In Nepali, the verb “to be” is often expressed using the verb ” हुनु “ (hunu), which changes based on tense, aspect, number, and the formality level of the subject. Below is a breakdown of how “to be” is conjugated in different tenses and structures in Nepali
1. Present Tense: To be
| Present tense”To be” | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| First person | म हुँ (Ma hun) I am | हामी हौं (Hami haun) We are |
| Second person | तिमी छौ / तपाईँ हुनुहुन्छ (Timi chau / Tapai hunuhunchha) You are (formal) | तपाइहरु हुनुहुन्छ (Tapaiharu hunuhunchha) You are |
| Third person | ऊ छ / उहाँ हुनुहुन्छ (U chha / Uha hunuhunchha) He/She/It is (formal/informal) | उनीहरु छन् / उहाँहरु हुनुहुन्छ (Uniharu chhan / Uhaharu hunuhunchha) — They are (formal/informal) |
2. Past Tense: To be (was/were)
| Past tense “To be” | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| First person | म थिएँ (Ma thiye) I was | हामी थियौं (Hami thiyaun) We were |
| Second person | तिमी थियौ / तपाईँ हुनुहुन्थ्यो (Timi thiyaun / Tapai hunuhunthyo) You were (formal) | तपाइहरु हुनुहुन्थ्यो (Tapaiharu hunuhunthyo) You were |
| Third person | ऊ थियो / उहाँ हुनुहुन्थ्यो (U thiyo / Uha hunuhunthyo) He/She/It was | उनीहरु थिए / उहाँहरु हुनुहुन्थ्यो (Uniharu thiye / Uhaharu hunuhunthyo) They were |
3. Future Tense: To be (will be)
| Future tense “To be” | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| First person | म हुनेछु (Ma hunechu) I will be | हामी हुनेछौं (Hami hunechhaun) We will be |
| Second person | तिमी हुनेछौ / तपाईँ हुनुहुनेछ (Timi hunechau / Tapai hunuhunechha) You will be (formal) | तपाइहरु हुनुहुनेछ (Tapaiharu hunuhunechha) You will be |
| Third person | ऊ हुनेछ / उहाँ हुनुहुनेछ (U hunechha / Uha hunuhunechha) He/She/It will be | उनीहरु हुनेछन् / उहाँहरु हुनुहुनेछ (Uniharu hunechhan / Uhaharu hunuhunechha) They will be |
Additional Notes:
- In formal speech, the suffix “हुन्छ“ (hunuhunchha) is used for third person or formal second person.
- The verb “to be” can also take on different forms based on context, such as existential “to be” (for things that exist) or descriptive “to be” (for states of being).
- Nepali verbs tend to be very dependent on levels of respect/formality, which is reflected in the wide variety of conjugation forms for “to be.”
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