GRAMMAR / 18

Hortative / volitional (let's ~ / shall I ~)

Adapted for the web from Listen & Speak Nepali learning materials.
Updated October 30, 2026

म यहाँ बसूँ?

ma yahā̃ basũ?

May I sit here?

Pattern and choice
First-person offers
म गरूँ (shall I do it, an offer)? / म जाऊँ (shall I go, an offer)? / म ल्याऊँ (shall I bring it, an offer)?

On this page
  1. ② Nepali grammar rules
  2. 1. First-person offers
  3. 2. -औं for shared suggestions
  4. 3. Not an honorific request
  5. 4. न + suggestion versus request
  6. 5. Compare a future statement

② Nepali grammar rules

1. First-person offers

म गरूँ (shall I do it, an offer)? / म जाऊँ (shall I go, an offer)? / म ल्याऊँ (shall I bring it, an offer)? offer to do, go or bring something. गर्छु instead states an action/intention; it is not the same offering form.

2. -औं for shared suggestions

गरौं / जाऔं / बसौं / खाऔं propose shared action.
Compare singular offer जाऊँ with plural suggestion जाऔं, rather than assuming the same ending for both.

3. Not an honorific request

यहाँ बसौं (let us sit here) proposes sitting here together; यहाँ बस्नुहोस् (please sit here) asks the listener to sit.
This changes participants, not merely the degree of politeness.

4. न + suggestion versus request

नजाऔं means let's not go; नजानुहोस् asks someone not to go.
Prefix न negates these proposal/request forms, while the following morphology identifies the participants.

5. Compare a future statement

म जानेछु (I will go) states future action; म जाऊँ? (shall I go, an offer) offers it for consideration.
Likewise हामी जानेछौं (we will go) states a plan, whereas हामी जाऔं (let us go) proposes one.

A suggestion not to do something places न before the verb.

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01

May I sit here?

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म यहाँ बसूँ?

ma yahā̃ basũ?

Word or formReadingMeaning in this sentence
मmaI
यहाँyahā̃here
बसूँbasũmay I sit
02

Shall I open the door?

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म ढोका खोलूँ?

ma ḍhokā kholũ?

Word or formReadingMeaning in this sentence
मmaI
ढोकाḍhokādoor
खोलूँkholũshall I open
03

Shall I bring some water?

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म पानी ल्याऊँ?

ma pānī lyāũ?

Word or formReadingMeaning in this sentence
मmaI
पानीpānīwater
ल्याऊँlyāũshall I bring

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