Language/Nepali-individual-language/Grammar/Gender

Nepali (individual language) Grammar - Gender

Hi Nepali (individual language) learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about Nepali gender, which is an important aspect of grammar. Understanding gender in Nepali can help you master the language and communicate more effectively. We will also discuss cultural information and interesting facts related to the topic. Don't forget to ask questions and find native speakers to practice – Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

What is gender?

Gender is a grammatical category that reflects the sex of a noun in a language. In Nepali, gender is divided into masculine (male), feminine (female), and neuter (non-living things, animals, and sometimes humans). Correctly identifying the gender is essential as it affects the noun's endings, adjectives, and pronouns that go with it.

In Nepali, the classification of gender can be irregular, and unlike English, the gender of a noun may not always align with the biological sex of the object it describes. For example, in Nepali, the word for 'sun' (सुर्य) is masculine, and the word for 'moon' (चन्द्रमा) is feminine.

Masculine Gender

The masculine gender refers to male objects or beings in Nepali. Here are some examples in a table:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
बाबा	bābā	father
छोरा	chōrā	son
शेर	sher	lion
सिंह	sinh	tiger

Here is a dialogue to help you understand masculine gender in Nepali:

• Person 1: हे छोरे के खाता हो? (He chhore ke khata ho?) (What is your son eating?)
• Person 2: मेरो छोरा दाल रोटी खाता छ। (Mero chhorer dal roti khata cha.) (My son is eating lentils and bread.)

Note that the adjective 'mero' indicates possession by the speaker.

Feminine Gender

The feminine gender refers to female objects or beings in Nepali. Here are some examples in a table:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
आमा	āmā	mother
छोरी	chhōri	daughter
बाघिन	bāghin	tigress
सिंहिनी	sinhinī	lioness

Here is a dialogue to help you understand feminine gender in Nepali:

• Person 1: आमा कस्तो खाती हुन्छ? (Āmā kasto khātī hunchha?) (What does your mother eat?)
• Person 2: मेरी आमा दही र भात खाती हुन्छ। (Meri āmā dahī ra bhāt khātī hunchha.) (My mother eats yogurt and rice.)

Note that the adjective 'meri' indicates possession by the speaker.

Neuter Gender

The neuter gender in Nepali refers to non-living things, animals, and sometimes even humans. Here are some examples in a table:

Nepali (individual language)	Pronunciation	English
घर	ghar	house
भालु	bhālu	bear
पुस्तक	pustak	book
स्कूल	skūl	school

Here is a dialogue to help you understand neuter gender in Nepali:

• Person 1: तपाईंको घर कति महँगो छ? (Tapāīkō ghar kati mahango chha?) (How expensive is your house?)
• Person 2: मेरो घर धेरै महंगो होइन। (Mero ghar dherai mahango hoena.) (My house is not very expensive.)

Note that the adjective 'mero' indicates possession by the speaker.

Interesting Facts

- In Nepali, there is no neuter gender pronoun. Instead, the masculine gender pronoun is used as a substitute.

- While most nouns are classified as feminine, masculine or neuter, several can have dual gender as well.

- In Nepali, gender is not just limited to the noun but is also extended to other parts of speech that complement them.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned about Nepali gender and how it is an essential aspect of grammar. By correctly identifying gender, we can communicate more effectively in Nepali. Don't forget to practice your skills, find native speakers, and use Polyglot Club to improve your Nepali skills. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Nepali language
• Grammatical gender
• Nepali grammar

Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Interrogatives in Nepali & How to Use Be.

Other Lessons

• Give your Opinion
• Pronouns
• How to Use Have
• Questions
• Verbs kriyaharu क्रियाहरू
• Negation
• Nouns
• Adjectives
• Conditional Mood