Nepali is the official language, spoken and understood by a majority of the population. However, multiple ethnic groups have their own mother tongues. English is spoken by many in tourist areas, government, and business offices, and by the younger generation. Nepali is derived from “Khas bhasha” and is considered to be a member of the Indo-European language. It is written in Devanagari script. Nepali was the language of the house of Gorkhas in the late 18th century and became the official, national language. Here are some words and phrases in the Nepali language that can be useful on your journey.

Hello – Namaste (said with palms pressed together and it means; “I salute the God in you”)