Nepali Greetings & Goodbyes – The Ultimate Guide

How do you say hello in Nepali?

Well, Namaste.

There are also other ways to say hi or hello in Nepali depending on the time, situation, and the person you are talking with.

This guide about Nepali greetings and goodbyes will not only enrich your Nepali vocabulary, you will also know when to use what.

You’ll learn how to say hello and goodbye in Nepali, which is different than saying goodbye in other languages.

We’ve stacked this guide with a handful of examples to make sure you get greetings and goodbyes right every time.

Let’s get started.

Basic Nepali Greetings

There are many ways to greet someone in Nepali, but 99% of the time, you’ll use one of the following:

Nepali English
Namaste Hello, Goodbye (Informal)
Namaskar Hello (Formal)
Dhanyabad Thank you
Subha Prabhat Good Morning
Subha Din Good Day
Subha Ratri Good Night
Ke chha? (To friends or younger ones) What’s up? (Informal)
Tapailai kasto chha? How are you? (Formal)

Namaste
This is an informal way of greeting someone ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ in Nepali. You can use it with your friends or someone you just met, anytime and anywhere.

Namaskar
This is a formal way of saying hello. Use it when you are attending business meetings or talking to someone important.

Dhanyabad
That’s how you say Thank You in Nepali. You can use it with anyone you meet.

Subha Prabhat
This is a formal way to greet someone in the morning. It translates to “Good Morning.” Subha also means Good in Sanskrit.

Subha Din
If you are starting your day late (after 12:00 pm), you can say Subha Din. (It’s formal, not widely used, and you can stick with Namaste, just in case.)

Subha Sandhya
Sandhya translates to Evening in Nepali. Use it as a formal way to greet someone in the evening.

Subha Ratri
Want to wish somebody goodnight? Say Subha Ratri.

Ke Chha?
Use it whenever you want to ask someone how they are or how they feel. It’s used with friends, someone close to you or younger ones and is an informal greeting.

Tapailai kasto chha?
This is a formal way to say “How are you?” Use it for elders, someone you respect or when in a business meeting.

Situation: In a Coffee Shop

Say you are walking into a coffee shop and recognize a friend you’ve talked to before. You walk over and say Ke Chha?

Explanation: Since you already know the person, using “Ke Chha?” is informal and the right way to greet someone in Nepal. You could also say “Namaste.”

Situation: In a Meeting

Imagine you are about to join in a meeting. You say “Namaskar” and shake hands.

Explanation: Because you are in a formal setting, “Namaskar” is the right word to greet hello. If you already know the person who you are meeting with and have a close relationship, you can still use “Namaste.

Basic Nepali Goodbyes

There are very limited ways to say goodbye in Nepali and it’s a lot different than how you say goodbye in other languages.

Nepali
English
Pheri Bhetaula / Pachi Bhetaula See you again/ See you later
Chittai Bhetaula See you soon (less common)
Bholi Bhetaula See you tomorrow
Ekchin Ma Bhetaula See you in a bit

Pheri Bhetaula
Use it when you do not know when you’ll see the person you met next. You can use it in both formal and informal settings.

Chittai Bhetaula
If you are parting ways with someone very close to you (your girlfriend, maybe?), and want to say “See you soon,” say Chittai Bhetaula.

Bholi Bhetaula
Use it with someone you meet on daily basis.

Ekchin Ma Bhetaula
Use it when you are going to see the same person again in some time, the same day.

Situation: At the airport

Imagine you are at the airport to see off a Nepali friend who is traveling abroad. This is a good time to use “Chittai Bhetaula.”

Explanation: Even if you might not know when that friend is coming back or when you are going to see him again, using “Chittai Bhetaula” is a way to wish a long goodbye.

Situation: Leaving the office

Your work for the day is over and you are about to leave your workplace. Use “Bholi Bhetaula” if you are going to see your co-workers again tomorrow. If it’s a Friday, you can say “Aitabar Bhetaula” which translates to “See you on Sunday.” (There’s a six-day workweek in Nepal with Saturday as the only weekend.)

Explanation: You can use goodbyes in both formal and informal setting, which means that you can use it with your friend, your boss or anyone you want to say goodbye to.

This sums up Nepali greetings and goodbyes. If you have any questions or confusions regarding different situations and what words to use when, write us in the comments below! 

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