Verbs make a language move. Japanese verbs are simpler than Nepali in one way: in the polite ます form the verb does not change for I, you, he or they, and there is no gender.
The four forms
| Meaning | Form | Example (eat) | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| do / will do | ～ます | たべます (tabemasu) | ▶ |
| does not / will not | ～ません | たべません (tabemasen) | ▶ |
| question | ～ますか | たべますか (tabemasu ka) | ▶ |
| did (Lesson 16) | ～ました | たべました (tabemashita) | ▶ |
The ます form covers the present and the future: たべます means "I eat" and "I will eat". Context tells you which.
Particles with verbs
| Particle | Job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| を | the object that is acted on | ごはんを たべます (I eat rice) |
| に | a point in time, or the goal of going | ７じに おきます (I get up at 7) |
| で | the place where the action happens | かいしゃで はたらきます (I work at the company) |
| へ | direction, to | がっこうへ いきます (I go to school) |
Verbs go at the end, after the particles. Typical order: who は when に where で what を verb. Words for "today, tomorrow, every day" take no に.
Daily-life verbs
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| おきます | okimasu | उठ्छु | to get up | ▶ |
| ねます | nemasu | सुत्छु | to sleep, go to bed | ▶ |
| たべます | tabemasu | खान्छु | to eat | ▶ |
| のみます | nomimasu | पिउँछु | to drink | ▶ |
| いきます | ikimasu | जान्छु | to go | ▶ |
| きます | kimasu | आउँछु | to come | ▶ |
| かえります | kaerimasu | फर्कन्छु | to return, go home | ▶ |
| はたらきます | hatarakimasu | काम गर्छु | to work | ▶ |
| べんきょうします | benkyou shimasu | पढ्छु / अध्ययन गर्छु | to study | ▶ |
| します | shimasu | गर्छु | to do | ▶ |
| みます | mimasu | हेर्छु | to see, watch | ▶ |
| ききます | kikimasu | सुन्छु / सोध्छु | to listen, ask | ▶ |
| よみます | yomimasu | पढ्छु | to read | ▶ |
| かきます | kakimasu | लेख्छु | to write | ▶ |
| かいます | kaimasu | किन्छु | to buy | ▶ |
| あいます | aimasu | भेट्छु | to meet | ▶ |
| はじまります | hajimarimasu | सुरु हुन्छ | to begin (itself) | ▶ |
| おわります | owarimasu | सकिन्छ | to end | ▶ |
| やすみます | yasumimasu | आराम गर्छु / बिदा लिन्छु | to rest, be absent | ▶ |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| まいあさ ６じに おきます。 | maiasa rokuji ni okimasu. | म हरेक बिहान ६ बजे उठ्छु। | I get up at 6 every morning. | ▶ |
| あさ ごはんを たべます。 | asa gohan o tabemasu. | म बिहान खाना खान्छु। | I eat breakfast in the morning. | ▶ |
| ８じに かいしゃへ いきます。 | hachiji ni kaisha e ikimasu. | म ८ बजे कम्पनी जान्छु। | I go to the company at 8. | ▶ |
| かいしゃで はたらきます。 | kaisha de hatarakimasu. | म कम्पनीमा काम गर्छु। | I work at the company. | ▶ |
| ５じに かえります。 | goji ni kaerimasu. | म ५ बजे फर्कन्छु। | I go home at 5. | ▶ |
| よる にほんごを べんきょうします。 | yoru nihongo o benkyou shimasu. | म रात जापानी भाषा पढ्छु। | I study Japanese at night. | ▶ |
| １１じに ねます。 | juuichiji ni nemasu. | म ११ बजे सुत्छु। | I go to bed at 11. | ▶ |
| テレビを みません。 | terebi o mimasen. | म टिभी हेर्दिनँ। | I do not watch TV. | ▶ |
How often
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| いつも | itsumo | सधैँ | always | ▶ |
| よく | yoku | प्रायः | often | ▶ |
| ときどき | tokidoki | कहिलेकाहीँ | sometimes | ▶ |
| あまり ～ません | amari ~masen | धेरै ... गर्दिनँ | not often | ▶ |
| ぜんぜん ～ません | zenzen ~masen | बिल्कुलै ... गर्दिनँ | never, not at all | ▶ |
| まいにち | mainichi | हरेक दिन | every day | ▶ |
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| いつも コーヒーを のみます。 | itsumo koohii o nomimasu. | म सधैँ कफी पिउँछु। | I always drink coffee. | ▶ |
| ときどき えいがを みます。 | tokidoki eiga o mimasu. | म कहिलेकाहीँ चलचित्र हेर्छु। | I sometimes watch movies. | ▶ |
| あまり おさけを のみません。 | amari osake o nomimasen. | म धेरै मदिरा पिउँदिनँ। | I don't drink alcohol much. | ▶ |
| ぜんぜん テレビを みません。 | zenzen terebi o mimasen. | म बिल्कुलै टिभी हेर्दिनँ। | I never watch TV. | ▶ |
あまり and ぜんぜん are always followed by a negative verb (ません).
Reading: Sanjay's day
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली / English | Listen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | サンジャイさんは まいあさ なんじに おきますか。 | sanjai-san wa maiasa nanji ni okimasu ka. | सञ्जय जी, तपाईं हरेक बिहान कति बजे उठ्नुहुन्छ? Sanjay, what time do you get up every morning? | ▶ |
| B | ６じに おきます。 それから コーヒーを のみます。 | rokuji ni okimasu. sorekara koohii o nomimasu. | ६ बजे उठ्छु। त्यसपछि कफी पिउँछु। I get up at 6. Then I drink coffee. | ▶ |
| A | なんじに かいしゃへ いきますか。 | nanji ni kaisha e ikimasu ka. | कति बजे कम्पनी जानुहुन्छ? What time do you go to the company? | ▶ |
| B | ７じ はんに いきます。 ５じに かえります。 | shichiji han ni ikimasu. goji ni kaerimasu. | ७:३० बजे जान्छु। ५ बजे फर्कन्छु। I go at 7:30. I come home at 5. | ▶ |
| A | よる なにを しますか。 | yoru nani o shimasu ka. | रातमा के गर्नुहुन्छ? What do you do at night? | ▶ |
| B | にほんごを べんきょうします。 | nihongo o benkyou shimasu. | जापानी भाषा पढ्छु। I study Japanese. | ▶ |
Every ▶ button plays a clear computer voice, which is good for learning sounds and rhythm but is not a native speaker. Pitch (the rise and fall of the voice) can sound a little flat. Also listen to real Japanese as often as you can: videos, news for learners (NHK Easy), and Japanese people around you.
Check yourself
Try to answer every question before you look at the answers.
- Give the ます, ません and ますか forms of たべる (eat).
- Say "I get up at 6."
- Which particle marks the place where you work?
- Say "I work at the company."
- Say "I never watch TV."
- Why is there no に in あした いきます?
- Does ます mean present or future?
- Which verb form must follow あまり?
- Ask "What time do you get up?"
- Say "I study Japanese at night."
Answers
Count your correct answers. If you got fewer than 7 out of 10, read the lesson again and listen to the audio once more.
- たべます, たべません, たべますか.
- ６じに おきます。
- で.
- かいしゃで はたらきます。
- ぜんぜん テレビを みません。
- Relative time words (today, tomorrow, every day) take no に.
- Both: context decides.
- A negative (ません).
- なんじに おきますか。
- よる にほんごを べんきょうします。
Comments
Loading comments…