“If you are reading this, then you are trying to Nepali”
Do you know what are conditional sentences? Look at the above sentence…that was a conditional sentence. It has three primary elements, a ‘reason’ otherwise a ’cause’ which leads to an ‘outcome’. It is connected by ‘if’.
So, If “you are reading this” then “you are learning Nepali”
Let’s learn how to make conditional sentences!
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In English, you create a Conditional Statement like:
If + (Conditional) Cause + Outcome (out of the condition)
So, there are two clauses, the conditional clause (first clause) and the outcome (second clause).
Take the sentence:
If it rains tonight, I will study today.
So,
If + It rains tonight (cause) + I will study today (outcome)
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However, in Nepali, we do not form conditional statements that way! Well, it shouldn’t surprise you at all. In Nepali, the Cause and the ‘If’ switch places, i.e. the structure will be:
Cause + If + Outcome
That means,
The sentence will look like:
It rains tonight IF, I will study today.
So, there are two parts, the first clause, ‘it rains tonight’ and the second clause, ‘I will study today’. Now, if the first clause occurs, then the second clause will be performed. Hence, if rain, by chance falls today, then you WILL take your book out and read.
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In Nepali, the first Clause is always denoted in Simple Past Tense and the second Clause is usually denoted in Present otherwise Future Tense.
The first clause is connected in the beginning using ‘यदि’ (yadi) and the second clause is connected using ‘भने’ (bhane). While ‘यदि’ (yadi) is entirely optional, you cannot omit ‘भने’ (bhane) from the conditional sentence. Therefore:
Yadi + First Clause + Bhane + Second Clause
As you know, ‘yadi’ is entirely optional and hence I will omit it in examples.
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So, the conditional statement “If it rains tonight, I will study today” will look something like this in Nepali :
It rained Tonight + If + I will study Today
Or
आज पानी पर्यो + भने + म आज पढ्छु (aaja pani paryo + bhane + ma aaja padhchu)
(Today + Rain + Fell + IF + I + Today + Will Study)
Note: Present tense CAN be used to denote Future Tense. Also, addition of ’yadi’ in the beginning of the sentence doesn’t affect the sentence in any way. (yadi aaja pani…..)
Easy right? Did you notice that the first clause is in Simple Past Tense and the Second in Present?
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OTHER EXAMPLES
म कुदे भने मलाई भोक लाग्छ । (ma kude bhane malai bhok laagcha)
= If I run, I will get hungry.
[ I + Ran + If + I + hungry + get ]
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तिमीले भात खायौ भने तिम्रो भोक मेटिन्छ (timi le bhat khayau bhane timro bhok metincha)
= If you eat rice, your hunger will vanish.
[ You + Rice + Ate + If + your + Hunger + Vanish ]
यदि बसन्त ऋतु आएन भने फूलहरु फुल्दैन (yadi basanta ritu aaena bhane phul haru phuldaina)
= If Spring Season doesn’t come, then flowers won’t bloom.
[ Spring + Season + Not Came + If + Flowers + Won’t bloom ]
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And that’s it about conditional statements! Do ask help if you need it.
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EXERCISES
TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH INTO NEPALI
1. If I write a poem, I will be a poet.
2. If Mary calls me, I will talk with her.
ANSWERS (Illustrative purposes only)
1. मैले कविता लेखे भने म कवि हुन्छु । (maile kavita lekhe bhane ma kavi hunchu)
2. मेरीले मलाई कल गर्यो भने म ऊसँग कुरा गर्छु । (meri le malai kal garyo bhane ma u sanga kura garchu)