भन्नु / सोध्नु

Telling and Asking

Level 2Sounds Like bhannu ra sōdhnu

भन्नु means to say or tell and सोध्नु means to ask. The listener takes लाई.

How It Works

भन्नु means to say or tell, and सोध्नु means to ask. Both take लाई on the person who hears: उसले मलाई भन्यो (he told me) and मैले साथीलाई सोधेँ (I asked my friend).

They are transitive verbs, so in the past the doer takes ले: उसले, मैले, उहाँले. In the present the doer usually has no ले: म साथीलाई भन्छु (I tell my friend).

With सोध्नु the person can also take सँग: मैले साथीसँग सोधेँ (I asked my friend).

The respect forms are भन्नुहुन्छ and सोध्नुहुन्छ in the present, and भन्नुभयो and सोध्नुभयो in the past: उहाँले मलाई भन्नुभयो (she told me).

To ask what was said, put के before the verb: तपाईंले के भन्नुभयो? (what did you say?).

Examples (5)

  1. उसले मलाई भन्यो।

    He told me.

    मलाई is the listener, and उसले is the doer in the past.

  2. मैले साथीलाई सोधेँ।

    I asked my friend.

    सोधेँ is the past of सोध्नु.

  3. मैले साथीसँग सोधेँ।

    I asked my friend.

    सोध्नु also takes सँग, and the doer still takes ले.

  4. उहाँले मलाई भन्नुभयो।

    She told me.

    The honorific past भन्नुभयो.

  5. तपाईंले के भन्नुभयो?

    What did you say?

    के asks about what was said.

Common Mistakes

  • Learners leave out ले with the past of भन्नु.

    ऊ मलाई भन्यो।
    उसले मलाई भन्यो।

    भन्नु is transitive, so its past needs ले on the doer.

How It Connects

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भन्नु / सोध्नुLevel 2Telling and Asking

Learn This First

भन्नु and सोध्नु tell and ask.

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Patterns that build on this one.