मलाई ... आउँछ

Knowing a Skill

Level 2Sounds Like malā'ī nēpālī ā'um̐cha

आउँछ with लाई means to know a language or a skill.

How It Works

आउनु usually means to come, but with लाई it also means to know how to do something. The person who knows takes लाई, and the language or skill is a plain word: मलाई नेपाली आउँछ (I know Nepali).

It works for languages (मलाई अंग्रेजी आउँछ), for sports (उसलाई पौडी आउँछ) and, with a -न verb, for actions (तपाईंलाई खाना पकाउन आउँछ? Can you cook?).

The negative is आउँदैन: मलाई गाडी चलाउन आउँदैन (I do not know how to drive).

The verb आउँछ does not change for the person: it stays आउँछ for म, तिमी and तपाईं.

Do not use this pattern for knowing a fact (use थाहा छ) or a person (use चिन्नु).

Examples (4)

  1. मलाई नेपाली आउँछ।

    I know Nepali.

    आउँछ with लाई means to know a language.

  2. उसलाई पौडी आउँछ।

    She can swim.

    पौडी is the skill.

  3. तपाईंलाई खाना पकाउन आउँछ?

    Can you cook?

    A -न verb names the action.

  4. मलाई गाडी चलाउन आउँदैन।

    I do not know how to drive.

    आउँदैन is the negative.

Common Mistakes

  • Learners make the knower the doer.

    म नेपाली आउँछु।
    मलाई नेपाली आउँछ।

    The knower takes लाई and the verb आउँछ stays as it is.

How It Connects

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

मलाई ... आउँछLevel 2Knowing a Skill

Learn This First

आउँछ says you know a skill.