Nepali phrases for travellers

Why learn a few words

Nepali is the national language and the common language between Nepal's many communities, each of which may also speak its own mother tongue. English is widely understood in tourism, but a few words of Nepali are always welcomed, and on a trek they make lodge evenings much warmer.

Romanisation varies. The spellings below are a simple guide to pronunciation: 'chh' is a breathy ch, and 'a' is usually short, like the u in 'cup'.

Everyday essentials

Start with these:

Shopping and getting around

Useful in markets, taxis and buses:

Food and drink

For teahouses and dal bhat restaurants:

On the trail

Words that help when walking and in an emergency:

Numbers

Useful for prices, room numbers and bus times. Nepali has its own numerals, which you will see on some signs and number plates:

Polite and informal speech

Nepali has several levels of politeness. The phrases on this page use the polite forms that suit strangers, shopkeepers and older people. With friends and children, Nepalis use more informal forms, but as a visitor you will never go wrong by staying polite.

Tapai (तपाईं) is the respectful word for 'you'. If you hear 'hajur' in reply to something you said, it may mean 'yes' or 'sorry, could you repeat that?', depending on the tone.

Addressing people

Nepalis often use family terms with strangers. Use dai (दाइ, older brother) and didi (दिदी, older sister) for people around your age or older, and bhai (भाइ, younger brother) and bahini (बहिनी, younger sister) for younger people. Adding 'ji' after a name, as in 'Ram ji', is respectful.