कस्तो छ
kasto cha
The phrase kaise ho is often mistaken for Nepali, but the correct way to ask how someone is doing in Nepali is कस्तो छ (kasto cha).
In Nepali, you use कस्तो छ (kasto cha) as a common greeting to ask how someone is doing.
Which one should you use?
While kaise ho is actually a Hindi phrase, the Nepali equivalent is कस्तो छ. If you want to be more polite or formal, you should use सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ? instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal phrase कस्तो छ uses the singular/informal verb form cha, which means 'is'.
How do you pronounce it?
kasto cha
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse Hindi and Nepali. Avoid using kaise ho in Nepali as it is a Hindi phrase and is not used in standard Nepali.
Did you know?
- If you use the phrase कस्तो छ (kasto cha) with an elder or a stranger, it may sound unintentionally disrespectful due to its informal tone.
- The word छ (cha) is a cognate of the Hindi word for 'six', छह (chah), showing the deep historical ties between the two languages.
- The word कस्तो (kasto) functions as a versatile interrogative that can describe anything from the quality of a meal to the difficulty of a task.
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street.
- सृजना Srijanaनमस्ते दिपेश, कस्तो छ?Namaste Dipesh, kasto cha?Hello Dipesh, how are you?
- दिपेश Dipeshमलाई ठीक छ, सृजना।Malai thik cha, Srijana.I am fine, Srijana.
- सृजना Srijanaघरमा सबै कस्तो छ?Gharma sabai kasto cha?How is everyone at home?
- दिपेश Dipeshसबै ठिक छ।Sabai thik cha.Everything is fine.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries छ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
