Course
Unit 18 · Intermediate
Culture and customs
Move through Nepali life respectfully — temple and home etiquette, the idea of jutho, and the gestures that quietly matter.
In this unit you'll learn to
- Ask if something is allowed with hunchha and milchha
- Behave respectfully at temples and homes
- Understand jutho (ritual purity)
- Know the etiquette of feet, shoes and hands
Listen along
Religious and ceremonial vocabulary (lessons 25-26)
Public-domain audio — FSI Nepali Basic Course (via Live Lingua).
At a temple
Visitor
भित्र जान हुन्छ?
Bhitra jaana hunchha?
Is it okay to go inside?
Local
हुन्छ, तर जुत्ता खोल्नुहोस्।
Hunchha, tara juttaa kholnuhos.
Yes, but take off your shoes.
Visitor
फोटो खिच्न मिल्छ?
Photo khichna milchha?
May I take photos?
Local
यहाँ मिल्दैन।
Yahaa mildaina.
Not here.
Visitor
ल, धन्यवाद।
La, dhanyabaad.
Okay, thank you.
Vocabulary
- मन्दिर mandir
- temple
- जुत्ता juttaa
- shoes
- खोल्नु kholnu
- to take off / open
- भित्र bhitra
- inside
- बाहिर baahira
- outside
- जुठो jutho
- ritually impure (touched by mouth)
- मिल्नु milnu
- to be allowed / to fit
- हुन्छ hunchha
- it's okay / allowed
- आदर aadar
- respect
- अनुमति anumati
- permission
Grammar
"Is it okay / allowed?"
Two handy verbs. ...hunchha? = "is it okay to...?" (Bhitra jaana hunchha? — "okay to go in?") and ...milchha? = "is it allowed / does it work?" (Photo khichna milchha? — "may I photograph?").
Negative answers are hudaina ("not okay") and mildaina ("not allowed").
jutho — the one custom to know
jutho means ritually impure — especially food or a vessel touched by someone's mouth or saliva. Don't offer food you've already bitten, pour water into your mouth without touching the bottle to your lips, and don't dip used cutlery into shared dishes. It's the etiquette rule travellers trip over most.
Feet, shoes and hands
Remove juttaa (shoes) before entering temples and homes. Don't point your feet at people or shrines, or step over someone seated. Give and receive things with the right hand, or both hands. When in doubt, a small namaste covers it.
Practice
1. Ask "Is it okay to go inside?"
Show answer
भित्र जान हुन्छ? (Bhitra jaana hunchha?)
2. Ask "May I take a photo?"
Show answer
फोटो खिच्न मिल्छ? (Photo khichna milchha?)
3. What is the word for "shoes"?
Show answer
जुत्ता (juttaa).
4. What does jutho mean?
Show answer
Ritually impure — food or drink touched by the mouth.