The Nepali alphabet, used to write the Nepali language, is based on the Devanagari script. Here are the basic characters of the Nepali alphabet:
Vowels (स्वर)
अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ऋ, ए, ऐ, ओ, औ, अं, अः
a, ā, i, ī, u, ū, ṛ, e, ai, o, au, ṃ, ḥ
Consonants (व्यञ्जन)
क, ख, ग, घ, ङ
ka, kha, ga, gha, ṅa
च, छ, ज, झ, ञ
ca, cha, ja, jha, ña
ट, ठ, ड, ढ, ण
ṭa, ṭha, ḍa, ḍha, ṇa
त, थ, द, ध, न
ta, tha, da, dha, na
प, फ, ब, भ, म
pa, pha, ba, bha, ma
य, र, ल, व
ya, ra, la, va
श, ष, स, ह
śa, ṣa, sa, ha
क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ
kṣa, tra, gya
Additional Characters
- ऋ (Ṛ) represents a vowel sound.
- क्ष (kṣa), त्र (tra), and ज्ञ (gya) are conjunct consonants.
In the Nepali script (Devanagari), dependent vowels are diacritical marks attached to consonants to modify their inherent vowel sound. These marks are called “matras” and they change the pronunciation of the consonant they are attached to. Here are the dependent vowels (matras) in Nepali:
Dependent Vowels (Matras)
| Independent Vowel | Dependent Vowel | Symbol | Example | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| अ | – | क | ka | |
| आ | ा | ा | का | kā |
| इ | ि | ि | कि | ki |
| ई | ी | ी | की | kī |
| उ | ु | ु | कु | ku |
| ऊ | ू | ू | कू | kū |
| ऋ | ृ | ृ | कृ | kṛ |
| ए | े | े | के | ke |
| ऐ | ै | ै | कै | kai |
| ओ | ो | ो | को | ko |
| औ | ौ | ौ | कौ | kau |
| अं | ं | ं | कं | kaṃ |
| अः | ः | ः | कः | kaḥ |
Examples
- क + ा = का (kā)
- क + ि = कि (ki)
- क + ी = की (kī)
- क + ु = कु (ku)
- क + ू =. कू (kū)
- क + ृ = कृ (kṛ)
- क + े = के (ke)
- क + ै = कै (kai)
- क + ो = को (ko)
- क + ौ = कौ (kau)
- क + ं = कं (kaṃ)
- क + ः = कः (kaḥ)
These dependent vowels are crucial for correct pronunciation and meaning in Nepali. They modify the inherent ‘a’ vowel sound present in consonants to form different syllables.
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