Ready to rock the streets in Nepal with your new slides, outfits, and polaroid? But hold on! Have you taken care of some of the standard and short Nepali phrases that will help you communicate with the locals? If not, you are not ready whatsoever. If you want to travel to a country full of traditions and customs and blend in with the locals like a native, you must get your hands on the Nepali language.
So, in today’s post, we will cover some short phrases under different categories that will help you connect with the natives without any barriers and leave an interesting impression of your personality. The locals love when foreigners try their language and traditions. Moreover, learning a few common Nepali phrases will only make your trip more fulfilling and relaxing. From bargaining in the shops to conversing with a local stranger, everything will seem sweet as a dessert with phrases like तपाईको शौक के हो? (Tapā’īkō śauka kē hō?) यो कति हो? (Yō kaṭautī hō?), etc. So, want to learn more? Continue reading!
The Greeting In The Nepali Language
Before we start with the short phrases, here is a short note on the greeting of the Nepali people.
Nepali people greet each other as a sign of respect and friendliness. And instead of a handshake like the western culture, they have a unique way of greeting someone. So, as a sign of greeting, Nepalese locals bring their palms together in a praying position just in front of their chest and bow with their heads.
While obtaining such a posture, they usually say “Namaste” or “Namaskar,” which is similar to “hello” in the native language. It is said that the higher the hands go, the higher the status of the other person. Nevertheless, the ideal position is just right in front of the chest. This is a gesture of respect practiced by both men and women. It says, “I salute the god within you”.
Most foreigners become accustomed to such a practice as they land in Nepal. Although handshakes are becoming quite common in modern times, it is only respectful to follow their traditional greeting method. The way of performing a proper Namaste is by joining your hands together and touching your chin with your fingertips. One important thing is Hindus nod instead of bow. So, remember to be subtle when you go for the head bow. The locals will surely appreciate your efforts.
Nepali Short Phrases
Now we will go through some Nepali short phrases that you can use on different occasions. From normal greeting words to lunchtime vocabulary, you will learn everything you need. So, if you are ready, let’s get started and help you learn Nepali in no time.
Greeting Phrases In Nepali
Here you will learn some greeting phrases that will help you interact with the locals once you land in the country. Doing so will allow you to build relationships easily without any confusion in the lingo.
| English | Nepali | Pronunciation | Sound |
| Hello, how are you? | नमस्ते, कस्तो हुनुहुन्छ? | Namastē, kastō hunuhuncha? | नमस्ते, कस्तो हुनुहुन्छ? |
| I am fine | मलाइ सञ्चै चा | Malai sanchai cha | मलाइ सञ्चै चा |
| Where are you from? | तिमी कहाँको हौं? | Timī kahām̐kō hauṁ? | तिमी कहाँको हौं? |
| What is your name? | तिम्रो नाम के हो? | tapaainko naam ke ho | तिम्रो नाम के हो? |
| My name is… | मेरो नाम… | Mērō nāma… | मेरो नाम |
| I am from… | म बाट… | Ma bāṭa… | म बाट |
| Are you from Nepal? | तपाई नेपालबाट हुनुहुन्छ ? | Tapā’ī nēpālabāṭa hunuhuncha? | तपाई नेपालबाट हुनुहुन्छ |
| Where do you live? | तपाई नेपालबाट हुनुहुन्छ ? | Timi kahām̐ baschau? | तपाई नेपालबाट हुनुहुन्छ |
| It is a pleasure to meet you | तपाईलाई भेट्न पाउँदा खुसी लाग्यो | Tapā’īlā’ī bhēṭna pā’um̐dā khusī lāgyō | तपाईलाई भेट्न पाउँदा खुसी लाग्यो |
| We should meet again | हामीले फेरि भेट्नुपर्छ | Hāmīlē phēri bhēṭnuparcha | हामीले फेरि भेट्नुपर्छ |
| Good morning/ Good afternoon/ Good evening | शुभ प्रभात / शुभ दिउँसो / शुभ साँझ | Śubha prabhāta/ śubha di’um̐sō/ śubha sām̐jha |
शुभ प्रभात शुभ दिउँसो शुभ साँझ |
| Good night to you | तपाईलाई शुभ रात्री | Tapā’īlā’ī śubha rātrī | तपाईलाई शुभ रात्री |
| Sleep well | राम्रोसँग सुत्नुहोस् | Rāmrōsam̐ga sutnuhōs | राम्रोसँग सुत्नुहोस् |
| Have a nice day | हजुर को दिन राम्रो होस् | Hajura kō dina rāmrō hōs | हजुर को दिन राम्रो होस् |
| See you soon | चाडै भेटौला | Cāḍai bhēṭaulā | चाडै भेटौला |
| Goodbye | अलविदा | Alavidā | अलविदा |
Lunchtime Phrases In The Nepali Language
Lunchtime can bring in many questions, especially when you are new to the manners and food norms. So, to speak and convey your thoughts without any barriers, the following phrases will help you.
| English | Nepali | Pronunciation | Sound |
| When is the lunchtime? | खाजाको समय कहिले हो? | Khājākō samaya kahilē hō? | खाजाको समय कहिले हो? |
| What do we have for lunch? | हामीसँग लंचको लागि के छ? | Hāmīsam̐ga lan̄cakō lāgi kē cha? | हामीसँग लंचको लागि के छ? |
| Is this a traditional dish? | के यो परम्परागत परिकार हो? | Kē yō paramparāgata parikāra hō? | के यो परम्परागत परिकार हो? |
| Thank you for the food | खानाको लागि धन्यवाद | Khānākō lāgi dhan’yavāda | खानाको लागि धन्यवाद |
| Can I have more? | के म थप पाउन सक्छु? | Kē ma thapa pā’una sakchu? | के म थप पाउन सक्छु? |
| What is this? | यो के हो? | Yō kē hō? | यो के हो? |
| Is this vegetarian? | के यो शाकाहारी हो? | Kē yō śākāhārī hō? | के यो शाकाहारी हो? |
| Do you have beef? | के तपाईंसँग गाईको मासु छ? | Kē tapā’īnsam̐ga gā’īkō māsu cha? | के तपाईंसँग गाईको मासु छ? |
| I don’t eat spicy | म मसालेदार खाँदिन | Ma masālēdāra khām̐dina | म मसालेदार खाँदिन |
| Can I have water? | के म पानी पाउन सक्छु? | Kē ma pānī pā’una sakchu? | के म पानी पाउन सक्छु? |
| Is this homemade? | के यो घरेलु हो? | Kē yō gharēlu hō? | के यो घरेलु हो? |
| What is this made of? | यो के बनेको हो? | Yō kē banēkō hō? | यो के बनेको हो? |
| The food is delicious | खाना स्वादिष्ट छ | Khānā svādiṣṭa cha | खाना स्वादिष्ट छ |
| The taste is very unique | स्वाद धेरै अद्वितीय छ | Svāda dhērai advitīya cha | स्वाद धेरै अद्वितीय छ |
| Do you have bread? | के तपाईसँग रोटी छ? | Kē tapā’īsam̐ga rōṭī cha? | के तपाईसँग रोटी छ? |
| I love rice | मलाई भात मन पर्छ | Malā’ī bhāta mana parcha | मलाई भात मन पर्छ |
| I ate well | मैले राम्रोसँग खाएँ | Mailē rāmrōsam̐ga khā’ēm̐ | मैले राम्रोसँग खाएँ |
Social Nepali Phrases
Want to make friends once you are there? The best phrase list that you need is present in the table below. Please give them a thorough read and make hundreds of friends in one night.
| English | Nepali | Pronunciation | Sound |
| I am back | म फर्के | Ma pharkē | म फर्के |
| Where have you been? | तपाई कहाँ हुनुहुन्थ्यो? | Tapā’īṁ kahām̐ hunuhunthyō? | तपाई कहाँ हुनुहुन्थ्यो? |
| Do you play sports? | के तपाई खेलकुद खेल्नुहुन्छ? | Kē tapā’ī khēlakuda khēlnuhuncha? | के तपाई खेलकुद खेल्नुहुन्छ? |
| What are your hobbies? | तपाईको शौक के हो? | Tapā’īkō śauka kē hō? | तपाईको शौक के हो? |
| Can I join you? | के म तिमीसँग बस्न सक्छु? | Kē ma timīsam̐ga basna sakchu? | के म तिमीसँग बस्न सक्छु? |
| I love your dress | मलाई तिम्रो लुगा मन पर्छ | Malā’ī timrō lugā mana parcha | मलाई तिम्रो लुगा मन पर्छ |
| You are so kind | तपाई एकदम दयालु हुनुहुन्छ | Tapā’ī ēkadama dayālu hunuhuncha | तपाई एकदम दयालु हुनुहुन्छ |
| Where are you going? | कहाँ जाने | Kahaan jaane | कहाँ जाने |
| Excuse me | मलाईं माफ गर्नुहोस् | Malā’īṁ māpha garnuhōs | मलाईं माफ गर्नुहोस् |
| Sorry | माफ गर्नुहोस् | Māpha garnuhōs | माफ गर्नुहोस् |
| Do you speak English? | के तपाईँ अङ्ग्रेजी बोल्नुहुन्छ? | Kē tapā’īm̐ aṅgrējī bōlnuhuncha? | के तपाईँ अङ्ग्रेजी बोल्नुहुन्छ? |
| Yes, I speak English | हो, म अङ्ग्रेजी बोल्छु | Ho, ma angrejee bolchhu | हो, म अङ्ग्रेजी बोल्छु |
| Thank you | धन्यवाद | Dhan’yavāda | धन्यवाद |
| Your house is so beautiful | तिम्रो घर धेरै सुन्दर छ | Timrō ghara dhērai sundara cha | तिम्रो घर धेरै सुन्दर छ |
| You have a pretty face | तिम्रो सुन्दर अनुहार छ | Timrō sundara anuhāra cha | तिम्रो सुन्दर अनुहार छ |
| Can we meet again? | के हामी फेरि भेट्न सक्छौं? | Kē hāmī phēri bhēṭna sakchauṁ? | के हामी फेरि भेट्न सक्छौं? |
| Can we be friends? | के हामी साथी बन्न सक्छौं? | Kē hāmī sāthī banna sakchauṁ? | के हामी साथी बन्न सक्छौं? |
Shopping Phrases In Nepali
We can’t forget about shopping phrases when it comes to vacations. So here is a list of short shopping phrases that will help you get the best deals in the streets of Nepal.
| English | Nepali | Pronunciation | Sound |
| What is the price of this | हो मोल काटि हो | Yesko mol kati ho | हो मोल काटि हो |
| Can I see more? | के म थप हेर्न सक्छु? | Kē ma thapa hērna sakchu? | के म थप हेर्न सक्छु? |
| What is the last price? | अन्तीम दाम काटि हो | Antim daam kati ho | अन्तीम दाम काटि हो |
| Is this made in Nepal? | यो नेपाल बनेको हो | Yo nepaalmaa baneko ho | यो नेपाल बनेको हो |
| Please reduce the price | मोल अली काम गरनुहोस | Mol ali kam grarnuhos | मोल अली काम गरनुहोस |
| I want to change money | मा पैसा साट्न चाहान्छु | Ma paisaa saatna chaahanchhu | मा पैसा साट्न चाहान्छु |
| Do you take card? | कार्ड लिनुहुन्छ ? | Kārḍa linuhuncha? | कार्ड लिनुहुन्छ ? |
| I like this one | मलाई यो मन पर्यो | Malā’ī yō mana paryō | मलाई यो मन पर्यो |
| It is too expensive | यो धेरै महँगो छ | Yō dhērai maham̐gō cha | यो धेरै महँगो छ |
| I love the quality | मलाई गुणस्तर मन पर्छ | Malā’ī guṇastara mana parcha | मलाई गुणस्तर मन पर्छ |
| The colour is bad | रंग खराब छ | Raṅga kharāba cha | रंग खराब छ |
| Do you have more designs? | तपाईंसँग थप डिजाइनहरू छन्? | Tapā’īnsam̐ga thapa ḍijā’inaharū chan? | तपाईंसँग थप डिजाइनहरू छन्? |
| What is the cheapest? | सबैभन्दा सस्तो के हो? | Sabaibhandā sastō kē hō? | सबैभन्दा सस्तो के हो? |
| I want these | म यी चाहन्छु | Ma yī cāhanchu | म यी चाहन्छु |
Emergency Nepali Phrases
You never know when emergencies will follow you. So to stay cautious and ready, here is a list of phrases that will keep you sane. Being in a strange city, you must have some of the needy words saved up your sleeves.
| English | Nepali | Pronunciation | Sound |
| I don’t feel well | मलाइ साँचो छैना | Malai sancho chhaina | मलाइ साँचो छैना |
| Is there a place to stay here? | यहाँ बास बस्नु पर्छ ? | Yahaan baas basna paainchha? | यहाँ बास बस्नु पर्छ ? |
| Can I see a room? | मा कोठा हर्ना सच्चु | Ma kothaa herna sakchhu | मा कोठा हर्ना सच्चु |
| I need a room | म एउटा कोठा चाहान्छु | Ma eutaa kotha chaahanchhu | म एउटा कोठा चाहान्छु |
| How much for one night? | एक रातको कटि हो? | Ek raatko kati ho? | एक रातको कटि हो? |
| Where is the hospital? | अस्पताल कहाँ छ? | Aspatāla kahām̐ cha? | अस्पताल कहाँ छ? |
| Someone please help me | कसैले मलाई मद्दत गर्नुहोस् | Kasailē malā’ī maddata garnuhōs | कसैले मलाई मद्दत गर्नुहोस् |
| Call the police | पुलिसलाई कल गर्नुहोस् | Pulisalā’ī kala garnuhōs | पुलिसलाई कल गर्नुहोस् |
| I need an ambulance | मलाई एम्बुलेन्स चाहिन्छ | Malā’ī ēmbulēnsa cāhincha | मलाई एम्बुलेन्स चाहिन्छ |
| Catch the thief | चोरलाई पक्रन | Cōralā’ī pakrana | चोरलाई पक्रन |
| Do you have medicines? | के तपाईसँग औषधि छ? | Kē tapā’īsam̐ga auṣadhi cha? | के तपाईसँग औषधि छ? |
| Help me! | मलाई सहयोग गर! | Malā’ī sahayōga gara! | मलाई सहयोग गर! |
Additional Short Nepali Phrases
| English | Nepali | Pronunciation | Sound |
| Hold on | होल्ड गर्नुहोस् | Hōlḍa garnuhōs | होल्ड गर्नुहोस् |
| What’s up | के छ | Kē cha | के छ |
| Take care | ख्याल गर्नु होला | Khyāla garnu hōlā | ख्याल गर्नु होला |
| See you | भेटौँला | Bhēṭaum̐lā | भेटौँला |
| Let’s go | जाऔं | Jā’auṁ | जाऔं |
| Shut up | चुप लाग्नु | Cupa lāgnu | चुप लाग्नु |
| Have fun | रमाइलो गर | Ramā’ilō gara | रमाइलो गर |
| Happy journey | शुभ यात्रा | Śubha yātrā | शुभ यात्रा |
Wrapping Up!
That must be a lot of common Nepali phrases to take in. But once you get used to it, nothing can stop you from spending your vacation like a pro in Nepal. Doing so will also help you improve your language skills and bring fluency to your Nepali language if you are a language learner. So we hope this blog was helpful to you and will bring in happy memories from the country.
Moreover, if you want to learn Nepali, we have the best suggestions for you!
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The app also features an AI Chatbot that provides interactive exercises which help you in improving your communication. So by learning vocabulary, you simultaneously get to enhance your communication skills before your trip. If you think the Ling app has everything you need to express your thoughts in Nepali, what are you waiting for? Download the app now from App Store or Play Store and get to learn your favorite language in no time.
