई	की      ी	ī	“ee” like “feet”
उ	कु      ु	u	“oo” like “book” Or “oo” like “food”
ऊ	कू      ू	ū	“oo” like “food”
ऋ	कृ      ृ	ṛ	Ree (rhotic R)
ए	के      े	e	“Eh” like “wet”
ऐ	कै      ै	ai	Almost like “ah-ee” but combined together.   Halfway between “ay” like “eye” and “ay” like “fate”
ओ	को      ो	o	“oh” like “oh” 😊
औ	कौ      ौ	au	“ow” like “ouch”
--	कः      ः	ḥ	Puff of air following consonant and vowel   Usually not very noticeable in speech.

 

 

 

Essential Phrases to get started

 

Pronouns:
म “ma” = I/me
तपाईं “tapāĩ” = you (polite, like “usted” in Spanish)
There is a nasal sound at the end of तपाईं “tapāĩ”, kind of like you are about to say “tapain” but not quite.

नमस्ते “Namaste” = Hello Spelling breakdown: न na + म ma + स sa (cut in half and stuck to the next consonant) + ते (त ta + ेe) Note: The reason the “स” “sa” is cut in half and stuck to the T sound is because that is one way of showing that there is no “a” vowel sound attached to it, so it’s “Namaste” and not “namasate”. You will see a lot of Nepali words that have ‘half-letters’ to show that they are two consonant sounds without any vowel in between.

 

तपाईंको नाम के हो? “tapāĩko nām ke ho?” = What is your name? Spelling breakdown: त + प + ा + ई + ँ + क + ो न + ा + म क + े ह + ो Literally: you (+possessive suffix को “ko”) name what is?

 

मेरो नाम ___ हो. “Mero nām ___ ho.” = My name is ___. Spelling breakdown: म + े + र + ो मेरो नाम कोको हो. “Mero nām Coco ho.” = My name is Coco.

 

सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ? “sanchai hunuhunchha?” = “Are you well?/How are you?” This is the polite verb conjugation (like “usted” in Spanish as opposed to “tú”) Spelling breakdown: स + न (half-syllable) + च + ै ह + ु + न + ु + ह + ु + न (half-syllable) + छ

 

म सन्चै छु “Ma sanchai chhu” = “I am well” Spelling breakdown: स + न (half-syllable) + च + ै छ + ु

 

तपाईं नि? = “tapāĩ ni?” Spelling breakdown: न + ि “What about you?”

 

मलाई खुसी लाग्यो = “Malāī khusī lāgyo.” = I am happy. / I feel happy. Spelling breakdown: म + ल + ा + ई ख + ु + स + ी ल + ा + ग (half syllable) + य + ो

 

धन्यवाद “Dhanyavād” = “Thank you” Spelling breakdown: ध + न (half-syllable) + य + व + ा + द This is one word where the ending consonant omits the “a” vowel at the end.

 

धेरै = “dherai” very धेरै धन्यवाद = “dherai dhanyavād” thank you very much Spelling breakdown: धे + े + र + ै

 

ठीक छ = “Thīk chha” It’s okay, It’s good, I’m good ठीक छ? = are you okay? Is it okay? Spelling breakdown: ठ + ी + क

 

फेरी भेटौंला – “pherī bheTaũla” Let’s meet again (someday) Spelling breakdown: फ + े + र + ी भ + े + ट + ौ + ं + ल + ा फेरी भेटौं “pherī bheTaũ” – Let’s meet again (for sure) Spelling breakdown: फ + े + र + ी भ + े + ट + ौ + ं पछि भेटौं “pachi bheTaũ” – Let’s meet later/see you later Spelling breakdown: प + छ + ि भ + े + ट + ौ + ं पछि कुरा गरौँ “pachi kurā garaũ” – Let’s talk later Spelling breakdown: प + छ + ि क + ु + र + ा ग + र + ौ

 

Vocab for this lesson:

म	ma	I/me
तपाईं	tapāĩ	You (polite)
नमस्ते	Namaste	Hello
नाम	Nām	Name
सन्चै	sanchai	Well/healthy
खुसी	khusī	happy
धेरै	dherai	very
धन्यवाद	dhanyavād	thank you
ठीक	Thīk	Okay/good
फेरी	pherī	Again
पछि	Pachhi	Later