-नुभयो

Polite Past with तपाईं

Level 2Sounds Like nubhayō

-नुभयो is for a respected person doing something in the past.

How It Works

When you speak politely about the past, Nepali uses -नुभयो. It works for both men and women, and for one person or a respected group.

PresentPastNegative past
जानुहुन्छजानुभयोजानुभएन
गर्नुहुन्छगर्नुभयोगर्नुभएन
खानुहुन्छखानुभयोखानुभएन

A transitive verb has ले on the doer, as with any simple past: तपाईंले खाना खानुभयो? The verb does not mark a man or a woman.

Do not mix the polite past with the plain endings. तपाईं आयौ is wrong. Use तपाईं आउनुभयो. The same word is right for a teacher, a grandmother or a customer.

For the past of being, use हुनुहुन्थ्यो, as in उहाँ घरमा हुनुहुन्थ्यो.

Examples (5)

  1. तपाईं कहिले आउनुभयो?

    When did you come?

    आउनुभयो is the polite past of आउनु.

  2. उहाँ हिजो घर जानुभयो।

    He went home yesterday.

    उहाँ is a respected person.

  3. आमाले चिया पिउनुभयो।

    Mother drank tea.

    आमा is respected, so the verb takes -नुभयो.

  4. तपाईंले खाना खानुभयो?

    Did you eat?

    A polite question, with ले on the doer.

  5. तपाईं हिजो आउनुभएन।

    You did not come yesterday.

    The negative is -नुभएन.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the plain ending with तपाईं.

    तपाईं कहिले आयौ?
    तपाईं कहिले आउनुभयो?

    तपाईं needs the respect form -नुभयो.

How It Connects

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

-नुभयोLevel 2Polite Past with तपाईं

Learn This First

The polite past adds -नुभयो to the stem.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.