तिम्रो / तपाईंको

Talking About Your Things

Level 1Sounds Like timrō ra tapā'īṅkō

Your has two forms, one for friends and one for people you respect.

How It Works

Learn two words for your first, and let the choice follow the way you speak to the person. Very close friends and children may hear तेरो, which comes later.

Noun after itFriend (तिमी)Respect (तपाईं)
one thingतिम्रो फोनतपाईंको फोन
more than oneतिम्रा साथीहरूतपाईंका साथीहरू
one girl or womanतिम्री बहिनीतपाईंकी आमा

Use तपाईंको when you are unsure. It is the safe choice with strangers, teachers, elders and customers.

The verb matches the same level. In the present, तपाईं goes with -नुहुन्छ and तिमी goes with -छौ.

तपाईंको is written as one word. Do not put a space before को.

Examples (5)

  1. तिम्रो फोन यहाँ छ।

    Your phone is here.

    तिम्रो suits a friend and ends in -ो for one thing.

  2. तपाईंको नाम के हो?

    What is your name?

    तपाईंको is the polite your.

  3. तिम्रा साथीहरू कहाँ छन्?

    Where are your friends?

    Several friends, so the ending is -ा.

  4. तपाईंकी आमा घरमा हुनुहुन्छ?

    Is your mother at home?

    आमा is a woman, so the ending is -की.

  5. तिम्री बहिनी स्कुल जान्छे।

    Your younger sister goes to school.

    तिम्री fits one girl.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the singular form with a plural.

    तपाईंको साथीहरू कहाँ छन्?
    तपाईंका साथीहरू कहाँ छन्?

    In writing, several friends take the plural ending -ा.

  • Writing को apart.

    तपाईं को नाम के हो?
    तपाईंको नाम के हो?

    को joins the pronoun when it means your.

How It Connects

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

तिम्रो / तपाईंकोLevel 1Talking About Your Things

Learn This First

तिम्रो and तपाईंको are the possessive forms of the polite pronouns.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.