तपाईंलाई सन्चै छ?
tapāī̃lāī sancaī cha?
In Nepali, "are you ok?" is said as तपाईंलाई सन्चै छ? (tapāī̃lāī sancaī cha?)
This phrase is primarily used to ask about physical health or general well-being rather than asking if someone is "okay" with a specific situation or decision.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "To you, is [it] wellness?"
Which one should you use?
While तपाईंलाई सन्चै छ? is polite, तँलाई सन्चै छ? (tanlāī sancaī cha?) is the extremely informal or low-register version used with very close friends or children.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form तपाईंलाई सन्चै छ? uses the polite second-person pronoun तपाईं (tapāī̃) and the dative case marker -लाई (-lāī).
How do you pronounce it?
tapāī̃lāī sancaī cha?
When do people say it?
A common response to this question is सन्चै छ (sancaī cha), meaning "It is well" or "I am well."
Did you know?
- In Nepal, asking तपाईंलाई सन्चै छ? is often less about health and more of a social ritual. It frequently serves as a greeting similar to 'hello' rather than a literal medical inquiry.
- If you use the informal version तँलाई सन्चै छ? (tanlāī sancaī cha?) with a stranger, it can be perceived as an insult or an act of extreme disrespect rather than just being 'casual'.
- In very formal settings, a speaker might use an even higher register than तपाईं to ask about well-being, showing a level of deference that does not exist in English.
Examples in context
- हजुरलाई केही परेन?Did something happen to you?
- तिमीलाई केही भएको?What's wrong with you?
Example conversation
Sumit sees Anita looking tired at work.
- सुमित Sumitअनीता, तपाईंलाई सन्चै छ?Anita, tapāīnlāī sanchai cha?Anita, are you ok?
- अनीता Anitaमलाई अलि थकाइ लागेको छ।Malāī ali thakāī lāgekō cha.I am feeling a bit tired.
- सुमित Sumitथोरै आराम गर्नुहोस्।Thōrai ārāma garnuhōs.Please take some rest.
- अनीता Anitaधन्यवाद, सुमित।Dhanyavāda, Sumit.Thank you, Sumit.
