népalais
/ne.pa.lɛ/masculine
In French, népalais is the word for the Nepali language.
The word Népalais is used to describe both the Nepali language and someone or something that is related to Nepal.
Meaning: language (name)
Which one should you use?
In French, the distinction between the adjective/language and the noun for a person is indicated by capitalization: lowercase for the language/adjective and uppercase for the person. Additionally, the feminine form of the noun for a person from Nepal is Népalaise.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the language, the word is masculine and is typically preceded by the definite article 'le'. As an adjective, the word is uncapitalized and must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For people, the masculine form is Népalais and the feminine form is Népalaise.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ne.pa.lɛ/.
Did you know?
- The suffix '-ais' in népalais is the same one found in 'français' or 'anglais', making it part of a massive family of French adjectives.
- In French, the word népalais is considered a 'gentilé', a specific linguistic term for a word that denotes a person's origin.
- While népalais refers to the language, a French speaker might use the term langues népalaises in the plural to refer to the various indigenous languages spoken within Nepal.
Examples in context
- J'étudie le népalais.I study Nepali.This sentence shows how to use népalais when referring to the language.Tatoeba #3925847 by sameclaire, translation #3925480 by muriloricci
- Je souhaite apprendre à parler népalais .I want to learn to speak Nepali.
- J'ai un ami népalien qui m'a appris quelques mots.I have a Nepali friend who taught me a few words.
- Je parle népalais .I speak Nepali.
- Le népalais est une langue magnifique.Nepali is a beautiful language.
- Il parle couramment le népalais.He speaks Nepali fluently.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are discussing their hobbies.
- EmmaQu'est-ce que tu apprends comme langue ?What language are you learning?
- LucasJ'apprends le népalais avec un ami.I am learning Nepali with a friend.
- EmmaC'est difficile le népalais ?Is Nepali difficult?
- LucasC'est un peu difficile, mais c'est beau.It is a bit difficult, but it is beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nepali” translations and entries népalais, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
