Nepali Language and Grammar
Nepali Language and Grammar tests sandhi, samas, karak, linga, vachan, purush, kal, vachya, and sentence correction. The paper rewards rule-based parsing, not memorized answers.
Core rules
- Sandhi joins adjacent sounds: swar (vowel), vyanjan (consonant), and visarga. Guna sandhi: a + i/e = e; a + u/o = o. Dirgha: a + a = ā; i + i = ī.
- Samas composes words into a compound; the final member usually carries gender and number. Distinguish samas from sandhi: sandhi changes sounds, while samas changes word structure.
- Karak: eight roles - karta, karma, karan, sampradan, apadan, sambandha, adhikaran, sambodhan. Markers include le, lai, bata, ko, and ma.
- Linga (gender), vachan (number), purush (person), and kal (tense) must agree with the verb.
Worked example
Combine nara + indra. The first ends in -a and the second begins with i; a + i becomes e (guna sandhi). Result: narendra. Do not write narindra, which simply inserts i without applying the sandhi rule.
Traps
- Applying Hindi sandhi forms to Nepali.
- Confusing samas with sandhi.
- Ignoring verb agreement in vachan.
- Using the wrong karak marker with verbs like dinu or bhanu.