Greetings and thanks
Namaste is the greeting you will use most. Say it with your palms pressed together in front of your chest, at any time of day, for hello and often for goodbye too. Namaskar is a slightly more formal version, useful with older people.
Dhanyabad means thank you. Nepalis tend to say it less often than English speakers say thank you, showing thanks with a smile or a gesture instead, but it is always welcome from a visitor.
At the table and in the shop
Mitho chha means it is tasty, and few phrases please a cook more. Pani is water and chiya is tea, and the single word with a smile is usually enough to be understood. Pugyo means enough, which is useful when someone keeps topping up your plate.
Kati ho? means how much is it?, the question to ask before you buy something in a market or a small shop. Thik chha means okay or fine, and works as an all-purpose, friendly reply.
Yes, no and hajur
Ho means yes, in the sense of that is right, and hoina means no, it is not. Hajur is a polite word used in several ways: as a respectful yes, as an answer when someone calls your name, and as pardon? when you did not catch something. If you learn only one polite word, make it this one.
Calling people by family terms
Nepalis often address each other with family words rather than names, and visitors can do the same. Dai means elder brother and didi means elder sister, so you might call a shopkeeper or driver around your own age or older dai or didi. Bhai means younger brother and bahini younger sister, for people younger than you.
These terms are friendly and respectful rather than overly familiar, and people usually respond in kind. For more on greetings and customs, read our guide to Nepal etiquette, or see how guests are received in a Nepali welcome.