I am a student.
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म विद्यार्थी हुँ।
ma vidyārthī hũ
| Word or form | Reading | Meaning in this sentence |
|---|---|---|
| म | ma | I |
| विद्यार्थी | vidyārthī | student |
| हुँ | hũ | am; is; are |
GRAMMAR / 01
हो: A is B (identity / equation)
म विद्यार्थी हुँ।
ma vidyārthī hũ
I am a student.
Pattern and choice
Identity noun + हो
म + विद्यार्थी + हुँ (I + student + am → I am a student)
On this page
② Nepali grammar rules
1. Identity noun + हो
म + विद्यार्थी + हुँ (I + student + am → I am a student) identifies the speaker as a student.
Use the हो family with an identity noun.
No article is needed before an occupation.
Replacing विद्यार्थी with शिक्षक leaves हुँ unchanged with म.
2. Personal forms
Compare म हुँ (I am…, an identity ending) / हामी हौं (we are…, an identity ending) / यो हो (this is…, an identity ending).
Respectful तपाईं, तपाईंहरू, उहाँ and उहाँहरू take हुनुहुन्छ; this honorific verb form does not change for gender or number.
3. Negation with होइन
Replace हो with होइन: यो किताब होइन (this is not a book).
Use होइनँ with I, होइनौं with we and हुनुहुन्न with a respectful subject.
Do not form this negative by combining हो and छैन.
4. Position of के and answers
Initial के in के यो किताब हो? (is this a book) introduces a yes/no question.
In यो के हो? (what is this), के asks what.
Answer the first with हो/होइन; answer the second with an identity such as यो किताब हो (this is a book).
5. Choosing हो or छ
यो राम्रो किताब हो (this is a good book) identifies this as a good book. यो किताब राम्रो छ (this book is good) describes the book as good.
The distinction is grammatical function, not simply permanent versus temporary.
हुनु: three sets and matching forms
| Form and reading | Information supplied | Corresponding lesson |
|---|---|---|
| हो / ho | Identity/classification: name, occupation, category | Topic 1 |
| छ / cha | Existence/location or a quality/condition | Topic 2: existence/location; topic 3: qualities/conditions |
| हुन्छ / huncha | Regular/conditional states, occurrences and outcomes | Topic 4; also permission in 21 and prohibition in 19 |
| Compare with the same subject | Meaning | Why this set? |
|---|---|---|
| म विद्यार्थी हुँ। ma vidyārthī hũ | I am a student. | Identity, so the हो set: topic 1 |
| म घरमा छु। ma gharmā chu | I am at home. | Location, so the छ set: topic 2 |
| म बिहान घरमा हुन्छु। ma bihān gharmā hunchu | I am usually at home in the morning. | A regular time setting, so the हुन्छ set: topic 4 |
हो set: six basic person groups, positive and negative
| Person and reading | Positive and reading | Negative and reading |
|---|---|---|
| I म / ma | हुँ / hũ | होइनँ / hoinã |
| we हामी / hāmī | हौं / haũ | होइनौं / hoinaũ |
| you तपाईं / tapāĩ | हुनुहुन्छ / hunuhuncha | हुनुहुन्न / hunuhunna |
| you plural तपाईंहरू / tapāĩharū | हुनुहुन्छ / hunuhuncha | हुनुहुन्न / hunuhunna |
| he/she उहाँ / uhā̃ | हुनुहुन्छ / hunuhuncha | हुनुहुन्न / hunuhunna |
| they उहाँहरू / uhā̃harū | हुनुहुन्छ / hunuhuncha | हुनुहुन्न / hunuhunna |
Use उहाँ for he/she and उहाँहरू for they as the basic forms.
Note the nasal first-person negatives होइनँ/छैनँ.
Identity statements use the होइन family for negatives, not the छैन family.
MAKE IT YOURS
Try it yourself first
You are a student.
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तपाईं विद्यार्थी हुनुहुन्छ।
tapāĩ vidyārthī hunuhuncha
| Word or form | Reading | Meaning in this sentence |
|---|---|---|
| तपाईं | tapāĩ | you (respectful) |
| विद्यार्थी | vidyārthī | student |
| हुनुहुन्छ | hunuhuncha | am; is; are |
She is a student.
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उहाँ विद्यार्थी हुनुहुन्छ।
uhā̃ vidyārthī hunuhuncha
| Word or form | Reading | Meaning in this sentence |
|---|---|---|
| उहाँ | uhā̃ | he/she (respectful) |
| विद्यार्थी | vidyārthī | student |
| हुनुहुन्छ | hunuhuncha | is/are (respectful) |