The Nepali विभक्ति (vibhakti) system — the set of case markers that show a noun's grammatical role — is one of the most important and most misunderstood aspects of Nepali grammar. Master this and sentences will start making perfect sense.
The Eight Vibhakti Cases
- प्रथमा (Nominative): No suffix. The subject of the sentence. राम स्कूल जान्छ।
- द्वितीया (Accusative/Objective): Suffix -लाई. The direct object. मैले उसलाई देखें।
- तृतीया (Instrumental): Suffix -ले. Indicates the instrument or agent. मैले कलमले लेखें।
- चतुर्थी (Dative): Suffix -लाई. The indirect object. मैले उसलाई किताब दिएँ।
- पञ्चमी (Ablative): Suffix -बाट, -देखि. Separation or origin. घरबाट आएँ।
- षष्ठी (Genitive): Suffix -को, -की, -का. Possession. यो रामको किताब हो।
- सप्तमी (Locative): Suffix -मा. Location. घरमा छु।
- सम्बोधन (Vocative): Calling out to someone. हे राम! आउनुस्!
Common Mistakes
The most frequent error is confusing the Accusative and Dative, both using -लाई. Remember: Accusative marks a thing being affected (मैले उसलाई भेटें), while Dative marks the recipient of an action (मैले उसलाई खाना दिएँ).
