Signification
Removing dirt from something.
Contexte culturel
Cleaning the house entrance every morning is a ritual to welcome the Goddess of Wealth, Laxmi. The 'Bagmati Cleaning Campaign' is a famous weekly volunteer event to clean the holy river. During festivals like 'Sithi Nakha', traditional stone spouts (Hiti) are cleaned by the community. Physical cleaning (Saphā) is often a prerequisite for ritual purity (Chokho). You cannot perform a puja in a dirty room.
The 'Le' Rule
Always use 'Maile' instead of 'Ma' when saying 'I cleaned' in the past tense.
Not for Laundry
Avoid using this for washing clothes; it sounds like you are just dusting them off.
Signification
Removing dirt from something.
The 'Le' Rule
Always use 'Maile' instead of 'Ma' when saying 'I cleaned' in the past tense.
Not for Laundry
Avoid using this for washing clothes; it sounds like you are just dusting them off.
Politeness Matters
When asking someone to clean, always use 'saphā गरिदिनुहोस्' (garidinuhos) to sound polite and respectful.
Saturday is Cleaning Day
In Nepal, Saturday is the only day off, so it's the universal 'saphā garnu' day.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'saphā garnu' in the past tense.
हिजो आमाले भान्छा ______।
'Ama' (Mother) requires the high-honorific form 'garnubhayo' in the past tense.
Which sentence is the most natural for 'I clean my room'?
Choose the correct sentence:
'Saphā garnu' is for rooms. 'Dhunu' is for washing with water, and 'mājhnu' is for scrubbing dishes.
Match the object with the most appropriate cleaning verb.
Match the following:
These are the specific collocations for different types of cleaning in Nepali.
Which phrase would you use in a hotel to ask for your room to be cleaned?
Select the best option:
The '-idinu' form adds a polite request 'for me' tone, which is perfect for service contexts.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Saphā vs. Dhunu
Cleaning Tools
Tools
- • कुचो (Broom)
- • टावेल (Towel)
- • साबुन (Soap)
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesहिजो आमाले भान्छा ______।
'Ama' (Mother) requires the high-honorific form 'garnubhayo' in the past tense.
Choose the correct sentence:
'Saphā garnu' is for rooms. 'Dhunu' is for washing with water, and 'mājhnu' is for scrubbing dishes.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the specific collocations for different types of cleaning in Nepali.
Select the best option:
The '-idinu' form adds a polite request 'for me' tone, which is perfect for service contexts.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsYes, you can say 'hāt saphā garnu', but 'hāt dhunu' (wash hands) is much more common.
It is a loanword from Arabic/Persian, but it is fully integrated and used by everyone in Nepal.
You say 'मैले सफा गर्नुपर्छ' (Maile saphā garnuparcha).
The opposite is 'फोहर' (fohar), which means dirty.
Yes, 'virus saphā garnu' is commonly used in tech contexts.
It is an imperative. Use it with children or close friends. Use 'garnuhos' for others.
Yes, it covers both removing dirt and organizing a messy space.
You say 'सफा राख्नुहोस्' (Saphā rākhnuhos).
'Saphā' is physical cleanliness; 'chokho' is ritual/spiritual purity.
No, for debts we use 'ऋण तिर्नु' (ṛṇ tirnu - to pay debt).
People often use 'ṭalkāunu' (to make shine) as a more emphatic/slangy version.
It's usually just called 'dry clean' in Nepal, or 'dry saphā garnu'.
Expressions liées
धुने
similarTo wash with water
माझ्ने
specialized formTo scrub
पुछ्ने
specialized formTo wipe
बढार्ने
specialized formTo sweep
शुद्ध पार्नु
similarTo purify
