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Welcome to one of the most fundamental lessons in Nepali grammar. Today, Bimala will guide you through conjugating the verb “to be” — हुनु (hunu). This verb is essential for building sentences, describing people and things, and expressing your identity. Let’s learn together!
The verb "हुनु" (hunu) — “to be” — is the most fundamental verb in Nepali. It appears in countless everyday situations. Whether you’re introducing yourself, describing someone’s profession, telling your age, or expressing feelings, “to be” is the verb you’ll use most frequently. Mastering its conjugation is absolutely essential for fluent Nepali speech.
After mastering this lesson, you’ll confidently express identity, description, and existence in multiple ways:
The verb “to be” has special characteristics that make it unique and important:
You’ll use “to be” more than any other verb in everyday Nepali speech—in questions, statements, and descriptions.
“To be” doesn’t always follow regular conjugation rules—but once you learn its patterns, you’ll recognize similar irregularities in other Nepali verbs.
Present, past, and future forms of “to be” have distinct variations for each person, so understanding this verb deeply strengthens your overall grammar foundation.
Whether formal, casual, written, or spoken—”to be” appears in every context of Nepali communication.
This comprehensive lesson breaks down the verb “to be” into manageable, learnable sections:
Learn all 6 conjugations for present tense (I am, you are, he/she is, we are, you are formal, they are).
Master past tense conjugations to talk about how things were and what happened previously.
Express future plans and possibilities using proper future tense conjugations.
Learn how to ask questions and make negative statements using “to be” in all tenses.
Thoughtful questions throughout help you internalize patterns and apply knowledge in real situations.
Don’t rush through the tenses. Spend time with each conjugation. Understanding matters more than speed.
Saying each conjugation aloud multiple times creates muscle memory and improves pronunciation naturally.
Write out the conjugations by hand. This reinforces learning and helps you remember better.
Every new verb form you learn is progress. Be proud of yourself for investing in your language skills!
Let’s join Bimala on this essential journey. By the end of this lesson, you’ll confidently conjugate “to be” in all tenses and use it naturally in everyday Nepali conversations.
- Create flashcards with each conjugation for quick review
- Practice making simple sentences like “म… हूँ” (I am…) with different adjectives
- Find a language partner to practice asking and answering identity questions
- Record yourself saying the conjugations to hear your pronunciation
- Revisit this lesson regularly until the conjugations feel natural
- Watch Nepali videos and identify when speakers use different forms of “to be”
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