Grammatical Number in Nepali Grammar – वचन
वचन - Number
Understanding Singular and Plural Forms in Nepali
परिभाषा (Definition)
नेपाली: शब्दको जुन रूपले कुनै पनि वस्तु वा व्यक्तिको संख्या (एक वा एकभन्दा बढी) बुझाउँछ, त्यसलाई वचन भनिन्छ।
English: Number is the grammatical category that indicates whether a noun, pronoun, or verb refers to one entity (singular) or more than one entity (plural).
१. एकवचन (Singular Number)
परिभाषा: कुनै एक मात्र व्यक्ति, वस्तु वा स्थानलाई बुझाउने शब्दको रूपलाई एकवचन भनिन्छ।
Definition: A form of a word that refers to only one person, place, or thing.
उदाहरणहरू (Examples):
- किताब (Book) - मसँग एउटा किताब छ। (I have one book.)
- कलम (Pen) - यो कलम राम्रो छ। (This pen is good.)
- चरो (Bird) - चरो रुखमा छ। (The bird is on the tree.)
२. बहुवचन (Plural Number)
परिभाषा: एकभन्दा बढी व्यक्ति, वस्तु वा स्थानलाई बुझाउने शब्दको रूपलाई बहुवचन भनिन्छ। नेपालीमा नामको पछाडि 'हरू' थपेर बहुवचन बनाइन्छ।
Definition: A form of a word that refers to more than one person, place, or thing. In Nepali, plurality is usually marked by adding the suffix '-haru'.
उदाहरणहरू (Examples):
- किताबहरू (Books) - झोलामा धेरै किताबहरू छन्। (There are many books in the bag.)
- कलमहरू (Pens) - यी कलमहरू नयाँ हुन्। (These pens are new.)
- चराहरू (Birds) - चराहरू आकाशमा उडिरहेका छन्। (Birds are flying in the sky.)
Note: Essential Concept Difference
In English, adding "-s" or "-es" usually makes a noun plural (e.g., Pen -> Pens).
In Nepali, we add "-हरू" (-haru) to make nouns plural. However, there is a major difference in verb usage:
• Singular: किताब छ (Kitab cha - Book is)
• Plural: किताबहरू छन् (Kitab-haru chan - Books are)
The verb ending must change from "Cha" (is) to "Chan" (are) to match the plural subject. Also, if a number is used (e.g., Two books), the suffix "-haru" becomes optional in casual Nepali but the verb remains plural.
एकवचन र बहुवचन छुट्याउन अभ्यास गर्नुहोस्! (Practice distinguishing between singular and plural forms!)