In Nepali, verb conjugation changes depending on the subject, tense, mood, and politeness level. The verb “to take” translates to लिनु (linu). This comprehensive guide shows the conjugation of “linu” for different tenses in common structures, including multiple politeness levels that are essential for appropriate social communication in Nepali.
The present tense describes current actions or habitual activities. Notice the different politeness levels for each subject.
| Subject & Politeness | Nepali | Romanized |
|---|---|---|
| I take | म लिन्छु | ma linchu |
| You take (informal) | तँ लिन्छस् | tã linchas |
| You take (semi-formal) | तिमी लिन्छौ | timi linchau |
| You take (formal) | तपाईं लिनुहुन्छ | tapaĩ linu hunchha |
| He/She/It takes (informal) | ऊ लिन्छ | u linchha |
| He/She/It takes (formal) | उहाँ लिनुहुन्छ | uhã linu hunchha |
| We take | हामी लिन्छौं | haami linchaũ |
| They take | उनीहरू लिन्छन् | uniharu linchhan |
The past tense describes completed actions. Note that past tense often uses object markers (ले) for certain subjects.
| Subject & Politeness | Nepali | Romanized |
|---|---|---|
| I took | म लिँएँ | ma liẽ |
| You took (informal) | तँ लिँयस् | tã liyas |
| You took (semi-formal) | तिमी लिँयौ | timi liyau |
| You took (formal) | तपाईं लिनुभयो | tapaĩ linu bhayo |
| He/She/It took (informal) | ऊ लियो | u liyo |
| He/She/It took (formal) | उहाँ लिनुभयो | uhã linu bhayo |
| We took | हामीले लियौं | haami le lyaaũ |
| They took | उनीहरूले लिँए | uniharu le liyẽ |
The future tense describes actions that will happen. It uses the suffix -नेछ which indicates intention or certainty.
| Subject & Politeness | Nepali | Romanized |
|---|---|---|
| I will take | म लिनेछु | ma linechhu |
| You will take (informal) | तँ लिनेछस् | tã linechas |
| You will take (semi-formal) | तिमी लिनेछौ | timi linechau |
| You will take (formal) | तपाईं लिनुहुनेछ | tapaĩ linu hunechha |
| He/She/It will take (informal) | ऊ लिनेछ | u linechha |
| He/She/It will take (formal) | उहाँ लिनुहुनेछ | uhã linu hunechha |
| We will take | हामी लिनेछौं | haami linechaũ |
| They will take | उनीहरू लिनेछन् | uniharu linechhan |
The present continuous tense describes actions happening right now. It uses the suffix -दै which indicates ongoing action.
| Subject & Politeness | Nepali | Romanized |
|---|---|---|
| I am taking | म लिँदैछु | ma lĩdaichhu |
| You are taking (informal) | तँ लिँदैछस् | tã lĩdaichhas |
| You are taking (semi-formal) | तिमी लिँदैछौ | timi lĩdaichhau |
| You are taking (formal) | तपाईं लिँदै हुनुहुन्छ | tapaĩ lĩdai hunuhunchha |
| He/She/It is taking (informal) | ऊ लिँदैछ | u lĩdaichha |
| He/She/It is taking (formal) | उहाँ लिँदै हुनुहुन्छ | uhã lĩdai hunuhunchha |
| We are taking | हामी लिँदैछौं | haami lĩdaichhaũ |
| They are taking | उनीहरू लिँदैछन् | uniharu lĩdaichhan |
The past continuous tense describes actions that were happening at a specific time in the past. It combines -दै with the past auxiliary थिए/हुनुहुन्थ्यो.
| Subject & Politeness | Nepali | Romanized |
|---|---|---|
| I was taking | म लिँदै थिएँ | ma lĩdai thiẽ |
| You were taking (informal) | तँ लिँदै थियस् | tã lĩdai thiyas |
| You were taking (semi-formal) | तिमी लिँदै थियौ | timi lĩdai thiyau |
| You were taking (formal) | तपाईं लिँदै हुनुहुन्थ्यो | tapaĩ lĩdai hunuhunthyo |
| He/She/It was taking (informal) | ऊ लिँदै थियो | u lĩdai thiyo |
| He/She/It was taking (formal) | उहाँ लिँदै हुनुहुन्थ्यो | uhã lĩdai hunuhunthyo |
| We were taking | हामी लिँदै थियौं | haami lĩdai thiyaaũ |
| They were taking | उनीहरू लिँदै थिए | uniharu lĩdai thie |
By mastering the conjugation of लिनु (to take) across all five major tenses, you’ve learned a verb that demonstrates the full complexity and beauty of Nepali grammar. This verb shows how Nepali handles politeness levels, subject changes, and tense formations—skills that apply to many other verbs.
Nepali grammar includes informal, semi-formal, and formal variations. Choose the right form based on your relationship with the person you’re speaking to. This is crucial for respectful communication.
Each tense follows consistent patterns: Present (-छु/-छ), Past (-एँ/-यो), Future (-नेछु/-नेछ), Present Continuous (-दैछु/-दैछ), Past Continuous (-दै थिए/-दै थियो). These patterns apply across many verbs.
Past tense uses object markers (ले) for first and second person: मैले, तिमीले, हामीले. Third person follows different patterns. Understanding case marking is essential for accurate Nepali.
Practice each conjugation by creating real sentences: “म किताब लिन्छु” (I take a book), “तिमी मेरो हात लिन्छौ?” (Do you take my hand?), “उहाँ पैसा लिनुहुन्छ” (He/She takes money). Read the conjugations aloud to internalize patterns. Create dialogues using different tenses and politeness levels. Compare these patterns with other verbs you’ve learned like सिक्नु (to learn) and बुझ्नु (to understand) to strengthen your understanding of how Nepali verb conjugation works across all verbs.
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