What is this?
Reveal the answer, reading and word meanings
यो के हो?
yo ke ho?
| Word or form | Reading | Meaning in this sentence |
|---|---|---|
| यो | yo | this |
| के | ke | what |
| हो | ho | am; is; are |
GRAMMAR / 06
Question words and how to ask
यो के हो?
yo ke ho?
What is this?
Pattern and choice
Question words stay in their role
उहाँ घरमा हुनुहुन्छ (he/she is at home, respectful) → उहाँ कहाँ हुनुहुन्छ (where is he/she, respectful)?
On this page
- ② Nepali grammar rules
- 1. Question words stay in their role
- 2. को, कसले, कसलाई and कसको
- 3. कुन versus कस्तो versus कसरी
- 4. Quantity and time questions
- 5. Answering के and किन
- Core words and combinations with postpositions and counters
- को
- के
- कहाँ
- कता・कतातिर
- कहिले
- किन
- कसरी
- कति
- कुन
- कस्तो・कस्ती・कस्ता
- कत्रो・कत्री・कत्रा
- कत्तिको・कति＋形容詞
- कसलाई
- कसले
- कसको・कसकी・कसका
- कोसँग
- कसका लागि (for whom)・कसको लागि (for whom)
- कसबाट
- कसको बारेमा (about whom)
- केमा・केबाट・केले
- केका लागि (for what purpose)・केको
- कहाँबाट・कहाँसम्म・कहाँतिर
- कहिलेदेखि・कहिलेसम्म
- कति वटा (how many items)
- कति जना (how many people)
- कति बजे (what time)・कति बज्यो (what time is it)
- कति बेर (how long)・कति समय (how much time)
- कति दिन (how many days)・कति वर्ष (how many years; how old)
- कति पटक (how many times)
- कति टाढा (how far)
- कुनचाहिँ・कुन-कुन
② Nepali grammar rules
1. Question words stay in their role
Compare उहाँ घरमा हुनुहुन्छ (he/she is at home, respectful) → उहाँ कहाँ हुनुहुन्छ (where is he/she, respectful)?.
A question word need not move to the front.
In कहाँबाट आउनुभयो? (where did you come from, respectful), retain बाट; an answer such as नेपालबाट preserves the source relationship.
2. को, कसले, कसलाई and कसको
Who को changes to agent कसले, recipient/object कसलाई, or possessive कसको/कसकी/कसका. कसले लेख्नुभयो? (who wrote it, respectful) asks who wrote; कसलाई लेख्नुभयो? (to whom did you write, respectful) asks to whom.
The marker changes the question's participant.
3. कुन versus कस्तो versus कसरी
कुन किताब? (which book) selects which book; कस्तो किताब? (what kind of book) asks its type/quality. कसरी जानुहुन्छ? (how do you go, respectful) asks how someone goes. कस्तो has forms कस्ती/कस्ता; कुन does not have this gender/number alternation.
4. Quantity and time questions
कति बजे? (what time) asks clock time, कति दिन? (how many days) a number of days, कहिले? when. कहिलेदेखि?/कहिलेसम्म? ask starting/end points.
Use कति जना? (how many people) for people and कति वटा? (how many items) for countable items.
5. Answering के and किन
के खानुहुन्छ? (what do you eat, respectful) requests a food; किन खानुहुन्न? (why do you not eat, respectful) requests a reason.
Initial के in के तपाईं खानुहुन्छ? (do you eat, a yes/no question) instead introduces a yes/no question.
Question formation retains the appropriate respectful verb.
Core words and combinations with postpositions and counters
| Form and reading | Information requested |
|---|---|
| को ko | who |
| के ke | what |
| कहाँ kahā̃ | where |
| कता・कतातिर katā / katātira | which way, in which direction |
| कहिले kahile | when |
| किन kina | why |
| कसरी kasarī | how, by what method |
| कति kati | how many, how much |
| कुन kun | which |
| कस्तो・कस्ती・कस्ता kasto / kastī / kastā | what kind, what like |
| कत्रो・कत्री・कत्रा katro / katrī / katrā | how big |
| कत्तिको・कति＋形容詞 kattiko / kati + adjective | to what extent |
| कसलाई kaslāī | to whom, whom |
| कसले kasle | who, as marked agent |
| कसको・कसकी・कसका kasko / kaskī / kaskā | whose |
| कोसँग kosãga | with whom |
| कसका लागि・कसको लागि kaskā lāgi / kasko lāgi | for whom |
| कसबाट kasbāṭa | from whom |
| कसको बारेमा kasko bāremā | about whom |
| केमा・केबाट・केले kemā / kebāṭa / kele | in what, from/by what, with what |
| केका लागि・केको kekā lāgi / keko | for what, of what |
| कहाँबाट・कहाँसम्म・कहाँतिर kahā̃bāṭa / kahā̃samma / kahā̃tira | from where, up to where, towards where |
| कहिलेदेखि・कहिलेसम्म kahiledekhi / kahilesamma | since when, until when |
| कति वटा kati vaṭā | how many objects |
| कति जना kati janā | how many people |
| कति बजे・कति बज्यो kati baje / kati bajyo | at what time, what time now |
| कति बेर・कति समय kati ber / kati samay | how long |
| कति दिन・कति वर्ष kati din / kati varṣa | how many days/years; also age |
| कति पटक kati paṭak | how many times |
| कति टाढा kati ṭāḍhā | how far away |
| कुनचाहिँ・कुन-कुन kuncāhĩ / kun-kun | which one in particular, which ones |
कसलाई, कसले and कसको are case forms related to who; कोसँग means with whom. कति जना (how many people) counts people, कति वटा (how many items) objects, कति बजे (what time) asks clock time, and कति पटक (how many times) counts occasions. कस्तो asks for a quality and कुन a selection; they are not interchangeable.
को
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | यहाँ को छ? yahā̃ ko cha? | Who is here? |
| Answer | राम यहाँ छ। rām yahā̃ cha | Ram is here. |
के
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | यो के हो? yo ke ho? | What is this? |
| Answer | यो किताब हो। yo kitāb ho | This is a book. |
कहाँ
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कहाँ बस्नुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kahā̃ basnuhuncha? | Where do you live? |
| Answer | म नेपालमा बस्छु। ma nepālmā baschu | I live in Nepal. |
कता・कतातिर
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कता जानुहुन्छ? tapāĩ katā jānuhuncha? | Which way are you going? |
| Answer | म बजारतिर जान्छु। ma bajārtira jānchu | I am going towards the market. |
कहिले
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कहिले आउनुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kahile āunuhuncha? | When will you come? |
| Answer | म भोलि आउँछु। ma bholi āũchu | I will come tomorrow. |
किन
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं किन पर्खनुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kina parkhanuhuncha? | Why are you waiting? |
| Answer | म साथीलाई पर्खन्छु। ma sāthīlāī parkhanchu | I am waiting for a friend. |
कसरी
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कसरी जानुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kasarī jānuhuncha? | How will you go? |
| Answer | म बसबाट जान्छु। ma basbāṭa jānchu | I will go by bus. |
कति
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | यो कति पर्छ? yo kati parcha? | How much does this cost? |
| Answer | यो सय रुपैयाँ पर्छ। yo say rupaiyā̃ parcha | This costs one hundred rupees. |
कुन
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कुन किताब पढ्नुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kun kitāb paḍhnuhuncha? | Which book will you read? |
| Answer | म यो किताब पढ्छु। ma yo kitāb paḍhchu | I will read this book. |
कस्तो・कस्ती・कस्ता
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | यो खाना कस्तो छ? yo khānā kasto cha? | What is this food like? |
| Answer | यो पिरो छ। yo piro cha | It is spicy. |
कत्रो・कत्री・कत्रा
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईंको घर कत्रो छ? tapāĩko ghar katro cha? | How big is your house? |
| Answer | मेरो घर सानो छ। mero ghar sāno cha | My house is small. |
कत्तिको・कति＋形容詞
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | यो काम कत्तिको गाह्रो छ? yo kām kattiko gāhro cha? | How difficult is this work? |
| Answer | यो धेरै गाह्रो छैन। yo dherai gāhro chaina | It is not very difficult. |
कसलाई
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कसलाई फोन गर्नुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kaslāī phon garnuhuncha? | Who will you call? |
| Answer | म रामलाई फोन गर्छु। ma rāmlāī phon garchu | I will call Ram. |
कसले
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | कसले खाना पकायो? kasle khānā pakāyo? | Who cooked the food? |
| Answer | रामले खाना पकायो। rāmle khānā pakāyo | Ram cooked the food. |
कसको・कसकी・कसका
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | यो कसको किताब हो? yo kasko kitāb ho? | Whose book is this? |
| Answer | यो रामको किताब हो। yo rāmko kitāb ho | This is Ram's book. |
कोसँग
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कोसँग बस्नुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kosãga basnuhuncha? | Who do you live with? |
| Answer | म परिवारसँग बस्छु। ma parivārsãga baschu | I live with my family. |
कसका लागि (for whom)・कसको लागि (for whom)
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | यो कसका लागि हो? yo kaskā lāgi ho? | Who is this for? |
| Answer | यो तपाईंका लागि हो। yo tapāĩkā lāgi ho | It is for you. |
कसबाट
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | यो पत्र कसबाट आयो? yo patra kasbāṭa āyo? | Who did this letter come from? |
| Answer | यो पत्र रामबाट आयो। yo patra rāmbāṭa āyo | It came from Ram. |
कसको बारेमा (about whom)
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कसको बारेमा बोल्नुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kasko bāremā bolnuhuncha? | Who are you talking about? |
| Answer | म शिक्षकको बारेमा बोल्छु। ma śikṣakko bāremā bolchu | I am talking about the teacher. |
केमा・केबाट・केले
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं केले लेख्नुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kele lekhnuhuncha? | What do you write with? |
| Answer | म कलमले लेख्छु। ma kalamle lekhchu | I write with a pen. |
केका लागि (for what purpose)・केको
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | यो केका लागि हो? yo kekā lāgi ho? | What is this for? |
| Answer | यो पढ्नका लागि हो। yo paḍhnakā lāgi ho | It is for reading. |
कहाँबाट・कहाँसम्म・कहाँतिर
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कहाँसम्म जानुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kahā̃samma jānuhuncha? | How far are you going? |
| Answer | म बजारसम्म जान्छु। ma bajārsamma jānchu | I will go as far as the market. |
कहिलेदेखि・कहिलेसम्म
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | पसल कहिलेसम्म खुला छ? pasal kahilesamma khulā cha? | Until when is the shop open? |
| Answer | पसल पाँच बजेसम्म खुला छ। pasal pā̃c bajesamma khulā cha | It is open until five. |
कति वटा (how many items)
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईंसँग कति वटा कलम छन्? tapāĩsãga kati vaṭā kalam chan? | How many pens do you have? |
| Answer | मसँग दुई वटा कलम छन्। masãga duī vaṭā kalam chan | I have two pens. |
कति जना (how many people)
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | कति जना आउनुहुन्छ? kati janā āunuhuncha? | How many people are coming? |
| Answer | दुई जना आउनुहुन्छ। duī janā āunuhuncha | Two people are coming. |
कति बजे (what time)・कति बज्यो (what time is it)
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | अहिले कति बज्यो? ahile kati bajyo? | What time is it now? |
| Answer | अहिले पाँच बज्यो। ahile pā̃c bajyo | It is five now. |
कति बेर (how long)・कति समय (how much time)
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कति बेर बस्नुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kati ber basnuhuncha? | How long will you stay? |
| Answer | म एक घण्टा बस्छु। ma ek ghaṇṭā baschu | I will stay for one hour. |
कति दिन (how many days)・कति वर्ष (how many years; how old)
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कति दिन बस्नुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kati din basnuhuncha? | How many days will you stay? |
| Answer | म दुई दिन बस्छु। ma duī din baschu | I will stay for two days. |
कति पटक (how many times)
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कति पटक आउनुभयो? tapāĩ kati paṭak āunubhayo? | How many times have you come? |
| Answer | म दुई पटक आएँ। ma duī paṭak āẽ | I came twice. |
कति टाढा (how far)
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | पसल कति टाढा छ? pasal kati ṭāḍhā cha? | How far away is the shop? |
| Answer | पसल दुई किलोमिटर टाढा छ। pasal duī kilomīṭar ṭāḍhā cha | The shop is two kilometres away. |
कुनचाहिँ・कुन-कुन
| Role | Nepali and reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Question | तपाईं कुनचाहिँ लिनुहुन्छ? tapāĩ kuncāhĩ linuhuncha? | Which one will you take? |
| Answer | म यो लिन्छु। ma yo linchu | I will take this one. |
Compare कति बज्यो (what time is it)? (what time now) with कति बजे जानुहुन्छ (at what time do you go, respectful)? (at what time will you go).
Age can be asked as तपाईंको उमेर कति वर्ष भयो (how old are you)?
Forms such as भयो/आउनुभयो are past forms; see topic 11.
At the beginning of a sentence, के can mark a yes/no question rather than ask what an object is.
MAKE IT YOURS
Try it yourself first
Whose book is that?
Reveal the answer, reading and word meanings
त्यो कसको किताब हो?
tyo kasko kitāb ho?
| Word or form | Reading | Meaning in this sentence |
|---|---|---|
| त्यो | tyo | that |
| कसको | kasko | whose |
| किताब | kitāb | book |
| हो | ho | am; is; are |
Where do you live?
Reveal the answer, reading and word meanings
तपाईं कहाँ बस्नुहुन्छ?
tapāĩ kahā̃ basnuhuncha?
| Word or form | Reading | Meaning in this sentence |
|---|---|---|
| तपाईं | tapāĩ | you (respectful) |
| कहाँ | kahā̃ | where |
| बस्नुहुन्छ | basnuhuncha | live; sit (respectful) |