Nepal

What language should you translate localize in Nepal?

Culture of any society is its identity. It helps in the identification of a community, society or a whole nation. Nepali culture is a unique culture, which reflects Nepalese people’s overall way of life. The amalgam of diverse cultures of different ethnic groups, castes and creeds make a rich Nepali culture. Diversity is its specialty.

Language plays a vital role in the projection and transmission of culture. It is the medium through which we establish a narrative about anything else. According to the 2021 Nepal census, there are altogether 123 languages spoken in Nepal. Among 123 languages, Nepali language is the national and official language of Nepal. It’s a medium of communication for the people in general. It is used widely in government offices, educational system, and in the day to day life of Nepalese people as well. This has played an important role in bridging the gap and establishing the cordial relationship between the people of Nepal. It has also become a medium to establish linkage between the Nepalese people in diaspora. The language is also taken as a representative of many other languages spoken in Nepal since it is the common language for all the Nepalese people. It has also helped in the preservation and promotion of Nepali culture.

Thus, Nepali language has become an integral part of Nepali culture. 

Nepali

कुनै पनि समाजको संस्कृति त्यसको पहिचान हो। यसले समुदाय, समाज वा समग्र राष्ट्रको पहिचान गर्नमा मद्दत पुर्याउछ। नेपाली संस्कृति एक मौलिक संस्कृति हो, जसले नेपालीहरूको  समग्र जीवनशैलीलाई झल्काउँछ। विभिन्न जातीय समुह, जातजाति र सम्प्रदायहरूका विविध संस्कृतिहरूको संयोजनले समृद्ध नेपाली संस्कृति बन्दछ। विविधता नै यसको विशेषता हो। 

भाषाले संस्कृतिको चित्रण तथा प्रसारणमा महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका खेल्दछ। यो कुनै कुराको बारेमा भाष्य निर्माण गर्ने माध्यम हो। नेपालको जनगणना २०२१ अनुसार, नेपालमा जम्मा १२३ वटा भाषा बोलिन्छन्। १२३ भाषाहरू मध्ये, नेपाली भाषा नेपालको राष्ट्रिय तथा सरकारी कामकाजको भाषा हो। यो आम जनताहरूको लागि सञ्चारको माध्यम हो। यो सरकारी कार्यालयहरू, शैक्षिक प्रणाली र नेपाली जनताको दैनिक जीवनमा पनि व्यापक रूपमा प्रयोग गरिन्छ। यसले नेपाली जनताबीच रहेको खाडल मेटाउन र सौहार्दपूर्ण सम्बन्ध स्थापना गर्न महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका खेलेको छ। यो डायस्पोरामा रहेका नेपालीहरूबीच सम्बन्ध स्थापित गर्ने माध्यम पनि बनेको छ। यो भाषा सबै नेपालीहरूको साझा भाषा भएको हुनाले यसलाई नेपालमा बोलिने अन्य धेरै भाषाहरूको प्रतिनिधिको रूपमा पनि लिइन्छ। यसले नेपाली संस्कृतिको संरक्षण तथा प्रवर्धनमा समेत सहयोग पुर्याएको छ।

यसरी नेपाली भाषा नेपाली संस्कृतिको अभिन्न अङ्ग बन्न पुगेको छ।

Ken Subedi, Nepali Translation Expert

Official language

Nepali (44.6%)

Actual languages

Nepali (44.6%), Maithili (11.7%), Bhojpuri (6.0%), Tamang (5.1%), Tharu (5.1%), Newari (3.2%), Bajjika (3.0%), Magar (3.0%), Urdu (2.6%), Avadhi (1.9%), Limbu (1.3%), Gurung (1.2%), Tibetan (0.2%), other (11.1%)

What the top 150 best localized websites in the world do in Nepal

(Top 150 websites listed in the Global by Design ranking – published annually by Byte Level Research, this report provides a list of globally localized websites, showcasing best practices and emerging trends in their globalization)

• 4/150 localize by translating into Nepali
• 2/150 localize by translating into both Nepali and Urdu
• 1/150 localize by translating into both Nepali and Nepali Sign Language
• 1/150 localizes by translating into French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, German, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Ukrainian, Russian, Turkish, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian and Bahasa Indonesia