Ways to say it
| Nepali | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| नमस्ते, तपाईँलाई कस्तो छ? | namaste, tapāīnlāī kasto cha? | polite, standard |
| नमस्ते, तिमीलाई कस्तो छ? | namaste, timīlāī kasto cha? | informal |
| नमस्ते, तपाईं कस्तो हुनुहुन्छ? | namaste, tapāī kasto hunuhuncha? | polite, respectful |
नमस्ते (namaste) is the everyday hello and also works as a goodbye. कस्तो छ? (kasto cha?) asks "how is it?", and the person you are asking comes before it with the ending -लाई (-lāī).
Which one should you use?
The only change between the first two forms is the word for "you". तपाईँ (tapāī) is the respectful "you" and तिमी (timī) is the friendly one. The third form, तपाईं कस्तो हुनुहुन्छ? (tapāī kasto hunuhuncha?), uses the honorific verb हुनुहुन्छ (hunuhuncha) and is very respectful.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use तपाईँ with strangers, elders and anyone you want to show respect to. Use तिमी with friends, classmates and younger people. When in doubt, choose the polite form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending -लाई (-lāī) marks the person being asked, so तपाईँलाई (tapāīnlāī) means "to you". A literal reading of the question is "how is it to you?"
How do you pronounce it?
Say नमस्ते as na-mas-tay, with the stress on the middle syllable.
When do people say it?
A common answer is ठीक छ (ṭhīk cha), "fine". The word नमस्ते is often said with the palms pressed together in front of the chest.
Did you know?
- The word नमस्ते (namaste) comes from Sanskrit namas (bowing) and te (to you), so it means roughly "I bow to you".
Examples in context
- तिमीलाई कस्तो छ?timīlāī kasto cha?How are you? (to a friend)
Example conversation
Sita meets her neighbour Ram on the street in the morning.
- Ramनमस्ते, तपाईँलाई कस्तो छ?namaste, tapāīnlāī kasto cha?Hello, how are you?
- Sitaनमस्ते, म ठीक छु, धन्यवाद। अनि तपाईँलाई?namaste, ma ṭhīk chu, dhanyabād. ani tapāīnlāī?Hello, I am fine, thank you. And you?
- Ramमलाई पनि ठीक छ, धन्यवाद।malāī pani ṭhīk cha, dhanyabād.I am fine too, thank you.
