INTRODUCTION
Adjectives are words which qualify a noun or a noun phrase to give it more depth, characteristic or information. For example, the adjective is in bold in the sentence below:
Red houseAdjectives are called विशेषण (viśeṣaṇ) in Nepali. Use of adjectives is described in Sentence Structure.
Note | Some translations are approximate as its use depends on the context. All adjectives listed are in dictionary form (singular | masculine/neuter) unless otherwise specified. Text in brackets indicate context.
LIST
Adjectives describing appearance, features and feelings
| Bad/ Not good | नराम्रो (narāmro) |
| Beautiful | सुन्दर (sundar) |
| Fast | छिटो (chiṭo) |
| Good | राम्रो (rāmro) |
| Old (entity) | पुरानो (purāno) |
| Old (person | masc.) | बुढो (buḍho) |
| Old (person | fem.) | बुढी (buḍhī) |
| New | नयाँ (nayā~) |
| Not beautiful/ Ugly | कुरूप (kurūp) |
| Slow | ढिलो (ḍhilo) |
| Young | जवान (jawān) |
Adjectives describing color
For a list, click here.
| Black | कालो (kālo) |
| Blue | नीलो (nīlo) |
| Green | हरियो (hariyo) |
| Red | रातो (rāto) |
| White | सेतो (seto) |
| Yellow | पहेँलो (pahe~lo) |
Adjectives describing distance, shape and size
| Big | ठुलो (ṭhulo) |
| Deep | गहिरो (gahiro) |
| Far | टाढो (ṭāḍho) |
| Fat/ Thick (books) | मोटो (moṭo) |
| Flat | च्याप्टो (cyāpṭo) |
| Long | लामो (lāmo) |
| Low | होचो (hoco) |
| Near | नजिक (najik) |
| Short (distance) | छोटो (choṭo) |
| Short (entity/person) | पुड्को (puḍko) |
| Small | सानो (sāno) |
| Tall/ High | अग्लो (aglo) |
| Thick (fluid, clothes) | बाक्लो (bāklo) |
| Thin (entity)/ Dilute | पातलो (pātalo) |
| Thin (person) | दुब्लो (dublo) |
Adjectives describing quality
| Cheap/ Not expensive | सस्तो (sasto) |
| Difficult (hard) | गाह्रो (gāhro) |
| Easy | सजिलो (sajilo) |
| Expensive | महँगो (maha~go) |
Adjectives describing taste
| Bitter | तितो (tito) |
| Good tasting | मिठो (miṭho) |
| Hot (taste) | पिरो (piro) |
| Not-so-good tasting | नमिठो (namīṭho) |
| Salty | नुनिलो (nunilo) |
| Sour | अमिलो (amilo) |
| Stale | बासी (bāsī) |
| Sweet | गुलियो (guliyo) |
Adjectives describing touch and environment
| Blurry/ Cloudy | धमिलो (dhamilo) |
| Bright | उज्यालो (ujyālo) |
| Coarse | खस्रो (khasro) |
| Cold (temperature/personality)/ Wet | चीसो (cīso) |
| Cold (weather) | जाडो (jāḍo) |
| Dark | अँध्यारो (a~dhyāro) |
| Dry | सुक्खा (sukkhā) |
| Hard (entity) | कडा (kaḍā) |
| Hot (temperature) | तातो (tāto) |
| Hot (weather) | गर्मी (garmī) |
| Lukewarm (temperature) | मनतातो (mantāto) |
| Smooth | चिल्लो (cillo) |
| Soft | नरम (naram) |
| Warm (clothes/feeling) | न्यानो (nyāno) |
EXERCISES
A. IDENTIFY THE ADJECTIVE AND WRITE ITS NEPALI TRANSLATION ALONG WITH THE MEANING.
1. Blue house
2. Tall person
3. I climbed the big tree.
4. Tea goes with sweet biscuits.
5. He only drives fast cars.
B. WRITE THE OPPOSITE WORD TO THE FOLLOWING WORDS IN NEPALI.
1. अँध्यारो
2. सेतो
3. चीसो
4. नयाँ
5. छोटो
C. SELECT THE CORRECT ADJECTIVES AND FILL IN THE BLANKS.
गर्मी (garmī) | मिठो (miṭho) | न्यानो (nyāno) | बाक्लो (bāklo) | जाडो (jāḍo) | रातो (rāto)
हिजो (0) गर्मी थियो तर आज धेरै (1)___ छ त्यसैले मैले मेरो (2)___ लुगा लगाएँ । मसँग एउटा (3)___ टोपी छ । त्यो टोपी (4)___ छ । मेरी आमाले आज (5)___ खाना बनाउनुभएको छ ।
Transliteration | hijo (0) garmī thiyo tara āja dherai (1)___ cha tyasaile maile mero (2)___ lugā lagāe~. ma-sa~ga euṭā (3)___ ṭopī cha. tyo ṭopī (4)___ cha. merī āmā-le āja (5)___ khānā banāunubhaeko cha.
Translation | It was warm yesterday but it is very cold today, that’s why I wore my warm clothes. I have a red hat. That hat is thick. My mother has cooked tasty food today.
ANSWERS
A.1. Blue | नीलो (nīlo)
A.2. Tall | अग्लो (aglo)
A.3. big | ठुलो (ṭhulo)
A.4. sweet | गुलियो (guliyo)
A.5. fast | छिटो (chiṭo)
B.1. उज्यालो (ujyālo)
B.2. कालो (kālo)
B.3. तातो (tāto)
B.4. पुरानो (purāno)
B.5. लामो (lāmo)
C.1. जाडो (jāḍo)
C.2. न्यानो (nyāno)
C.3. रातो (rāto)
C.4. बाक्लो (bāklo)
C.5. मिठो (miṭho)