तपाईं सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ?
tapāī̃ sañcai hunuhuncha?
The English phrase "are you okay?" is translated into Nepali as तपाईं सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ? (tapāī̃ sañcai hunuhuncha?)
This phrase is used to ask about someone's general health or well-being. In Nepali, it functions both as a genuine inquiry into a person's health and as a standard greeting similar to "How are you?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase तपाईं सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ? literally translates to "Are you well?" or "Are you healthy?"
Which one should you use?
तपाईं सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ? is the polite version used for elders, strangers or in formal settings. In contrast, सन्चै छौ? is the informal way to ask "Are you okay?" and is used for friends or younger people.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version सन्चै छौ? uses the particle छौ instead of the polite हुनुहुन्छ found in the formal version.
How do you pronounce it?
tapāī̃ sañcai hunuhuncha?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you this question, a common response is सन्चै छु।, which means "I am well."
Did you know?
- In Nepali culture, asking सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ? often triggers a sequence of reciprocal questions about the other person's family members before the conversation actually begins.
- While सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ? asks about health, the polite pronoun तपाईं can be shifted to an even higher honorific, हजुर, to show extreme respect to guests or high-ranking officials.
- Because सन्चै focuses on wellness, asking this phrase during a crisis might sound like you are asking if the person is physically injured rather than emotionally distressed.
Example conversation
Two friends meeting after a long time.
- प्रतिक्षा Pratikshaनमस्ते रोशन, तपाईं सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ?Namaste Roshan, tapāī̃ sancai hunuhuncha?Hello Roshan, are you okay?
- रोशन Roshanहजुर, म सन्चै छु।Hajur, ma sancai chu.Yes, I am okay.
- प्रतिक्षा Pratikshaतपाईंको परिवार पनि सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ?Tapāī̃ko parivār pani sancai hunuhuncha?Is your family also okay?
- रोशन Roshanहो, सबै सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ।Ho, sabai sancai hunuhuncha.Yes, everyone is okay.
