Lojban Through Dialogues
Lesson 28. Because and Should
The evening before Mentu leaves. ki'u gives reasons; .ei expresses obligation; co'a marks beginnings; pu'o signals imminence. And a beautiful parting phrase.
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
 mi klama le zdani ki'u le nu mi nitcu lo nu mi sipna | I'm going home because I need to sleep. |
 .ei mi sipna | I should sleep. |
 mi ba co'a sipna | I'll start sleeping. |
 pu'o nicte | Night is about to come. |
 lo nu tavla do kei pu pluka mi | Talking to you was a pleasure. |
pu'o nicte co'o do | Night is coming — goodbye! |
New words
| Lojban | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ki'u | because (causal marker) — ki'u le nu X = "because X" |
| .ei | I should / obligation (attitudinal) |
| co'a | to begin / start — marks the onset of an action |
| pu'o | about to / imminently — marks that something hasn't started yet but will soon |
Grammar note:
ki'u le nu X = "because [the event of] X." Example: mi klama le zdani ki'u le nu mi nitcu lo nu mi sipna = "I'm going home because I need to sleep." .ei is an attitudinal of obligation: .ei mi sipna = "I should sleep." co'a marks the start of an action: co'a sipna = "start sleeping." pluka (pleasant — Lesson 20) appears here in the parting phrase lo nu tavla do kei pu pluka mi = "talking to you was a pleasure."
Practice dialogue
The trio says goodnight.
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
ca lerci .i .ei mi sipna | It's late. I should sleep. |
mi ba co'a sipna | I'll start sleeping. |
 lo nu tavla do kei pu pluka mi | Talking to you was a pleasure. |
mi cliva .i pu'o nicte co'o do | I'm leaving — night is coming — goodbye! |
 lo nu tavla do kei cu pluka mi .i co'o ro do | Talking to you is always a pleasure. Goodbye, everyone! |
Anticipation prompts
| Prompt | Lojban |
|---|---|
| Talking to you was a pleasure. | lo nu tavla do kei pu pluka mi |
| I'm leaving — night is coming — goodbye! | mi cliva .i pu'o nicte co'o do |
| I should sleep. | .ei mi sipna |
| I'm going home because I need to sleep. | mi klama le zdani ki'u le nu mi nitcu lo nu mi sipna |
Spaced recall — Lessons 25–27
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| le tcadu cu simlu zabna | The city seems nice. |
| le panka cu zmadu le zarci | The park is better than the shop. |
| ba le nu vitke kei mi di'a klama le zdani | After the visit I'll return home. |
| le karce pe do cu melbi | Your car is beautiful. |
| xu lo dikca cu kargu | Is electricity expensive? |
| ma jdima le dikca | What is the price of electricity? |
Challenge
| Prompt | Lojban |
|---|---|
| I should go home because it's late. Talking to you was a pleasure. Goodbye! | .ei mi klama le zdani ki'u le nu ca lerci .i lo nu tavla do kei pu pluka mi .i co'o |