Learning pronouns in Nepali, an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in Nepal and parts of India, is essential for mastering both spoken and written communication. Nepali pronouns are characterized by their forms according to person, number, gender, and case. This guide covers personal, possessive, demonstrative, reflexive, and interrogative pronouns, providing detailed explanations and examples for each, including transliterations for pronunciation help.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Nepali replace nouns referring to people or things and are used based on the person being referred to.

Subject Pronouns:

• म (Ma) – I: “म जाँदैछु।” (Ma jāndai chu) – I am going.
• तिमी (Timī) – You (singular, informal): “तिमी के गर्दैछौ?” (Timī ke gardaichau?) – What are you doing?
• तपाईं (Tapāī̃) – You (singular, formal): “तपाईंलाई कस्तो छ?” (Tapāī̃lāī kasto cha?) – How are you?
• उ (U) – He/She (neutral, formal): “उ गइरहेको छ।” (U gairheko cha) – He/She is going.
• हामी (Hāmī) – We: “हामी खेल्दैछौं।” (Hāmī kheldaichauṁ) – We are playing.
• तपाईंहरू (Tapāī̃harū) – You (plural): “तपाईंहरू तयार हुनुहुन्छ?” (Tapāī̃harū tayār hunuhuncha?) – Are you all ready?
• उनीहरू (Unīharū) – They: “उनीहरू आउँदैछन्।” (Unīharū āundai chan) – They are coming.

Object Pronouns:

• मलाई (Malāī) – Me: “मलाई सहयोग गर्नुहोस्।” (Malāī sahayog garnuhos) – Help me.
• तिमीलाई (Timīlāī) – You (singular, informal): “म तिमीलाई देख्न चाहन्छु।” (Ma timīlāī dekhna chāhanchu) – I want to see you.
• तपाईंलाई (Tapāī̃lāī) – You (singular, formal): “म तपाईंलाई सम्झन्छु।” (Ma tapāī̃lāī samjhan chu) – I remember you.
• उसलाई (Usalāī) – Him/Her: “मैले उसलाई पत्र लेखें।” (Maile usalāī patra lekhen) – I wrote him/her a letter.
• हामीलाई (Hāmīlāī) – Us: “उनले हामीलाई निम्तो दिए।” (Unle hāmīlāī nimto die) – They invited us.
• तपाईंहरूलाई (Tapāī̃harūlāī) – You (plural): “मैले तपाईंहरूलाई भेट्न चाहान्छु।” (Maile tapāī̃harūlāī bhetna chāhānchu) – I want to meet you all.
• उनीहरूलाई (Unīharūlāī) – Them: “मैले उनीहरूलाई सहायता गरें।” (Maile unīharūlāī sahāyatā garen) – I helped them.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Nepali indicate ownership and are formed by adding “को” (ko) to the personal pronouns.

• मेरो (Mero) – My: “मेरो किताब।” (Mero kitāb) – My book.
• तिम्रो (Timro) – Your (singular, informal): “तिम्रो घर।” (Timro ghar) – Your house.
• तपाईंको (Tapāī̃ko) – Your (singular, formal): “तपाईंको सपना।” (Tapāī̃ko sapanā) – Your dream.
• हाम्रो (Hāmro) – Our: “हाम्रो देश।” (Hāmro desh) – Our country.
• तपाईंहरूको (Tapāī̃harūko) – Your (plural): “तपाईंहरूको समूह।” (Tapāī̃harūko samūh) – Your group.
• उनीहरूको (Unīharūko) – Their: “उनीहरूको योजना।” (Unīharūko yojanā) – Their plan.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Nepali point to specific nouns and vary based on distance.

• यो (Yo) – This: “यो राम्रो छ।” (Yo rāmro cha) – This is good.
• त्यो (Tyō) – That: “त्यो मेरो होइन।” (Tyō mero hoina) – That is not mine.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns in Nepali are used when the subject performs an action upon itself, typically using “आफै” (āphai) for this purpose.

• आफै (Āphai) – Oneself: “उ आफैलाई दोषी ठान्छ।” (U āphailāī doṣī ṭhāncha) – He blames himself.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people, places, or things.

• को (Ko) – Who: “को आयो?” (Ko āyo?) – Who came?
• के (Ke) – What: “तिमीले के गर्यो?” (Timīle ke garyo?) – What did you do?
• कहाँ (Kahāṁ) – Where: “तपाईं कहाँ जाँदै हुनुहुन्छ?” (Tapāī̃ kahāṁ jāndai hunuhuncha?) – Where are you going?

Understanding and correctly using Nepali pronouns is vital for navigating both simple and complex conversations. Practice forming sentences with each type of pronoun, and try to engage in conversations or writing exercises to apply these concepts actively. Remember, context and the nuances of Nepali grammar play a significant role in choosing the correct pronoun form.