In Nepali, the verb “to give” translates to दिनु (dinu). Nepali verb conjugation changes according to tense (present, past, future), politeness (formal/informal), and number (singular/plural). The verb दिनु is one of the most commonly used verbs in everyday Nepali conversation, making it essential to master its conjugation patterns.
The present tense describes current or habitual actions. Notice how the verb changes based on the subject’s number and formality level.
| Subject | Verb Form | Full Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| म (I) | दिन्छु | म दिन्छु – I give |
| हामी (We) | दिन्छौँ | हामी दिन्छौँ – We give |
| तिमी (You – informal) | दिन्छौ | तिमी दिन्छौ – You give (informal) |
| तपाईं (You – formal) | दिनुहुन्छ | तपाईं दिनुहुन्छ – You give (formal) |
| ऊ (He/She) | दिन्छ | ऊ दिन्छ – He/She gives |
| उनीहरू (They) | दिन्छन् | उनीहरू दिन्छन् – They give |
The past tense describes completed actions. The form changes based on the subject and formality level.
| Subject | Verb Form | Full Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| म (I) | दिएँ | म दिएँ – I gave |
| हामी (We) | दियौँ | हामी दियौँ – We gave |
| तिमी (You – informal) | दियौ | तिमी दियौ – You gave (informal) |
| तपाईं (You – formal) | दिनुभयो | तपाईं दिनुभयो – You gave (formal) |
| ऊ (He/She) | दियो | ऊ दियो – He/She gave |
| उनीहरू (They) | दिए | उनीहरू दिए – They gave |
The future tense describes actions that will happen. It uses the suffix -नेछ for informal and -नुहुनेछ for formal forms.
| Subject | Verb Form | Full Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| म (I) | दिनेछु | म दिनेछु – I will give |
| हामी (We) | दिनेछौँ | हामी दिनेछौँ – We will give |
| तिमी (You – informal) | दिनेछौ | तिमी दिनेछौ – You will give (informal) |
| तपाईं (You – formal) | दिनुहुनेछ | तपाईं दिनुहुनेछ – You will give (formal) |
| ऊ (He/She) | दिनेछ | ऊ दिनेछ – He/She will give |
| उनीहरू (They) | दिनेछन् | उनीहरू दिनेछन् – They will give |
The imperative mood is used to give commands or make requests. It changes based on formality level.
| Subject (Addressed Person) | Verb Form | Full Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| तिमी (You – informal) | देऊ | तिमी देऊ – Give! (informal) |
| तपाईं (You – formal) | दिनुहोस् | तपाईं दिनुहोस् – Give! (formal) |
Usage Note: The imperative mood is directional—it’s used to address someone directly with a command or polite request. The informal “देऊ” is used with friends or close people, while the formal “दिनुहोस्” is used with elders or in professional contexts.
By mastering the conjugation of दिनु (to give), you’ve learned one of Nepal’s most essential and commonly used verbs. The patterns demonstrated here—including politeness levels, subject agreement, and tense formation—apply to many other Nepali verbs, making this a foundational lesson for advanced grammar understanding.
Nepali distinguishes between informal (तिमी) and formal (तपाईं) forms in virtually all verbs. Using the wrong politeness level can sound inappropriate or disrespectful.
Present (-छु/-छ), Past (-एँ/-यो), and Future (-नेछु/-नुहुनेछ) follow predictable patterns that apply across many Nepali verbs, making conjugation systematic and learnable.
Nepali verbs must agree with their subject in number (singular/plural) and person (first/second/third). This agreement shapes the entire verb conjugation system.
Create real sentences with दिनु in all tenses: “म उपहार दिन्छु” (I give gifts), “तिमीले मलाई किताब दियौ?” (Did you give me a book?), “उनीहरू पैसा दिनेछन्” (They will give money). Practice the imperative mood: “अलिकति खान दिनुहोस्” (Please give me something to eat). Compare दिनु with similar verbs like लिनु (to take) to understand how the same patterns apply across different verbs. Create dialogue practice scenarios where you use different politeness levels based on the relationship between speakers.
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