What to Say in Nepali When Making a Phone Call
For a short Nepali call, greet and identify yourself, then ask to speak when needed. Use the brief-wait line while someone is fetched, acknowledge with thanks, and say you will call later if the conversation must pause. These phrases support key call moves, but not asking for Ramesh or leaving a detailed message.
Start with these expressions
| English | Transliteration | Native script |
|---|---|---|
| Hello, Maya speaking. | namaste, maya boldai chhu. | नमस्ते, माया बोल्दै छु। |
| Hello, may I speak with you? | namaste, tapainsanga kura garna milchha? | नमस्ते, तपाईंसँग कुरा गर्न मिल्छ? |
| May I speak with you? | tapainsanga kura garna milchha? | तपाईंसँग कुरा गर्न मिल्छ? |
| One moment, please. | ekchin hai. | एकछिन है। |
| Okay, thank you. | thik chha, dhanyabad. | ठीक छ, धन्यवाद। |
| I will call later. | ma pachhi phon garchhu. | म पछि फोन गर्छु। |
Match each line to the job you need
The key distinction is between identifying yourself and requesting to speak. The caller-identification line tells the other person who is speaking. The speaking-request line asks whether you can talk with the listener. The combined opening does both, so it is useful when you want to introduce yourself and make the request in one move.
Keep the remaining moves separate. Choose the short-wait line when the person needs a moment during the current call. Choose the thanks line to acknowledge what the other person has said. Choose the later-call line when you are ending or pausing now but intend to telephone again. A later callback is not the same as asking someone to wait: one postpones the conversation, while the other keeps the current call open.
The phone lines do not cover every move in the family-friend scenario. In particular, they do not provide a verified line for asking about Ramesh, checking whether he is home, or leaving a detailed message, so do not improvise those meanings from the available phrases. The dictionary records the greeting as both hello and goodbye [1], supporting its use around a conversation without proving that it is required specifically when answering a phone.
[1] Source: dsal.uchicago.edu.
Try it
You have reached someone and want to ask whether you may speak with them now, without identifying yourself again. Which line should you choose?
Choose your answer before reading on.
Check your answer:
Use expression 3 in the table above.
Choose the line whose function is a direct request to speak. It keeps the call open and asks about speaking now, unlike the short-wait line or the later-callback line.
Practise the opening once, then separately rehearse the speaking request, short-wait move, and callback move. For the Ramesh scenario, confirm the missing message wording with a fluent Nepali speaker rather than extending these lines beyond their documented meanings.
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