Nepali phrasebook

Vowels

There are total 12 vowels in the Nepali language.

अ (a) like 'a' in "all" or 'u' in "fun" आ (aa) like 'a' in "father" इ (i) like the 'y' in "happy" ई (ii) like 'y' in "happy" उ (u) like 'oo' in "boot" ऊ (uu) like 'oo' in "boot" ऋ (ri) like 'rea' in "reason" ए (e) like 'ay' in "may" but shorter and monophthongal ऐ (ai) like 'i' in "write" or "a+i" in quick succession ओ (o) like 'o' in "go" औ (au) like 'ou' in "about" or "a+u" in quick succession

Consonants

There are 33 consonants with an extra 3 minor variants. Please not that these are consonants with an attached vowel like क्+अ= क. This is how alphabets appear. The consonants below are attached with other vowels to form other sounds like: थ+आ=था, न+उ=नु, त+औ=तौ and so on.

Velar consonants क (ka) like 'ca' in "scan" ख (kha) like 'ca' in "can" ग (ga) like 'go' in "gone" घ (gha) like 'ggh' in "egghead" with breathy sound ङ (ṅa) like 'ng' in "sing"

Palatal consonants च (tsa) like 'ts' in "cats" or "tsar" छ (tsha) like 'tsh' in "cat's head" ज (dza) like 'ds' in "dads" झ (dzha) like 'dsh' in "dad's house" with breathy sound ञ (ña) like "n" in 'nail'

Retroflex consonants ट (ṭa) like 'tr' in "straw" ठ (ṭha) like 'tr' in "tree" ड (ḍa) like the word 'draw' ढ (ḍha) like 'draw' but more aspirated and breathy ण (ṇa) like 'n' in "burn"

Dental consonants त (tā) like 't' in "steal" but dental थ (thā) like 't' in "teal" but dental द (dā) like 'd' in 'deal' but dental ध (dhā) like 'd' in "deal" but dental with more aspiration and breathiness न (nā) like "n" in "nail"

Labial consonants प (pa) like 'p' in "speak" फ (pha) like 'p' in "paw" or intervocalically sometimes 'f' as in 'fall' ब (ba) like 'b' in "ball" भ (bha) like 'bh' in "clubhouse" म (ma) like 'm' in "man"

Semivowels य (ya) like 'yaw' in "yawn" र (ra) like 'ru' in "run" or 'tt' in "better" ल (la) like 'lu' in "lust" व (wa) like 'o' in "one"

Sibilants श (śa) like the word 'saw' or 'shaw' in "shawl" ष (ṣa) like the word 'saw' or 'shaw' in "shawl" स (sa) like the word 'saw"

Glottal ह (ha) like 'h' in "ahead" or 'h' in "haul" क्ष (xa) like 'tshya' त्र (tra) like 'tra' but dental ज्ञ (gya) like 'gya'

Phrase list

Basics Hello नमस्ते।Namaste (Nuh-Mas-tay) How are you? (formal) तपाईँ कस्तो हुनुहुन्छ ? Tapaii Kasto Hununts'ha? (tuh-pie-kuhs-toh-who-noon-ts'haa?) Fine, thank you. सञ्चै छु धन्यबाद । Santsai ts'hu, Dhanyabad. (Sun-tsai-ts'hu-dhun-yuh-baad) How about you? तपाई चाहिँ? Tapai tsai? (Tuh-pai-tsai) What's your name? (formal) तपाईँको नाम के हो ? Tapaiko nam ke ho? (Tuh-pie-koh-naam-kay-ho?) My name is ... . मेरो नाम ...हो।Mero nam ... ho. (May-roh-naam ... hoh.) Nice to meet you. (formal)(lit. I am happy to meet you) तपाईँलाई भेटेर खुसी लाग्यो। Tapai lai bhetera Khusi Lagyo (Tuh-pie-lie-bhay-tay-rah-khu-shi-la-gyo) Please. (request) कृपयाKripaya. (Kri-puh-yah) This person is ... . (when introducing somebody) यो... होYo ... ho (yoh-...-hoh) Thank you very much. (formal) धेरै धेरै धन्यवाद।Dherai Dherai Dhanyabad (Dhey-rei-dhey-rei-dhan-ya-bad) Thank you. (normal) धन्यवाद।Dhanyabad (Dhan-ya-bad) yes होhai (hoh) no होइनhoina (hoi-nuh) Excuse me. माफ गर्नुहोस्Maaf Garnus. (maaf-gur-noos) I'm sorry. (begging for forgiveness) माफ गर्नुहोस्Maaf Garnus. (maaf-gur-noos) Goodbye. (there are no words for goodbye so Nepalese people use the phrase "Pheri Bhetaula" which means "See you again" See you again फेरी भेटौँला (phay-ree-bhay-tau-la)

Problems Leave me alone. मलाई एक्लै छोड्नुहोस्। Malaai eklai ts'hodnus. (Ma-laai ek-laai ts'hod-nus) Don't touch me! मलाई नछुनुहोस् Malaai na ts'hunus! (Ma-laai na ts'hu-nus) I'll call the police. म प्रहरीलाई बोलाउँछु। Ma pra'ari bolau ts'hu. (Ma pra'arilai bo-lau-n ts'hu) Police! प्रहरी Prahari! (prahari) Stop! Thief! पर्ख चोर। Parkha! tsor! (Pak-ra! tso-r!) I need your help. मलाई सहयोग गर्नुहोस्। Malaai sahayog garnuhos. (Ma-laai sa-ha-yog garnu-hos) It's an emergency. आपत पर्‍यो aa‍pat paryo. (Aa-pat pa-ryo) I'm lost. म हराए। Ma haraye. (Ma ha-ra-ey) I lost my bag. मेरो झोला हरायो। Mero dz'hola harayo. (Me-ro dz'ho-la ha-ra-yo) I lost my wallet. मेरो वालेट हरायो Mero wallet harayo. (Me-ro wallet ha-ra-yo) I'm sick. मलाई सञ्चो छैन। Malaai santso ts'haina. (Muh-lay san-tso ts'ha-i-nah) I've been injured. मलाई चोट लाग्यो। Malaai tsot lagyo. (Ma-laai tso-t lag-yo) I need a doctor. मलाई डाक्टर चाहियो। Malaai doctor tsaiyo. (Ma-laai doc