nepali
nepali — noun
- nepalisingular
- nepalisplural
1. someone who comes from Nepal, the country between India and China in the Himalay
someone who comes from Nepal, the country between India and China in the Himalayas.
Joon shared a table with two Nepalis on the train from Delhi to Kathmandu.
countable singular: a/two Nepali(s)
Many Nepalis travel abroad to work and send money home to their families.
plural subject: 'Nepalis' as a group
Ife asked the waiter, who was a Nepali, about local festivals in Pokhara.
The mountain guide that Eli hired in Lukla had grown up there as a Nepali.
About thirty million Nepalis live inside the country's borders today.
文法句型
a Nepali
the Nepalis
用法筆記
Capitalised in writing even when used as a common noun, like other words for people from a country (a Japanese, a Brazilian).
常見錯誤
2. the main official language of Nepal, also spoken by communities in parts of nort
the main official language of Nepal, also spoken by communities in parts of northern India and Bhutan.
Lucía started learning Nepali before her volunteer trip to a school in Kathmandu.
object of 'learn / study'
The street signs in Pokhara are printed in both Nepali and English.
with prep 'in': 'in Nepali'
Kabir greeted the shopkeeper in fluent Nepali and asked the price of the scarf.
Mark struggled to read the menu because it was written only in Nepali.
Nepali uses the same Devanagari script as Hindi but has its own grammar and vocabulary.
文法句型
speak Nepali
in Nepali
用法筆記
Uncountable as a language name: 'speak Nepali', not 'speak a Nepali'. Distinguish from sense 1 (a person), which is countable.
常見錯誤
nepali — adjective
- nepalipositive
- more nepalicomparative
- most nepalisuperlative
1. belonging to Nepal, or made by people who live there.
belonging to Nepal, or made by people who live there.
Minh bought a small Nepali singing bowl as a present for her music teacher.
attributive: Nepali + noun
The Nepali flag is the only national flag in the world that is not rectangular.
attributive with definite reference
Wren joined a small group hike led by a friendly Nepali guide named Bishal.
Élise's favourite dish is a Nepali lentil stew called dal bhat.
Kian's grandmother is Nepali, although she has lived in London for forty years.
- Nepalese
older form, less common today; both are accepted, but 'Nepali' is now preferred
文法句型
Nepali + noun
be Nepali
用法筆記
Used both before a noun ('a Nepali village') and after the verb 'be' ('she is Nepali'). Distinguish from sense 2, which is specifically about the language.
常見錯誤
2. connected with the Nepali language — for example a textbook, dictionary, or clas
connected with the Nepali language — for example a textbook, dictionary, or class for it.
Sayaka downloaded a Nepali dictionary app onto her phone before flying to Kathmandu.
attributive with language-resource noun
The university offers a beginners' Nepali class twice a week in the evenings.
collocation: Nepali class / Nepali course
Christopher uses a Nepali grammar book that his teacher recommended at the start of term.
Megan listens to a short Nepali podcast during her morning commute to practise listening.
文法句型
Nepali + noun (language-related)
用法筆記
Almost always attributive — modifies nouns about study materials, classes, or media tied to the language. Distinguish from sense 1, which describes anything from the country in general.