-नुको सट्टा

Instead of

Level 5Sounds Like nukō saṭṭā

-नुको सट्टा means instead of doing: बस्नु becomes बस्नुको सट्टा, so घरमा बस्नुको सट्टा means instead of staying at home.

How It Works

The pattern has three parts: the verb in its -नु form, the genitive marker को, and the word सट्टा, which means in place of.

VerbFormMeaning
बस्नुबस्नुको सट्टाinstead of staying
किन्नुकिन्नुको सट्टाinstead of buying
पढ्नुपढ्नुको सट्टाinstead of reading

The first action is the one that did not happen, or that should not happen. The second clause gives the choice that replaced it. The doer of both actions is usually the same person, so the second clause does not repeat the subject.

को joins the verb, and सट्टा stays a separate word. You may also hear सट्टामा, which means the same thing. Use the pattern in speech and in writing. It sounds a little more careful than saying two short sentences.

Examples (5)

  1. घरमा बस्नुको सट्टा हामी पोखरा गयौँ।

    Instead of staying at home, we went to Pokhara.

    बस्नु becomes बस्नुको सट्टा, and the second clause says what happened.

  2. चिया खानुको सट्टा उनले पानी पिइन्।

    Instead of having tea, she drank water.

    खानु becomes खानुको सट्टा; पिइन् is the past for a woman.

  3. फोनमा समय बिताउनुको सट्टा किताब पढ्नुहोस्।

    Instead of spending time on the phone, read a book.

    The second clause can be a request.

  4. बसमा जानुको सट्टा म हिँडेर गएँ।

    Instead of going by bus, I walked.

    जानु becomes जानुको सट्टा.

  5. गाडी किन्नुको सट्टा उनीहरूले घर बनाए।

    Instead of buying a car, they built a house.

    किन्नु becomes किन्नुको सट्टा.

Common Mistakes

  • Learners write को as a separate word after the verb.

    घरमा बस्नु को सट्टा हामी पोखरा गयौँ।
    घरमा बस्नुको सट्टा हामी पोखरा गयौँ।

    को joins the verb: बस्नुको.

How It Connects

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

-नुको सट्टाLevel 5Instead of

Learn This First

-नुको सट्टा means instead of: the -नु form plus को सट्टा.