के तपाईं अंग्रेजी बोल्नुहुन्छ?
ke tapāī̃ aṅgrejī bolnuhunchha?
To ask "do you speak english?" in Nepali, use के तपाईं अंग्रेजी बोल्नुहुन्छ? (ke tapāī̃ aṅgrejī bolnuhunchha?)
This phrase is used to ask if someone has the ability to communicate in the English language.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the question particle के (a marker used to indicate a question), तपाईं (you), अंग्रेजी (English) and बोल्नुहुन्छ (speak).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form के तपाईं अंग्रेजी बोल्नुहुन्छ? is polite and appropriate for addressing strangers or elders because it uses the honorific pronoun तपाईं and the polite verb ending -hunchha.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can make the question informal by replacing the polite pronoun तपाईं with तिमी and using the corresponding verb form बोल्छौ, resulting in के तिमी अंग्रेजी बोल्छौ?
How do you pronounce it?
ke tapāī̃ aṅgrejī bolnuhunchha?
Did you know?
- The word for English, अंग्रेजी, is derived from the word 'Angrez', which was the term used by Persians and Mughals to describe the British during the colonial era.
- Beginning a conversation with this question can feel transactional to locals, who prefer a greeting like नमस्ते to establish a connection first.
- To address high-ranking officials or religious figures, the pronoun तपाईं is replaced by an even higher honorific form, हजुर.
Examples in context
- माफ गर्नुहोला, के तपाईं अंग्रेजी बोल्नुहुन्छ?māph garnuhola, ke tapāī̃ angrajī bolnuhuncha?Excuse me, do you speak English?
Example conversation
A tourist is asking a local shopkeeper for help.
- सृजना Srijanaनमस्ते, के तपाईं अंग्रेजी बोल्नुहुन्छ?namaste, ke tapāī̃ angrajī bolnuhuncha?Hello, do you speak English?
- सुमित Sumitहो, म अलिकति बोल्छु।ho, ma alikati bolchu.Yes, I speak a little.
- सृजना Srijanaधन्यवाद, मलाई यो सामान चाहिएको छ।dhanyabād, malāī yo sāmān chāhieko cha.Thank you, I want this item.
- सुमित Sumitहुन्छ, म देखाउँछु।huncha, ma dekhāunchu.Okay, I will show you.
