Nepali greetings are simpler than a lot of learners expect — one word, नमस्ते (namaste), covers both “hello” and “goodbye.” But knowing how to actually hold a short greeting exchange — hello, how are you, I’m fine, thank you — takes a few more phrases. Here they all are in one place, with audio for each.
Hello & goodbye
| Nepali | Romanized | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| नमस्ते | namaste | Hello / Goodbye |
Namaste is traditionally said with the palms pressed together at chest height, a small bow of the head. It works for hello, goodbye, and as a general respectful greeting at any time of day — there’s no separate “good morning” vs. “good evening” greeting the way English has. It’s used with people of all ages, though a slightly deeper bow is common when greeting elders.
“How are you?” and replying
This is where Nepali has more nuance than English. The two most common ways to ask “how are you” are:
| Nepali | Romanized | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| संचै हुनुहुन्छ? | sanchai hunuhuncha? | How are you? (common, polite) | |
| तपाईं कसरी हुनुहुन्छ? | tapā''ī́ kasarī hunuhuncha? | How are you? (formal, literal) |
Sanchai hunuhuncha (literally “are you well”) is the everyday version you’ll hear most often. Both are respectful — there isn’t a casual slang version the way English has “what’s up” — Nepali tends to stay polite even in everyday small talk.
To reply:
| Nepali | Romanized | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| संचै छु | sanchai chu | I'm fine / I'm well | |
| म ठिक छु | ma ṭhik chu | I'm okay / I'm fine |
Please & thank you
| Nepali | Romanized | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| कृपया | kripayā | Please | |
| धन्यवाद | dhanyabād | Thank you |
One thing worth knowing: Nepali speakers often use “thank you” less reflexively than English speakers do — among close family or friends, saying dhanyabād for small everyday favors can sometimes feel oddly formal, similar to how it would sound if you thanked a sibling for passing the salt in English. It’s completely appropriate and expected with strangers, hosts, and in formal settings, though.
Formal vs. informal, quickly
You may notice tapā''ī́ (तपाईं) above — that’s the formal “you,” used for elders, strangers, and anyone you’d address respectfully. The informal version is timī (तिमी). As a beginner, defaulting to the formal tapā''ī́ forms above is the safe choice — Nepali speakers won’t mind extra politeness from a learner, but the reverse (being too casual with an elder) can land wrong.
Put it together
A typical short exchange:
A: नमस्ते! संचै हुनुहुन्छ? (Namaste! Sanchai hunuhuncha?)
Hello! How are you?B: संचै छु, धन्यवाद। (Sanchai chu, dhanyabād.)
I'm fine, thank you.
Keep learning
Tap the audio button (🔊) on any phrase above to hear it spoken. These and hundreds more words and phrases are searchable any time in the Nepali Dictionary, or you can drill them with spaced repetition in Flashcards. If you’re also learning romantic phrases, see how to say “I love you” in Nepali.