Lojban Through Dialogues
Lesson 10. Arranging a Call
In this lesson two people negotiate a convenient time for a voice conversation. Key word: kufra — "convenient, comfortable." And ja'o for drawing a conclusion: "so, therefore."
The line "your voice is beautiful" — how flattering is that in Lojban?
About as flattering as in English. Though in Lojban you're technically saying the speaker has a "pretty voice property," which is somehow even more formal and therefore funnier.
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| do se voksa le melbi | Your voice is beautiful. |
| pei do tavla mi | How about talking to me? |
| pei do se voksa tavla mi | How about talking to me in a voice chat? |
| .i'a .i ti'u ma | I accept. At what time? |
| ti'u li cacra bu mu veti'u la .nuiork. | At 5 o'clock New York time. |
| lo ka ca tavla do cu kufra mi | Talking to you now is convenient for me. |
| u'u tu'a li cacra bu mu na'e se kufra mi | I'm sorry, 5 o'clock isn't really convenient for me. |
| xu tu'a li cacra bu xa cu se kufra do | Is 6 o'clock convenient for you? |
| ie kufra mi | Yes, that's convenient for me. |
| ja'o .ai tavla ti'u li cacra bu xa | So let's talk at 6 o'clock. |
New words
| Lojban | Meaning |
|---|---|
| voksa | voice |
| melbi | beautiful, pretty |
| .i'a | I accept / okay |
| veti'u | timezone (time zone marker) |
| kufra | convenient, comfortable |
| tu'a | as for… / regarding (sumti raising) |
| u'u | I'm sorry / I apologize |
| ie | yes / agreed |
| ja'o | therefore / so (attitudinal: inference) |
| se voksa | having as voice / speaking via voice |
u'u — apologetic, .i'a — accepting, ja'o — inferring. These little words do so much.
They're Lojban's emotional layer. Drop them in freely — they don't change the truth of a sentence, only the speaker's attitude toward it.
Written prompts
Say in Lojban: Is 8 o'clock convenient for you? (xu tu'a li cacra bu bi cu se kufra do)
Say in Lojban: I'm sorry, I don't know. (u'u mi na djuno)
Say in Lojban: So I'll go to the park. (ja'o .ai mi klama le panka)
Recycle — Lessons 7–9
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| xu tu'a ti'u li cacra bu so cu se kufra do | Is 9 o'clock convenient for you? |
| cerni coi .i ma ca tcika | Good morning! What time is it? |
| mi pu tavla le pendo ti'u li cacra bu ze | I talked to my friend at 7 o'clock. |
Say in Lojban: I don't want to eat at 5 o'clock — 7 is more convenient. (.aunai mi citka ti'u li cacra bu mu .i ti'u li cacra bu ze cu kufra mi)