भात
bhāt[bʱä̤t̪]
The Nepali word for rice is भात (bhāt).
In Nepali, the word for 'rice' changes depending on whether it is cooked or uncooked. Use भात when referring to the food served in a meal.
Meaning: seeds used as food (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word भात specifically refers to cooked rice, whereas चामल refers to uncooked rice grains.
How do you pronounce it?
bhāt
Did you know?
- The word भात descends from the Sanskrit word bhakta, which relates to the act of eating or participating in a ritual meal.
- There are specific 'भात' feeding ceremonies for infants, which serve as a major developmental milestone when a child first transitions to solid foods.
- Traditionally, भात is eaten using only the right hand, because the left hand is culturally regarded as unclean.
Examples in context
- म अब भात खान्न।I don't eat rice anymore.Tatoeba #11763506 by taro, translation #7356204 by MarijnKp
- म भात खाँदै छु ।I am eating rice.Tatoeba #11763500 by taro, translation #334464 by guyviet
- मैले भात खाइनँ ।I didn't eat rice.Tatoeba #11763502 by taro, translation #7356231 by MarijnKp
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anita and Avinash are preparing dinner at home.
- अविनाश Avinashअनीता, के भात पाक्यो?Anita, ke bhat pakyo?Anita, is the rice cooked?
- अनीता Anitaअँ, भात तयार छ ।An, bhat tayar cha.Yes, the rice is ready.
- अविनाश Avinashमलाई अलि धेरै भात चाहिन्छ ।Malai ali dherai bhat chahincha.I need a bit more rice.
- अनीता Anitaहुन्छ, म थपिदिन्छु ।Huncha, ma thapidinchu.Okay, I will add more.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry भात, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries भात, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
