Course
Unit 5 · Beginner
I, you, and having things
Personal pronouns and the levels of politeness behind "you", plus the neat -sanga trick Nepali uses instead of a verb "to have".
In this unit you'll learn to
- Use ma, tapai, timi, u, haami
- Choose the right level of "you"
- Say what you have with X-sanga … chha
- Count people with jana
Listen along
I, you, we — pronouns and honorifics (lesson 5)
Public-domain audio — FSI Nepali Basic Course (via Live Lingua).
Do you have a room?
Traveller
नमस्ते, कोठा छ?
Namaste, kothaa chha?
Hello, do you have a room?
Host
छ। कति जना हुनुहुन्छ?
Chha. Kati jana hununhunchha?
Yes. How many of you are there?
Traveller
हामी दुई जना छौं।
Haami dui jana chhau.
There are two of us.
Host
तपाईंसँग पासपोर्ट छ?
Tapai-sanga passport chha?
Do you have a passport?
Traveller
छ, यो रह्यो।
Chha, yo rahyo.
Yes, here it is.
Vocabulary
- म ma
- I
- तपाईं tapai
- you (polite)
- तिमी timi
- you (familiar)
- ऊ u
- he / she
- हामी haami
- we
- उनीहरू uniharu
- they
- सँग -sanga
- with
- कोठा kothaa
- room
- जना jana
- (counter for people)
- छ chha
- is / there is / have
Grammar
Pronouns and politeness
ma (I) and haami (we) are easy. "You" is the tricky one: Nepali picks a level. tapai is polite — your safe default with any adult or stranger. timi is familiar, for friends and younger people (plus a very intimate form you should avoid as a learner). u is he / she, uniharu is they.
Saying "I have"
Nepali has no single verb "to have". For things you carry or possess, use X-sanga … chha — literally "with X there is": Ma-sanga paisaa chha = "I have money" (with-me money there-is). Tapai-sanga passport chha? = "Do you have a passport?"
Notice it's chha (existence), not ho — exactly the split you met in Unit 3.
Counting people with jana
People are counted with the special counter jana: dui jana (two people), teen jana (three people), kati jana? (how many people?). Haami dui jana chhau = "There are two of us."
Practice
1. Ask "Do you have a room?"
Show answer
कोठा छ? (Kothaa chha?)
2. Say "I have a passport."
Show answer
मसँग पासपोर्ट छ। (Ma-sanga passport chha.)
3. Say "There are two of us."
Show answer
हामी दुई जना छौं। (Haami dui jana chhau.)
4. Which "you" is the safe default with a stranger?
Show answer
तपाईं (tapai).