Tools
Greeting tool
Greet anyone in Nepal — at the right hour
Nepali has four time-of-day greetings plus the universal नमस्ते. This tool picks the right one for the current moment in Kathmandu, layers in festival greetings on holidays, and reminds you about the honorific that goes with each.
Right now in Kathmandu · —
शुभ प्रभात
Subha prabhat · Good morning
Used 4 a.m. – 11 a.m. Slightly formal; नमस्ते is always safe.
Pick any hour
Slide to a different hour to see the greeting that suits that part of the day.
Cultural notes
- Press your palms together at chest height as you say नमस्ते. A small bow of the head is appropriate when greeting elders or monks.
- Default to तपाईं (high-honorific) with strangers. Using तिमी (mid) with a shopkeeper feels overly casual; तँ (low) with anyone you don't know is rude.
- Add “hajur” after a sentence to elders or in formal settings: नमस्ते हजुर (Namaste hajur) softens the greeting and signals respect.
Address strangers as family
Nepalis routinely call non-relatives by sibling terms. It's a politeness marker, not a family claim.
दाइ
dai
older brother — addresses a man slightly older than you
दिदी
didi
older sister — addresses a woman slightly older than you
भाइ
bhai
younger brother — addresses a man younger than you
बहिनी
bahini
younger sister — addresses a woman younger than you