The Vowel System (Swar Varna)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Nepali vowels are the building blocks of every word; learn the 13 basic sounds to start reading Devanagari script.
- Vowels are written as independent letters at the start of words (e.g., 'अ' in 'अमर').
- Vowels change into 'matras' (diacritics) when attached to consonants (e.g., 'क' + 'ा' = 'का').
- The vowel 'अ' is inherent in every consonant unless a diacritic or halanta is used.
Vowel to Matra Conversion
| Vowel | Matra | With 'क' (ka) |
|---|---|---|
|
अ
|
None
|
क
|
|
आ
|
ा
|
का
|
|
इ
|
ि
|
कि
|
|
ई
|
ी
|
की
|
|
उ
|
ु
|
कु
|
|
ऊ
|
ू
|
कू
|
|
ऋ
|
ृ
|
कृ
|
|
ए
|
े
|
के
|
|
ऐ
|
ै
|
कै
|
|
ओ
|
ो
|
को
|
Meanings
The vowel system (Swar Varna) consists of 13 characters that represent the core vocalic sounds of the Nepali language.
Independent Vowels
Vowels appearing at the beginning of a word or syllable.
“अमर (Amar)”
“आमा (Aama)”
Dependent Vowels (Matras)
Vowels modified into symbols attached to consonants.
“काम (Kaam)”
“दिन (Din)”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Independent
|
Vowel at start
|
अमर
|
|
Dependent
|
Vowel as matra
|
काम
|
|
Inherent
|
No symbol
|
कल
|
|
Suppressed
|
Halanta
|
क्
|
|
Nasalized
|
Anusvara
|
अं
|
|
Aspirated
|
Visarga
|
अः
|
Spectre de formalité
म खाना खाँदै छु। (Daily life)
म खाना खाँदै छु। (Daily life)
म खाना खाँदै छु। (Daily life)
म खाँदै छु। (Daily life)
Vowel Classification
Short
- अ a
- इ i
Long
- आ aa
- ई ee
Matra Placement
Vowel Usage Logic
Is it the start of a word?
Vowel Groups
Basic
- • अ
- • आ
- • इ
Special
- • ऋ
- • अं
- • अः
Exemples par niveau
अमर
Amar (Name)
आमा
Mother
इच्छा
Wish
उठ
Wake up
काम
Work
दिन
Day
फूल
Flower
केटा
Boy
पैसा
Money
ओठ
Lip
औषधि
Medicine
ऋषि
Sage
अन्त्य
End
ईश्वर
God
ऊर्जा
Energy
ऐतिहासिक
Historical
अंश
Part
अतः
Therefore
ऋण
Debt
औचित्य
Relevance
अंक
Number
आकाश
Sky
इतिहास
History
उत्साह
Enthusiasm
Facile à confondre
Learners often use them interchangeably.
Erreurs courantes
कअ
क
ि क
कि
इ
ई
क ा
का
कु
कू
के
कै
को
कौ
ऋषि
ऋषि
अः
अं
कॆ
के
अन्त्य
अन्त्य
आकाश
आकाश
औचित्य
औचित्य
Structures de phrases
म ___ खान्छु।
Real World Usage
के छ?
Practice daily
Smart Tips
Always check matra placement.
Prononciation
Vowel Length
Short vowels are quick; long vowels are held for twice the time.
Rising
Question?
Used for asking questions.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Always Imagine Every Underdog Eats Apples On An Island: A, Aa, I, Ee, U, Oo, Ri, E, Ai, O, Au.
Association visuelle
Imagine the vowel 'अ' as a small bird. When it meets a consonant, it transforms into a hat or a shoe (the matra) to sit on or under the consonant.
Rhyme
A, Aa, I, Ee, U, Oo, Ri, E, Ai, O, Au, An, Ah, now you know the Nepali vowels too!
Story
A little bird named 'A' flew to a village. It met a 'K' consonant. 'A' decided to become a hat (matra) to sit on 'K's head, turning it into 'Ka'. They became best friends and traveled the whole alphabet.
Word Web
Défi
Write your name in Nepali using the correct matras for each vowel sound.
Notes culturelles
Vowels are sacred in Sanskrit-derived scripts.
Derived from the ancient Brahmi script via Devanagari.
Amorces de conversation
तपाईंको नाम के हो?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
क_म (Work)
Score: /1
Exercices pratiques
1 exercisesक_म (Work)
Score: /1
FAQ (1)
13.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Vocales
Spanish uses separate letters; Nepali uses diacritics.
Voyelles
French vowel sounds change based on context.
Vokale
German uses separate letters.
Boin
Japanese uses kana; Nepali uses Devanagari.
Harakaat
Arabic is an abjad; Nepali is an abugida.
Yuan yin
Chinese uses logograms.
