Lojban Through Dialogues
Lesson 20. Bills and Utilities
pleji = to pay; detma'i = calendar month; kagni = company / organization. And a lovely compound: jo'u = together with (both participate equally).
Monthly electricity bills in Lojban. I feel very adult.
Congratulations. You also now know how to form "every X" using ca ro.
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| xu lo'e dikca ca kargu | Is electricity expensive now? |
| mi na djuno .i mi na pleji | I don't know. I don't pay. |
| xu do pleji su'o da le kagni tu'a lo'e dikca | Do you pay anything to the company for electricity? |
| ca ro detma'i mi pleji | Every calendar month I pay. |
| mi pleji tu'a le meryru'u be li pa no | I pay 20 US dollars. |
| ca ro detma'i mi pleji tu'a le meryru'u be li pa no le kagni tu'a lo'e dikca | Every month I pay 10 dollars to the electricity company. |
| mi zukte fi lo nu mi jo'u le speni be mi cu klama le tcadu | I'm working toward the goal of going to the city with my spouse. |
New words
| Lojban | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pleji | to pay |
| detma'i | calendar month |
| kagni | company, organization, firm |
| jo'u | together with (mutual participation) |
| ro | every / all |
| ca ro | every (recurring time) |
| zukte fi | to do something toward (a goal) |
mi jo'u le speni be mi = "me together with my spouse." Different from mi joi le speni be mi which is "me-and-spouse as a single mass entity."
Good distinction. jo'u = side by side, parallel. joi = merged into one unit. For travel companions, jo'u is usually right.
Written prompts
Say in Lojban: Every month I pay. (ca ro detma'i mi pleji)
Say in Lojban: I don't know — I don't pay. (mi na djuno .i mi na pleji)
Say in Lojban: Do you pay the company? (xu do pleji le kagni)
Recycle — Lessons 17–19
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| le lanzu be mi cu xabju lo barda zdani .i ku'i lo'e dikca ca kargu | My family lives in a big home. But electricity is expensive now. |
| mi jo'u le speni be mi ba klama le tcadu ca ro bavlamdei | My spouse and I are going to the city every tomorrow (i.e. every day). |
| xu do pleji tu'a lo'e dikca ca ro detma'i | Do you pay for electricity every month? |
Say in Lojban: My spouse and I are going to the city because the children are there. (mi jo'u le speni be mi ba klama le tcadu ki'u le nu le panzi be mi cu zvati ti)