तिमी कहाँ छौ?
timi kahaan chhau?
Where are you? In Nepali is तिमी कहाँ छौ?, pronounced timi kahaan chhau?
तिमी कहाँ छौ? asks someone where they are right now. It is the familiar form, for friends, family members your age or younger and children.
What does it mean word for word?
timi means you, kahaan means where and chhau means are.
Which one should you use?
The polite form is तपाईं कहाँ हुनुहुन्छ?, which uses a respectful word for you and a respectful verb.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb agrees with the pronoun. With timi the verb is chhau, and with tapāī̃ it becomes hunuhunchha.
How do you pronounce it?
The phrase is romanized as timi kahaan chhau?
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid तिमी कहाँ छौ? with elders or strangers, as it can sound disrespectful. Use तपाईं कहाँ हुनुहुन्छ? instead.
Did you know?
- Nepali has five different levels of 'you' based on respect and social status. While तिमी is familiar and तपाईं is polite, there are even more formal and more intimate versions that change the verb used in where are you?
- In certain rural regions of Nepal, people may answer where are you? by mentioning a nearby landmark or a specific tree instead of a town or street address.
- If you are asking 'where are you?' to a very close friend or a younger sibling, you might use the lowest honorific तँ (tan) and the verb छस् (chas), but using this with anyone else can be seen as a severe insult.
Examples in context
- तपाईं कहाँ हुनुहुन्छ?Where are you?
- मैले तिमीलाई खोजें, तर तिमी कहाँ छौ?maile timīlāī khojē̃, tara timī kahā̃ chau?I looked for you, but where are you?
Example conversation
Avinash is calling Maya on the phone to find her.
- माया Mayaहेलो, अविनाश!Hello, Avinash!Hello, Avinash!
- अविनाश Avinashमाया, तिमी कहाँ छौ?Maya, timi kahan chau?Maya, where are you?
- माया Mayaम घरमै छु।Ma gharmai chu.I am at home.
- अविनाश Avinashहुन्छ, म आउँदैछु।Huncha, ma aundaichu.Okay, I am coming.
