पानी
pānī[päni]
Water in Nepali can be said as पानी (pānī) or जल.
Meaning: inorganic compound H₂O (noun)
Ways to say it
| Nepali | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| पानी | pānī | [päni] (narrow) |
| जल | jal | [d͡zʌl] (narrow) |
Both terms refer to the inorganic compound H₂O.
Which one should you use?
पानी is the common term for water, while जल is a more formal or literary term.
How do you pronounce it?
pānī
Did you know?
- In some Nepali contexts, पानी can be used metaphorically to refer to a person's honor or dignity.
- In Nepali, the word पानी is used to describe both liquid water and the falling rain.
- In certain traditional idioms, the phrase 'water' is used to describe a lack of shame or modesty, essentially meaning someone has 'lost their water'.
Examples in context
- हामीले सफा पानी पिउनुपर्छ।We should drink clean water.This sentence shows how to use पानी when discussing the necessity of clean water.Tatoeba #12049593 by taro, translation #12049592 by taro
- मार्च २२ विश्व पानी दिवस हो।March 22 is World Water Day.This sentence shows the use of पानी in the context of World Water Day.Tatoeba #11973458 by taro, translation #6789707 by Hybrid
- तिर्खा लागेकोले पानी पिउदै छु ।I'm drinking water because I'm thirsty.This sentence demonstrates the use of पानी when expressing the act of drinking water.Tatoeba #11828384 by taro, translation #455949 by lukaszpp
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A kitchen where Dipesh is helping Anita.
- दिपेश Dipeshके तिमीलाई एक गिलास पानी चाहिन्छ?ke timīlā'ī ēka gilāsa pānī cāhīn̄ca?Do you need a glass of water?
- अनीता Anitaहो, मलाई धेरै तिर्खा लागेको छ।hō, malā'ī dhērai tirkhā lāgēkō cha.Yes, I am very thirsty.
- दिपेश Dipeshलौ, यो पानी पिऊ।lau, yō pānī pi'ū.Here, drink this water.
- अनीता Anitaधन्यवाद, दिपेश।dhanyavāda, dipēśa.Thank you, Dipesh.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water” translations and entries पानी, जल, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
