WBCHSE HS Nepali (Second Language) key terms

Nepali prose writing, including essays, short stories and biographical sketches prescribed in the syllabus. In this exam it covers comprehension, theme, character and style questions on the prose texts.

Poetry written in lines and stanzas rather than paragraphs. Questions ask about theme, imagery, figures of speech, tone and the poet's message in the prescribed poems.

A play written mainly in dialogue and meant for performance on stage. Study covers plot, conflict, characters, stage directions and the dramatist's social message.

A short narrative with a compact plot, few characters and a single central incident or theme. Answers usually discuss setting, character motivation and the story's message.

A prose piece that develops one subject in organised paragraphs with an introduction, body and conclusion. In the exam it also means the essay you compose yourself on a given topic.

A person portrayed in a story, play or prose piece. Character questions ask you to describe traits, motives and development, supporting each point with evidence from the text.

Speech exchanged between characters in a play, usually written as speaker name followed by words. It reveals character, advances conflict and carries the dramatist's ideas.

A figure of speech that decorates poetic language, such as simile, metaphor, alliteration or personification. Identifying the figure and explaining its effect earns marks in poetry answers.

A simile in which one thing is compared to another of a different kind using words such as झैँ, जस्तै or सरि. The comparison is explicit and the shared quality is stated.

A metaphor in which the compared object is identified with the subject without using comparison words. Saying a person is a lion, not like a lion, is रूपक.

Alliteration, the repetition of the same consonant sound, usually at the start of nearby syllables or words. It gives rhythm and musicality to a poem.

The aesthetic emotion evoked in a reader or audience by a literary work, such as करुण (compassion), वीर (heroism) or हास्य (humour). Naming the dominant रस is common in poetry questions.

The feeling or emotional state expressed in a literary passage, such as joy, grief, longing or indignation. Identifying भाव helps explain the tone of a poem or prose extract.

The rhythm or flow produced by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem. Reciting lines aloud helps you feel the लय and notice rhythmic breaks.

A fixed metrical pattern of syllables and pauses in traditional Nepali poetry. Some prescribed poems follow classical छन्द, while others use free verse without fixed metre.

The joining of two sounds or words where the final sound of the first combines with the initial sound of the second. Grammar questions ask you to split or combine forms correctly.

A compound word formed by joining two or more words, where the combined form carries a single meaning. Questions ask you to expand a compound or name its type.

A prefix attached before a root or word to change or sharpen its meaning, such as अनु, प्र or वि. Recognising prefixes helps explain word formation and meaning shifts.

A suffix added after a root or word to form a new word or grammatical form, such as -ता, -इमा or -दार. Questions ask you to build or analyse words with suffixes.

Grammatical gender of a noun or pronoun, classified in Nepali as masculine, feminine and sometimes neuter. Correct gender affects verb agreement and adjective endings.

Grammatical number, showing whether a word refers to one or more than one. Singular and plural forms must agree with the verb and with related adjectives.

The grammatical relation of a noun or pronoun to the verb in a sentence, such as subject, object or instrument. Nepali marks these relations with postpositions like ले, लाई and बाट.

A case ending or postposition that shows a noun's role in the sentence, such as -ले for the agent and -लाई for the object. Choosing the right विभक्ति is a frequent grammar task.

Verb tense, showing whether an action happens in the past, present or future. Nepali verbs also mark aspect and politeness, so tense questions often test full verb forms.

The verb of a sentence, expressing the action or state. It agrees with the subject in person, number and politeness level, and usually stands at the end in Nepali.

Grammatical voice, distinguishing active sentences from passive ones. Conversion exercises ask you to change active to passive or the reverse while keeping meaning and agreement correct.

Combining two or more simple sentences into one compound or complex sentence without changing meaning. It tests control of conjunctions and relative clauses.

Breaking a sentence into its grammatical parts, such as subject, object, verb and modifiers. It shows whether you can identify sentence structure and the function of each element.

The meaning of a word, including literal and contextual senses. Vocabulary questions ask for synonyms, antonyms or the meaning of a word as used in a prescribed text.

A synonym, a word with nearly the same meaning as another, such as जल and पानी for water. Synonym questions test vocabulary breadth and precision.

An antonym, a word with the opposite meaning of another, such as उज्यालो and अँध्यारो. Antonym questions appear in the grammar and vocabulary section.

A Nepali idiom or fixed expression whose meaning cannot be guessed from its individual words, such as हात हाल्नु. Questions ask for the meaning or correct use of an idiom.

A proverb, a short traditional saying that expresses practical wisdom, such as बाँदरको हातमा नरिवल. Questions ask you to complete a proverb or explain its application.

A paragraph, a group of sentences developing one idea. In composition it means writing a short, coherent passage on a given topic with a clear topic sentence and support.

An outline or skeleton plan of main points drawn before writing an essay or long answer. It keeps the composition organised, prevents repetition and saves time in the exam hall.

A letter. Formal letters follow a fixed layout of sender address, date, receiver address, salutation, body and closing, while personal letters are informal in tone.

A formal written application or request addressed to an authority, usually stating the subject, the reason and the request in a set order. It is a common applied-writing task.

An advertisement written to attract attention and persuade readers, often using a short headline, key details and contact information. Applied writing asks you to draft one concisely.

Translation, rendering a passage from Nepali into English or English into Nepali while preserving meaning, tone and register. Accuracy matters more than word-for-word matching.

Reading comprehension, the ability to read an unseen passage and answer questions on its main idea, details, inference and vocabulary. Answers should stay within the passage.