Lojban Through Dialogues
Lesson 16. Families and Fears
Family vocabulary: panzi (child/offspring), bersa (son), tixnu (daughter), nanla (boy), nixli (girl). Plus an emotional moment: xanka — to be nervous.
Oh, this one starts with someone being afraid to speak!
A very relatable opening. Nervousness is universal in language learning — and Lojban has a word for it.
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| ju'i do | Hello? (getting attention) |
| xu su'o da tirna mi | Can anyone hear me? |
| mi tirna do | I can hear you. |
| coi do mi'e .djan. | Hello, I'm John. |
| fi'i la .djan. | Welcome, John! |
| .e'ei do cusku su'o da | Say something! |
| ko na xanka | Don't be nervous! |
| mi xanka lo nu mi na se bangu la .lojban. | I'm nervous because I don't speak Lojban. |
| .i ku'i do ca je'a se bangu la .lojban. | But you do speak Lojban now. |
| xu do se panzi su'o da | Do you have children? |
| mi se panzi re da | I have two children. |
| mi se panzi le pa nanla .e le pa nixli | I have a boy and a girl. |
| le tixnu be mi ca tadni le saske be lo ka skami | My daughter is now studying computer science. |
| le bersa be mi cu se esporte | My son is a sportsperson. |
| mi ji'a se esporte | I'm a sportsperson too. |
| mi se cuntu la .baskedbol. | I play basketball. |
| mi se cuntu la .soker. | I play soccer. |
New words
| Lojban | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ju'i | hey / attention (vocative particle) |
| tirna | to hear |
| .e'ei | I urge / come on! (attitudinal) |
| cusku | to express / say |
| xanka | to be nervous / anxious |
| je'a | indeed / yes (emphatic affirmation) |
| panzi | offspring / child |
| se panzi | to have as offspring |
| nanla | boy |
| nixli | girl |
| tixnu | daughter |
| bersa | son |
| saske | science |
| skami | computer |
| se esporte | to be athletic / a sportsperson |
| se cuntu | to play a sport |
se panzi = "to be offspring-had-by." The se swaps the x1 and x2 slot. So mi se panzi re da = "two children have me as parent." Very logical.
And ko na xanka — ko is the command form ("you, do this"). Here ko na = "you, don't…"
Written prompts
Say in Lojban: Don't be nervous! (ko na xanka)
Say in Lojban: I have two children. (mi se panzi re da)
Say in Lojban: Can anyone hear me? (xu su'o da tirna mi)
Recycle — Lessons 13–15
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| le tixnu be mi ca xabju la .moskov. | My daughter now lives in Moscow. |
| xu le bersa be do cu tadni le saske be lo ka skami | Does your son study computer science? |
| mi pu litru .i ku'i mi ca xanka lo nu mi tavla | I have travelled. But I'm nervous when I talk. |
Say in Lojban: My daughter is a sportsperson and studies in the city. (le tixnu be mi cu se esporte .e tadni le tcadu)