विवाह
vivāha[bibä̤ː]
The English word "wedding" is विवाह (vivāha) in Nepali. Wiktionary also lists बिहे (bihe).
Meaning: marriage ceremony (noun)
Ways to say it
| Nepali | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| विवाह | vivāha | [bibä̤ː] (narrow) |
| बिहे | bihe |
Both forms refer to a marriage ceremony. To express the action of getting married or performing a wedding, you use the word for wedding followed by the verb garnu (to do), forming the phrase बिहे गर्नु.
Which one should you use?
विवाह is the formal, Sanskrit-derived term, while बिहे is the common, colloquial term used in everyday spoken conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
vivāha
Did you know?
- The Sanskrit root of विवाह carries a nuance of 'separating' or 'dividing', which historically refers to the separation of the bride from her natal home.
- During a विवाह, it is common for the groom to arrive with a procession called a जन्ती, where friends and family dance and sing their way to the bride's home.
- A traditional Nepali विवाह involves a ritual called कन्यादान, where the father formally gifts his daughter to the groom, treating the bride as a goddess.
Examples in context
- आउँदो हप्ता मेरो दाइको विवाह छ।āundō hapta mērō dāikō vivāha cha.My elder brother's wedding is next week.
- उनीहरूको विवाह धेरै भव्य भयो।unīharkō vivāha dhērai bhavya bhayō.Their wedding ceremony was very grand.
- मैले विवाहको लागि एउटा उपहार किनेँ।maile vivāhakō lāgi euṭā upahāra kinē.I bought a gift for the wedding.
Example conversation
Anita and Dipesh are talking about a friend's upcoming wedding.
- अनीता Anitaके तिमी साथीको विवाहमा जाने हो?kē timī sāthīkō vivāhamā jānē hō?Are you going to the friend's wedding?
- दिपेश Dipeshहो, म अवश्य जानेछु।hō, ma avaśya jānechu.Yes, I will certainly go.
- अनीता Anitaदिपेश, तिमीले के उपहार दिन्छौ?dipēś, timīlē kē upahāra dinchau?Dipesh, what gift will you give?
- दिपेश Dipeshम एउटा राम्रो घडी दिनेछु।ma euṭā rāmrō ghaḍī dinēchu.I will give a nice watch.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wedding” translations and entries विवाह, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries विवाह, CC BY-SA 4.0.
