In Nepali, verb conjugation depends on tense, aspect, mood, and the formality level of the subject. For the verb “to have” in Nepali, it’s usually expressed as छ (chha) in the present tense when indicating possession. However, “to have” differs from English in structure—Nepali uses सँग (sanga) meaning “with,” which implies possession. This lesson covers how “to have” is conjugated based on subject, number, and tense.
The present tense describes current possession. Note the structure: Subject + सँग (sanga) + छ (chha/is).
| Person | Nepali | Romanized | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| I (Singular) | मसँग छ | Ma-sanga chha | I have |
| We (Plural) | हामीसँग छ | Hami-sanga chha | We have |
| You (Informal) | तँसँग छ | Ta-sanga chha | You have (informal) |
| You (Formal) | तिमी/तपाईंसँग छ | Timi/Tapai-sanga chha | You have (formal) |
| He/She/It (Singular) | ऊसँग छ | U-sanga chha | He/She/It has |
| They (Plural) | उनीहरु/उहाँसँग छ | Uniharu/Uha-sanga chha | They have |
The past tense describes possession in the past. The structure remains the same: Subject + सँग (sanga) + थियो (thiyo/was).
| Person | Nepali | Romanized | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| I (Singular) | मसँग थियो | Ma-sanga thiyo | I had |
| We (Plural) | हामीसँग थियो | Hami-sanga thiyo | We had |
| You (Informal) | तँसँग थियो | Ta-sanga thiyo | You had (informal) |
| You (Formal) | तिमी/तपाईंसँग थियो | Timi/Tapai-sanga thiyo | You had (formal) |
| He/She/It (Singular) | ऊसँग थियो | U-sanga thiyo | He/She/It had |
| They (Plural) | उनीहरु/उहाँसँग थियो | Uniharu/Uha-sanga thiyo | They had |
The future tense describes possession that will happen. The structure uses: Subject + सँग (sanga) + हुनेछ (hunechha/will be).
| Person | Nepali | Romanized | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| I (Singular) | मसँग हुनेछ | Ma-sanga hunechha | I will have |
| We (Plural) | हामीसँग हुनेछ | Hami-sanga hunechha | We will have |
| You (Informal) | तँसँग हुनेछ | Ta-sanga hunechha | You will have (informal) |
| You (Formal) | तिमी/तपाईंसँग हुनेछ | Timi/Tapai-sanga hunechha | You will have (formal) |
| He/She/It (Singular) | ऊसँग हुनेछ | U-sanga hunechha | He/She/It will have |
| They (Plural) | उनीहरु/उहाँसँग हुनेछ | Uniharu/Uha-sanga hunechha | They will have |
1. The “सँग” (Sanga) Structure: Nepali uses “सँग” which means “with,” implying possession. This is fundamentally different from English. Instead of saying “I have,” Nepali literally says “with me is” (मसँग छ).
2. Formality & Number Variations: Nepali verbs change based on formality (informal तिमी vs formal तपाईं) and number (singular vs plural). Always pay attention to these distinctions when speaking.
3. “Have to” (Obligation) vs “Have” (Possession): When expressing obligations or experiences—like “I have to go” or “I had to work”—use गर्नु पर्छ (garnu parchha) instead. Example: म जान पर्छ (ma jaan parchha) = “I have to go.”
4. Practical Examples:
मसँग पेन छ। (Ma-sanga pen chha.) = “I have a pen.”
उहाँसँग घर छ। (Uha-sanga ghar chha.) = “He/She has a house.”
हामीसँग समय थियो। (Hami-sanga samay thiyo.) = “We had time.”
By mastering the verb छ (chha/to have) and its variations with सँग (sanga), you’ve learned a fundamental way to express possession in Nepali. Understanding this unique structure reveals how Nepali conceptualizes possession differently from English, offering valuable insight into the language’s grammar and philosophy.
Unlike English, Nepali expresses possession using “with.” This structure reveals a cultural and linguistic difference in how Nepali speakers conceptualize ownership and relationships with objects.
The verb छ changes based on the subject’s number (singular/plural) and formality level. Always choose the appropriate form to show respect and cultural awareness.
Present (छ), Past (थियो), and Future (हुनेछ) maintain the same सँग structure across all subjects, making the verb predictable once the pattern is understood.
Create sentences using different objects: “मसँग किताब छ” (I have a book), “उहाँसँग गाडी छ” (He has a car), “हामीसँग पैसा छ” (We have money). Practice switching between tenses: present (छ) → past (थियो) → future (हुनेछ). Use the obligation form गर्नु पर्छ for practice: “मुझे जान पर्छ” (I have to go). Create dialogues where you ask what someone has: “तपाईंसँग मोबाइल छ?” (Do you have a mobile phone?). Pay attention to formal vs informal usage and practice in actual conversations with native speakers.
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