Lesson 6: modal terms: time and space
mi citka le cirla
Possible translations:
I eat cheese. I ate cheese. I always eat cheese. In a moment, I will have just finished eating cheese.
Tenses in Lojban are optional; we don't have to think all the time about which tense to use.
Context often resolves what is correct. We add tenses when we feel we need them.
Lojban tenses treat time and space the same. Saying that I worked a long time ago is not grammatically different from saying I work far away to the north. English treats words like earlier, past tense ending -ed, and space words like in or near in three different schemes, while in Lojban they follow the same principle.
Points in time and place
A tense modal particle without an argument following it describes the event as relative to here and now:
mi pinxe ba mi ba pinxe I will drink.
mi pinxe bu'u mi bu'u pinxe I drink at this place.
A tense modal term with an argument following it describes the event as relative to the event in that argument:
mi pinxe ba le nu mi cadzu I drink after I walk.
Task
Close the right part of the table. Translate from Lojban:
| mi bu'u pinxe | I drink here. |
| mi ba citka le plise | I will eat the apple. |
| mi pinxe ba le nu mi cadzu | I drink after I walk. |
Translate to Lojban:
| I will walk. | mi ba cadzu |
| I drink before I sleep. | mi pinxe pu le nu mi sipna |
Events relative to other events in time
In English, we use the so-called "sequence of tenses":
la .alis. pu cusku le se du'u ri pu penmi la .doris. Alice told that she had seen Doris before.
- penmi
- … meets … (someone)
Here, the event had seen Doris happens before the event Alice said. However, in
la .alis. pu cusku le se du'u ri ca kansa la .doris. Alice told that she was with Doris.
- kansa
- … is with … (someone)
the two events (told and was with Doris) happen at the same time.
Thus, in English:
- the tense of the main relation is understood relative to whoever utters this relation.
- the tense of the relation inside the main relation is also understood relative to whoever utters this relation.
In Lojban:
- only the tense of the main relation is relative to whoever utters the relation.
- the other tenses are relative to each other. This is why, in la .alis. pu cusku le se du'u ri pu penmi la .doris. the second pu is relative to the first pu. In la .alis. pu cusku le se du'u ri ca kansa la .doris., we use ca (at the same time) which is relative to the outer relation (pu cusku — said).
However, we can use the modal term nau (at the time or place of the speaker), which will give the same effect as how English works:
Here is an example in English style:
la .alis. pu cusku le se du'u ri nau pu kansa la .doris. Alis said that she was with Doris.
Task
Close the right part of the table. Translate from Lojban:
| la .alis. pu cusku le se du'u ri ba penmi la .doris. | Alice said that she would meet Doris. |
| mi pu djuno le du'u do ca gunka | I knew that you were working. |
| mi pu na djuno le du'u do ba zvati ti | I didn't know that you would be here. |
Close the right part of the table. Translate to Lojban:
| She told me that she had been at home. | ri pu cusku le se du'u ri pu zvati le zdani |
| I know you are smart. | mi djuno le du'u do ca stati |
Distance in time and space
- fau
- modal term: at the same time, place or situation as …
- ca
- modal term: at … (some time), at the same time as …; "present tense"
- bu'u
- modal term: at … (some place); here (at this place)
- zi
- just (short time ago) or soon (in a short time)
- vi
- near …
- za
- a while ago or in a while, in an unspecified time
- va
- not far from …
- zu
- long time ago or in a long time
- vu
- far away from …; far away
This is how we can use tense combinations to specify how far we go into the past or future:
- pu zu means a long time ago
- pu za means a while ago
- pu zi means just
- ba zi means soon
- ba za means in a while
- ba zu means in a long time
Notice the vowel order i, a, and u. This order appears repeatedly in Lojban and might be worth memorizing. Short and long are always context-dependent, relative, and subjective. For example, two hundred years is a short time for a species to evolve but a long time to wait for the bus.
zi, za, and zu modify the tense particle like pu and ba that is said before it:
- pu zu is a long time ago. pu shows that we begin in the past, and zu indicates that it is a long time backwards.
- zu pu is far away in time; there is a point after some event. zu shows that we begin at some point far away in time from now, and pu indicates that we move backward from that point.
Thus, pu zu is always in the past, whereas zu pu could be in the future.
Spatial distance is marked similarly by vi, va, and vu for short, unspecified (medium), and long distance in space.
To specify distance in time or space, we use the modal term la'u with an argument specifying the distance:
ba ku la'u le djedi be li ci mi zvati ti In three days, I will be here.
- le djedi
- the day, the days
The space equivalent of ca is bu'u, and fau is more vague than the two of them, as it can mean time, space, or situation.
ba za vu ku mi gunka Some time in the future, I will work a place far away.
- gunka
- to work
mi bu'u pu zu gunka I used to work here a long time ago.
I here-past-long-time-distance work
pu zu vu ku zasti fa le ninmu .e le nanmu Long ago and far away, a woman and a man lived.
- zasti
- … exists
The last sentence is how fairy tales often begin.
Task
- cliva
- … leaves
Close the right part of the table. Translate from Lojban:
| mi pu zu gunka | I worked long ago. |
| do ba zi cliva | You'll leave soon. |
| mi vu zvati | I am far away. |
Translate to Lojban:
| I will work in a while. | mi ba za gunka |
| You are nearby. | do vi zvati |
Duration in time and space
- ze'i
- modal term: for a short time
- ve'i
- modal term: over a small space
- ze'a
- modal term: for some time
- ve'a
- modal term: over some space
- ze'u
- modal term: for a long time
- ve'u
- modal term: over the long space
Again, it's easy to remember given the pattern i, a, u.
mi ze'u bajra I run for a long time.
do ze'u klama le mi'a gugde ze'u You spend a long time coming to our country.
- gugde
- … is a country
- mi'a
- we without you
mi ba zi ze'a xabju la .djakartas. Pretty soon, I'm going to live in Jakarta for a while.
- xabju
- … lives in … (place)
le jenmi pe la .romas. ba ze'u gunta la .kart.xadact. The army of Romans will be attacking Carthage for a long time.
- le jenmi
- the army
- gunta
- … attacks … (someone or something)
This does not mean that Romans are not attacking Carthage these days. In Lojban, if we say that something is true at a particular time, it doesn't mean that it is not true at any other time. You can say pu ba ze'u so that we know that this activity was in the future when viewed from some point in the past but in the past when viewed from today.
le xamsi sea/ocean
- le xamsi
- the sea, the ocean
le ve'u xamsi ocean
The hill is near the mountain.
le cmana mountain/hill
- le cmana
- the mountain, the hill
- jibni
- … is near … (something)
le ve'u cmana mountain
le ve'i cmana hill
ti ve'u gerku That's a big dog. This is a dog covering a large space.
Task
- le kumfa
- the room, the rooms
Close the right part of the table. Translate from Lojban:
| mi ze'u pinxe le tcati | I drink tea for a long time. |
| mi ve'i zvati le kumfa | I am in a small room. |
Translate to Lojban:
| I'll stay here for a while. | mi ze'a zvati ti |
| The dog covers a large space. | le gerku cu ve'u zvati |
«pu'o» — ‘to be about’, «ba'o» — ‘no longer’, «za'o» — ‘still’, «xa'o» — ‘already’
Here are several sets of modal terms that can help us add finer meanings when necessary.
With event contours, unlike pu, ca, and ba, we view each event as having a shape with certain stages:
- pu'o
- modal term: to be about to do something (the event has not yet happened)
- ba'o
- modal term: to be no longer doing something, to have done something (the event has ended)
Examples:
mi ba tavla le mikce I will speak to the doctor (and I might be speaking now too).
- mikce
- x₁ is a doctor
mi pu pu'o tavla le mikce I was about to speak to the doctor (I was not speaking at that time, the event hadn't started by that time).
The person is about to be inside.
le sanmi ca pu'o bredi The meal is not ready yet.
- le sanmi
- the meal
- bredi
- … is ready
mi pu ba'o tavla le mikce I had spoken to the doctor.
Aftermath of the rain. The rain has stopped.
mi ba ba'o tavla le mikce I will have spoken to the doctor.
.a'o mi ba zi ba'o gunka I hope soon I will have done the work.
- za'o
- modal term: still. The event is in process beyond its natural end
- xa'o
- unofficial modal term: already, too early. The event already started and it is too early
Examples:
ri'a ma do za'o zvati vi Why are you still here?
la .kevin. xa'o zvati vi Kevin is already here.
Task
- jukpa
- … cooks … (food)
- kelci
- … plays
- le cidja
- the food
Close the right part of the table. Translate from Lojban:
| mi pu pu'o ciska | I was about to write. |
| le sanmi ba'o jukpa | The meal is no longer being cooked. |
| mi za'o kelci | I'm still playing (longer than expected). |
Translate to Lojban:
| I already left. | mi xa'o cliva |
| The food will be ready. | le cidja ba bredi |
Stages of event
mi co'a tavla I started talking.
ra ca'o ciska She keeps writing.
ra pu co'u vasxu He stopped breathing (sudden unpredictable change).
- vasxu
- x₁ breathes x₂
mi pu mo'u citka le plise I've eaten the apple up.
la .maks. pu mo'u zbasu ti voi dinju Max has built this house.
ra pu de'a vasxu She ceased to breath (but may breath again later).
I pause in breathing. I hold my breath.
mi pu di'a citka le plise I resumed eating apples.
I resume breathing.
- co'a
- modal term: the event starts (the border of the event)
- ca'o
- modal term: to be doing something (the event is in progress)
- co'u
- modal term: the event stops
- mo'u
- modal term: the event ends (the border of the event)
- de'a
- the event pauses (the event can be expected to continue)
- di'a
- the event resumes
mi de'a ze'i jundi BRB (I'll be right back).
mi di'a jundi I am back (being attentive).
- jundi
- x₁ pays attention to x₂
These two expressions are common in text chats for indicating that you are away or not paying attention, and then coming back online:
One could, of course, also say just de'a or di'a and hope the point gets across.
Task
- vasxu
- … breathes
Close the right part of the table. Translate from Lojban:
| mi co'a tavla | I started talking. |
| mi ca'o pinxe le tcati | I am drinking the tea. |
| mi co'u tavla | I stopped talking. |
| mi de'a vasxu | I pause breathing. |
Translate to Lojban:
| I resume working. | mi di'a gunka |
| I finished eating. | mi mo'u citka |
Continuous and progressive events
- ru'i
- modal term: the event is continuous
.i mi pu ru'i citka le plise I was continuously eating apples.
Note the difference:
- ru'i indicates that the event is continuous and never pauses.
- ca'o implies that the event progresses. It may sometimes pause and then resume its progress.
Task
Close the right part of the table. Translate from Lojban:
| mi pu ru'i citka le plise | I was continuously eating apples. |
| le mlatu cu ru'i sipna | The cat sleeps continuously. |
| xu do ca'o kelci | Are you playing (still in progress)? |
- kelci
- to play
Close the right part of the table. Translate to Lojban:
| I continuously work here. | mi ru'i gunka bu'u |
| They are still dancing. | ri ca'o dansu |
Place contours
Event contours can be used to refer to space if we prefix them with fe'e:
le rokci cu fe'e ro roi zvati The stones are everywhere.
‘to the left’, ‘to the right’
The person is to the right of the tree from the observer's point of view.
le prenu cu sanli le dertu bu'u le pritu be mi The person stands on the ground to the right of me.
- sanli
- … stands on … (surface)
- le dertu
- the ground, the dirt
le gerku cu vreta le ckana bu'u le zunle be le verba The dog is lying on the bed to the left of a child.
- vreta
- … lies on … (surface)
- le ckana
- the bed
ko jgari le panbi poi zunle Take the pen on the left.
- jgari
- … grasps … (something)
- le panbi
- the pen
le mlatu cu plipe bu'u le crane be do A cat jumps in front of you.
- plipe
- … jumps
- crane
- … is in front of … (something)
ko catlu le dinju poi crane Look at the house in the front.
le verba cu zutse le stizu bu'u le trixe be mi The child sits on the chair behind me.
- zutse
- … sits on … (surface)
- le stizu
- the chair
- trixe
- … is behind … (something)
le prenu cu sanli ki mi bu'u le pritu be le tricu bei mi The person stands to the right of a tree from my viewpoint.
le dinju cu zunle le rokci ti The house is to the left of the rock if viewed from here.
- zunle
- x₁ is to the left of x₂ as viewed from x₃
- pritu
- x₁ is to the right of x₂ as viewed from x₃
- crane
- x₁ is in front of x₂ (x₁ is between x₂ and whoever watches) as viewed from x₃
- trixe
- x₁ is behind x₂ as viewed from x₃
- sanli
- x₁ stands on x₂
- zutse
- x₁ sits on x₂
- vreta
- x₁ lies on x₂
- le dertu
- the ground, the dirt
- le ckana
- the bed
- le stizu
- the chair
- le pelji
- the paper
- le penbi
- the pen
Task
Close the right part of the table. Translate from Lojban:
| le mlatu cu zunle le gerku | The cat is to the left of the dog. |
| ko cadzu le crane be mi | Walk in front of me. |
| le prenu cu sanli le trixe be le dinju | The person stands behind the house. |
Translate to Lojban:
| The dog is to the right of me. | le gerku cu pritu mi |
| Sit in front of the house. | ko zutse le crane be le dinju |
Practice: position
- nabmi
- … is a problem
- ma'a
- we (including you)
- nitcu
- … needs … (something)
- le fonxa
- the phone
- mrilu
- … mails … (something) to … (recipient)
- le srana
- something related to … (something)
- vofli
- … flies
- te benji
- … receives … (something)
- se mrilu
- the mail, the email
- curmi
- … allows … (event)
- pilno
- … uses … (something)
- bevri
- … carries … (something)
- cpacu
- … gets … (something)
- le purdi
- the garden
- le bartu
- the outside
- le vorme
- the door
- carna
- … turns
- muvdu
- … moves
- cpana
- … is on top of … (surface)
- le pelji
- the paper
- le dacti
- the thing, the things, the object, the objects
- punji
- … puts … (something) on … (surface)
- vi'o
- interjection: will do, roger
| ma nabmi | What's the problem? |
| ma'a nitcu tu'a le fonxa pe la .alis. | We need Alice's phone. |
| .i la .alis. ca zvati ma | Where is Alice? |
| la .alis. ca na ku zvati le bu'u tcadu .i mi pu mrilu le srana be le fonxa fi la .alis. .i ri ca ca'o vofli la .paris. .i ku'i mi pu zi te benji le se mrilu be la .alis. .i ri curmi le nu mi'a pilno le fonxa .i .e'o do bevri ri mi | Alice is now not in the city. I mailed about the phone to her. Alice is now flying to Paris. But I just received a mail from her. She allows us to use the phone. Please, bring it to me. |
| .i bu'u ma mi ka'e cpacu le fonxa | Where can I get the phone? |
| le purdi .i .e'o do klama le bartu | In the garden. Please, go outside. |
| mi ca zvati ne'a le vorme .i ei mi ca klama ma | I am near the door. Now where should I go? |
| ko klama le zunle be le tricu .i ba ku do viska le pa jubme | Go to the left of the tree. Then you will see a table. |
| mi zgana no jubme | I notice no tables. |
| ko carna gi'e muvdu le pritu .i le jubme cu crane le cmalu dinju .i le fonxa cu cpana le jubme .i ji'a ko jgari le penbi .e le pelji .i le za'u dacti cu cpana si'a le jubme .i ba ku ko bevri le ci dacti le zdani gi'e punji fi le sledi'u pe mi | Turn and move to the right. The table is in front of a small building. The phone is on top of the table. Also, take a pencil and a paper. They are similarly on top of the table. Then bring the three things home and put them to my room. |
| vi'o | Will do. |
Practice: vehicles
- jo'u
- conjunction: and (non-logical connective)
- litru
- … travels
- le rirxe
- the river
- le bloti
- the boat
- le vinji
- the aircraft, the airplane
- le tcana
- the station
- le trene
- the train
- le cacra
- the hour
- le carce
- the wagon, the cart
| mi jo'u le pendo be mi pu ca'o litru le barda rirxe bu'u le bloti | I and my friends were traveling on a big river in a boat. |
| .i ba bo mi'a klama le vinji tcana | Then we went to an airport. |
| .i xu do se marce le karce | Did you take a car? |
| .i na ku se marce .i mi'a pu klama fu le trene .i ze'a le cacra mi'a zvati bu'u le carce | No. We went by train. For one hour we were in a wagon. |
- marce
- x₁ is a vehicle carrying x₂
- se marce
- x₁ is a passenger of x₂
- karce
- x₁ is a car carrying x₂
- bloti
- x₁ is a boat carrying x₂
- vinji
- x₁ is an aircraft carrying x₂
- trene
- x₁ is a train of cars x₂
Enriching vocabulary. New words using tenses
Many single English words correspond to word combinations in Lojban:
- pixra
- x₁ is a picture of x₃
- le vi'a pixra
- the picture in 2D
- le vi'u pixra
- the picture in 3D, a sculpture
2D picture, 2D drawing.
3D picture, sculpture.
- le ve'i cmana
- the hill (literally "mountain/hill covering little space")
- le ve'u xamsi
- the ocean (literally "sea/ocean covering large space")
- le ba'o tricu
- stump of a tree (literally "the no longer tree")