Lojban Through Dialogues
Lesson 27. How Long?
How long will you stay? Duration words: ze'i (short), ze'a (medium), ze'u (long). Plus time-unit words: jeftu (week) and djedi (day).
When do you use ze'a vs ze'u?
ze'u = for a long time; ze'a = for a moderate while; ze'i = for a short time. They work just like pu / ba / ca but measure duration instead of direction.
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| .ai mi ze'a gunka | I'm going to work for a while. |
| xu do pu ze'u gunka | Did you work for a long time? |
| na go'i .i mi pu ze'i gunka | No. I worked for a short while. |
| mi kanpe lo nu mi stali ze'a le jeftu be li pa | I expect to stay for one week. |
| mi ba stali ze'a le djedi be li ci | I'll stay for three days. |
New words
| Lojban | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ze'a | for a while (moderate duration) |
| ze'u | for a long time |
| ze'i | for a short time |
| jeftu | week |
| djedi | day |
Grammar note: Duration words follow tense markers: pu ze'i = "for a short time in the past." be li N attaches a number to a time unit: le jeftu be li pa = "a one-week period," le djedi be li ci = "a three-day period."
Practice dialogue
Mentu plans his stay.
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| mi ba stali ze'a le djedi be li re | I'll stay for two days. |
| xu do ba ze'u stali | Will you stay for a long time? |
| na go'i .i mi ba ze'i stali | No. I'll stay for a short while. |
Anticipation prompts
Say in Lojban: I worked for a short while. (mi pu ze'i gunka)
Say in Lojban: I'll stay for three days. (mi ba stali ze'a le djedi be li ci)
Say in Lojban: I expect to stay for one week. (mi kanpe lo nu mi stali ze'a le jeftu be li pa)
Say in Lojban: Did you work for a long time? (xu do pu ze'u gunka)
Spaced recall — Lessons 24–26
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| do se panzi xo | How many children do you have? |
| le panka cu jibni | The park is near. |
| le tcadu cu sepli mi lo ki'otre be li mu no | The city is 50 km from me. |
| mi jo'u do ba klama le tcadu | You and I will go to the city. |
| mi kanpe lo nu mi stali | I expect to stay. |
Challenge: I'll stay in the city for one week. Then I'll go home. (mi ba stali le tcadu ze'a le jeftu be li pa .i mi ba klama le zdani)