-न

Purpose with the -न Form

Level 3Sounds Like na

-न shows what a movement or an action is for.

How It Works

The -न form is the plain way to say in order to. It most often sits before the verb of going or coming.

म चिया पिउन जान्छु (I go to drink tea). सरिता किताब किन्न बजार गइन् (Sarita went to the market to buy a book).

The -न form does not take a person ending, because the last verb does all the work of person and tense: हामी फिल्म हेर्न गयौँ.

It also joins other verbs that take an infinitive, such as सक्नु and चाहनु. This entry is only about purpose.

Do not add को before the -न form when you only want to say for the purpose. The longer pattern -नको लागि is the careful form.

म चिया पिउन जान्छु।
I go to drink tea.
पिउन gives the purpose.
सरिता किताब किन्न बजार गइन्।
Sarita went to the market to buy a book.
किन्न shows why she went.
उहाँ मलाई भेट्न आउनुभयो।
He came to meet me.
The polite ending is only on the last verb.
हामी फिल्म हेर्न गयौँ।
We went to watch a film.
हेर्न gives the reason for going.
बच्चाहरू खेल्न बाहिर गए।
The children went outside to play.
The -न form stays the same for several doers.

Using the -नु form for purpose.
म चिया पिउनु जान्छु।
म चिया पिउन जान्छु।
Purpose needs the -न form.
Using -एर to say what a trip is for.
सरिता किताब किनेर बजार गइन्।
सरिता किताब किन्न बजार गइन्।
-एर shows one action came first, so the first sentence means Sarita bought a book and then went to the market. Purpose needs -न.

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

-नLevel 3Purpose with the -न Form

The -न form expresses purpose.

Patterns that build on this one.

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