Want to master the continuous tenses in Nepali? In this lesson, we break down how to conjugate the verb “to learn” (सिक्नु) in the present, past, and future continuous forms. Whether you’re just starting out or brushing up on your grammar, this quick guide makes it easy to understand and use “learning” in real-life situations.
To form the continuous tense in Nepali, follow these two simple steps. Using “to learn” (सिक्नु / siknu) as an example, we’ll show you how to build the continuous form that is used across all three tenses.
| Step | Action | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Remove the suffix -nu from the verb infinitive | सिक्नु (siknu) → सिक (sik) |
| Step 2 | Add दै (dai) to the verb root to form the continuous base | सिक (sik) + दै → सिक्दै (sikdai) |
Once you have the continuous form (सिक्दै), you add different conjugative suffixes depending on the tense (present, past, or future) and the subject pronoun.
Structure: Subject + सिक्दै (sikdai) + छु/छे/छ/छौँ/छौ/छन् (chu/che/cha/chau/chau/chan)
The present continuous tense describes actions that are happening right now. Each subject pronoun has a different conjugative suffix to match the person and number.
| English | Romanized Nepali | Nepali Script |
|---|---|---|
| I am learning. | Ma sikdai chu | म सिक्दै छु। |
| You (informal) are learning. | Timi sikdai chau | तिमी सिक्दै छौ। |
| You (formal) are learning. | Tapai sikdai hunuhuncha | तपाईं सिक्दै हुनुहुन्छ। |
| He is learning. (informal) | Uh sikdai cha | ऊ सिक्दै छ। |
| She is learning. (informal) | Uni sikdai chin | उनी सिक्दै छिन्। |
| He/She is learning. (formal) | Uha sikdai hunuhuncha | उहाँ सिक्दै हुनुहुन्छ। |
| We are learning. | Hami sikdai chau | हामी सिक्दै छौं। |
| They are learning. | Uniharu sikdai chan | उनीहरू सिक्दै छन्। |
Structure: Subject + सिक्दै (sikdai) + थियो/थिए/etc. (thiyo/thiye/etc.)
The past continuous tense describes actions that were happening at a specific time in the past. The suffix changes to match the subject pronoun while using the past tense marker.
| English | Romanized Nepali | Nepali Script |
|---|---|---|
| I was learning. | Ma sikdai thiye | म सिक्दै थिएँ। |
| You (informal) were learning. | Timi sikdai thiyou | तिमी सिक्दै थियौ। |
| You (formal) were learning. | Tapai sikdai hunuthiyo | तपाईं सिक्दै हुनुहुन्थ्यो। |
| He was learning. (informal) | Uh sikdai thiyo | ऊ सिक्दै थियो। |
| She was learning. (informal) | Uni sikdai thien | उनी सिक्दै थिइन्। |
| He/She was learning. (formal) | Uha sikdai hunuthiyo | उहाँ सिक्दै हुनुहुन्थ्यो। |
| We were learning. | Hami sikdai thiyou | हामी सिक्दै थियौं। |
| They were learning. | Uniharu sikdai thiye | उनीहरू सिक्दै थिए। |
Structure: Subject + सिक्दै (sikdai) + हुनेछ/हुनेछन्/etc. (hunecha/hunechan/etc.)
The future continuous tense describes actions that will be happening at a specific time in the future. The future marker हुनेछ is added with the appropriate conjugation for each subject.
| English | Romanized Nepali | Nepali Script |
|---|---|---|
| I will be learning. | Ma sikdai hunechu | म सिक्दै हुनेछु। |
| You (informal) will be learning. | Timi sikdai hunechau | तिमी सिक्दै हुनेछौ। |
| You (formal) will be learning. | Tapai sikdai hunu hunecha | तपाईं सिक्दै हुनुहुनेछ। |
| He will be learning. (informal) | Uh sikdai hunecha | ऊ सिक्दै हुनेछ। |
| She will be learning. (informal) | Uni sikdai hunechin | उनी सिक्दै हुनेछिन्। |
| He/She will be learning. (formal) | Uha sikdai hunu hunecha | उहाँ सिक्दै हुनुहुनेछ। |
| We will be learning. | Hami sikdai hunechau | हामी सिक्दै हुनेछौं। |
| They will be learning. | Uniharu sikdai hunechan | उनीहरू सिक्दै हुनेछन्। |
See how the three continuous tenses differ and how they function in real conversations with objects and specific contexts.
| Tense | English | Romanized Nepali | Nepali Script |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | I am learning. | Ma sikdai chu | म सिक्दै छु। |
| Past | I was learning. | Ma sikdai thiye | म सिक्दै थिएँ। |
| Future | I will be learning. | Ma sikdai hunechu | म सिक्दै हुनेछु। |
| Tense & Context | Romanized Nepali | Nepali Script |
|---|---|---|
| Present Continuous I am learning Nepali. |
Ma Nepali sikdai chu. | म नेपाली सिक्दै छु। |
| Past Continuous We were learning songs. |
Hami geet sikdai thiyou. | हामी गीत सिक्दै थियौँ। |
| Future Continuous He will be learning a new skill. |
Uh naya sip sikdai hunecha. | ऊ नयाँ सीप सिक्दै हुनेछ। |
By mastering the conjugation of “to learn” (सिक्नु) in all continuous tenses, you’ve learned a pattern that applies to virtually any Nepali verb. The consistent structure of removing -nu, adding दै, and then applying the appropriate conjugative suffix for tense and subject makes it straightforward to describe learning and other ongoing actions in Nepali with confidence and precision.
|
Principle 01
Universal Pattern
The formation process (remove -nu, add दै, add conjugative suffix) works for all Nepali verbs, making it highly transferable knowledge. |
Principle 02
Time Expression
The only thing that changes between present, past, and future is the conjugative suffix—the continuous form (सिक्दै) stays exactly the same. |
Principle 03
Practical Fluency
With this foundation, you can describe any learning activity in any time period and sound like a native speaker. |
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