चाहिँ

Contrast with चाहिँ

Level 3Sounds Like cāhim̐

चाहिँ sets one person or thing against another.

How It Works

चाहिँ highlights one item and puts another beside it. It is like as for or as opposed to.

SentenceWhat it contrasts
म चाहिँ चिया पिउँछु, तिमी चाहिँ के पिउँछौ?me and you
दाइ चाहिँ अफिस जानुहुन्छ, दिदी चाहिँ कलेज जानुहुन्छ।brother and sister

It is stronger than त. त is a gentle topic marker. चाहिँ picks one thing out and sets it against the others.

It is often used in questions to ask about the other person: तिमी चाहिँ? (and you?).

Do not confuse it with the verb चाहिन्छ, which means is needed. They look alike, but चाहिँ is a particle with the nasal sign ँ and has nothing to do with need. मलाई चिया चाहिन्छ means I need tea.

Examples (5)

  1. म चाहिँ चिया पिउँछु, तिमी चाहिँ के पिउँछौ?

    I will have tea, and what will you have?

    चाहिँ is used for both people.

  2. दाइ चाहिँ अफिस जानुहुन्छ, दिदी चाहिँ कलेज जानुहुन्छ।

    Elder brother goes to the office, and elder sister goes to college.

    The two चाहिँ words set the two people apart.

  3. नेपाली चाहिँ मलाई सजिलो लाग्छ, हिन्दी चाहिँ गाह्रो।

    Nepali seems easy to me, but Hindi seems hard.

    चाहिँ contrasts two languages.

  4. घर चाहिँ सानो छ, तर बगैँचा ठूलो छ।

    The house is small, but the garden is big.

    चाहिँ picks out the house.

  5. तपाईं चाहिँ कहाँ बस्नुहुन्छ?

    And where do you live?

    चाहिँ turns the question to the other person.

Common Mistakes

  • Using चाहिँ for need.

    मलाई एक कप चिया चाहिँ।
    मलाई एक कप चिया चाहिन्छ।

    Need is the verb चाहिन्छ. चाहिँ is only a particle for contrast.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

चाहिँLevel 3Contrast with चाहिँ

Learn This First

चाहिँ marks a contrast.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.