Lojban Through Dialogues
Lesson 9. Morning and Evening
This lesson introduces greetings by time of day and the question ma ca tcika — "what time is it now?" You'll also meet xukau, the indirect question marker.
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| xu do djica le nu do citka | Do you want to eat? |
| .i ku'i do ba citka ca ma | But when will you eat? |
| mi na djuno le du'u xukau ti kukte | I don't know whether this is tasty. |
| ku'i mi ba citka ti'u li pa pa | But I'll eat at 11 o'clock. |
| do xu ji'a | You too? |
| mi citka ca le vanci ce'e ti'u li cacra bu pa no | I eat in the evening, specifically at 10 o'clock. |
| cerni coi | Good morning! |
| vanci coi | Good evening! |
| ma ca tcika | What time is it now? |
| li cacra bu mu | Five o'clock. |
New words
| Lojban | Meaning |
|---|---|
| du'u | that (indirect statement) |
| xukau | whether (indirect yes/no question) |
| kukte | tasty, delicious |
| cerni | morning |
| ce'e | and specifically / that is |
| tcika | time (clock time) |
cerni coi — "morning hello"! So you just put the time word in front of coi?
Right. cerni coi and vanci coi are the standard greetings. You can build others: nicte coi for "good night," donri coi for "good day."
Written prompts
Say in Lojban: Good morning! (cerni coi)
Say in Lojban: I don't know whether this is tasty. (mi na djuno le du'u xukau ti kukte)
Say in Lojban: What time is it now? (ma ca tcika)
Recycle — Lessons 6–8
| Lojban | English |
|---|---|
| mi ba klama lo gusta ti'u li cacra bu ze | I'll go to a restaurant at 7 o'clock. |
| xu do djica le nu do citka lo titnanba ca le cerni | Do you want to eat cookies in the morning? |
| mi na djuno le du'u no da zvati le gusta | I don't know if nobody is at the restaurant. |
Say in Lojban: I'll eat at the restaurant in the evening. (mi ba citka lo gusta ca le vanci)