तिमी / तपाईं

Addressing Someone

Level 1Sounds Like timī ra tapā'īṁ

Use तपाईं with strangers and elders and तिमी with friends and younger people, and change the verb to match.

How It Works

Both words mean you. The difference is respect, and the verb shows it too.

तपाईंतिमी
Whostrangers, elders, teachers, customersfriends, classmates, younger people
goजानुहुन्छजान्छौ
be (हो)हुनुहुन्छहौ
eatखानुहुन्छखान्छौ

With तपाईं, the verb is the same for one person or many. To speak to a woman as तिमी, use -छ्यौ in writing and careful speech: तिमी कहाँ जान्छ्यौ? Many people use -छौ for a woman in everyday speech too. Many couples also say तिमी to each other, and an older person may use it to a younger one.

If you are not sure, begin with तपाईं. A person can invite you to switch to तिमी, but starting with तिमी to a stranger can sound rude. Never mix the two: तपाईं goes with -नुहुन्छ only.

Examples (5)

  1. तपाईं कहाँ बस्नुहुन्छ?

    Where do you live?

    तपाईं is polite and takes -नुहुन्छ.

  2. तिमी कहाँ बस्छौ?

    Where do you live?

    तिमी is friendly and takes -छौ.

  3. तपाईं डाक्टर हुनुहुन्छ।

    You are a doctor.

    The polite form of हो is हुनुहुन्छ.

  4. तिमी मेरो साथी हौ।

    You are my friend.

    The friendly form of हो is हौ.

  5. तिमी कहाँ जान्छ्यौ?

    Where do you go?

    This is the written form for a woman or girl you call तिमी.

Common Mistakes

  • Mixing तपाईं with the तिमी ending.

    तपाईं कहाँ बस्छौ?
    तपाईं कहाँ बस्नुहुन्छ?

    तपाईं needs the polite ending -नुहुन्छ, not -छौ.

How It Connects

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

तिमी / तपाईंLevel 1Addressing Someone

Learn This First

Choosing तिमी or तपाईं is a choice about respect.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.