In this lesson you are going to learn:

• 4 pronouns (swa, mutu, it, oni)
• 12 verbs (pregi, kwesti, jawabi, dai, pren, helpi, go, lai, safari, gani, dansi, rasmi)
• 10 special verbs (mog, janmog, darfi, treba, mus, gai, majbur, nidi, yao, pri)
• 8 prepositions (a, om, fo, por, kun, sin, in, fon)
• 6 question words (hu, kwo, wo, wen, way, komo)
• 6 indicaive words (hir, dar, ahir, adar, dan, tak)
• 6 useful words (yoshi, toshi, poy, snova, turan, tuy)
• 3 conjunctions (sikom, obwol, yedoh)
• 2 grammar words (ke, unkwe, hi, ku)

59 words altogether

(+34 from lesson 1 = 93 altogether)

Pronoun as an object

Pronouns in Lidepla don't change to indicate their grammatical role.

If a pronoun is put after the verb, it is an object (not a subject).

For "oneself" (myself, yourself etc.) the word "swa" is used.

For "one another" - the word "mutu".

An inanimate object can be replaced by the pronoun "it".

Some prepositions

The preposition "a" corresponds to the English "to" to some extent.

The preposition "om" corresponds to the English "about" / "of".

Some other prepositions: fo (for), por (because of), kun (with), sin (without)

A gerund verb may also follow a preposition:

Question and indication words

Question words:

• hu - who
• kwo - what
• wo - where (place)
• a wo - whereto, whither (direction)
• fon wo - wherefrom, whence
• wen - when
• way - why
• komo - how

A question word is usually put in the beginning of a phrase; the word order doesn't change.

To answer the questions you can use indication words:

• se - this (noun)
• to - that (noun)
• hir - here (place)
• dar - there (place)
• ahir - here (direction)
• adar - there (direction)
• dan - then
• tak - so, this way

Compound sentence

Question words can also begin a clause:

Also, complex sentences can be formed, using the linking word ke (that):

It is important not to confuse the words kwo and ke:

Заметим, что такого явления как согласование времен в лидепла нет: в придаточном предложении частицы указывают на время действия относительно действия в главном.

Another way to build a complex sentence: preposition + the particle ke:

Generative meaning

В русском языке есть оборот «бы ни», который может встретиться после любого вопросительного слова в начале придаточного предложения: кто бы ни, что бы ни, как бы ни. В лидепла этот оборот выражается с помощью одного слова: unkwe, которое точно так же может стоять после любого вопросительного слова (глагол используется в основной форме):

Sometimes it does not matter who is doing something. For such a case there is a pronoun oni, which can be translated as "one," "they," or even "people." In modern English, the word "one" is less often used; we sometimes say "you" in this situation.

Special verbs

Специальные глаголы, выражающее отношение к действию, обычно называются "модальные". И их помощью можно составлять глагольные последовательности:

• mog – мочь (широкое значение)
• janmog – уметь
• darfi – иметь разрешение
• treba – надо (широкое значение)
• mus – must
• gai – should
• majbur – быть вынужденным
• nidi – need
• yao – want
• pri – испытывать приязнь

Сами специальные глаголы могут присоединять частицы, уточняющие время. Смысловые глаголы после специальных стоят в основной форме.

Подлежащее перед специальным глаголом может быть опущено. В этом случае фраза приобретает безличное значение:

Emphatic particles "hi" and "ku"

Для того, чтобы выделить, подчеркнуть смысл всего предложения (то есть в первую очередь его сказуемого) используют, как мы уже знаем, частицу ya. Но в лидепла есть также частица более направленного действия: она выделяет именно то слово, после которого находится. Это частица hi:

For emphasizing of a word in a question the particle "ku" is used. It is put under the word in question.

Particle "ku" is good whan one need to make a general question to a short phrase.

Useful words for stories

In a story you may need the word yoshi ("also"):

In a dialog the word toshi ("too") may be used:

Words used when talking about the order and time of some events:

• poy (then, later)
• snova (again)
• turan (suddenly)
• tuy (immediately, right now):

Useful conjunctions:

• sikom (as, for)
• obwol (though)
• yedoh (however, nevertheless)

New verbs

Translation exercise

Text

Read the text. Try to retell it. Try to make your own story with all the words you know.

komandi - to command

Etiquette: Where are you from? Where do you live?

Before asking a question, it may be appropriate to apologize for interrupting someone: Skusi.

When meeting, you may ask the question: Wo yu jivi? (Where do you live?).

In response, you’ll need the preposition in. The meaning is just as in English:

You might also ask: Fon wo yu lai? (Where do you come from?)

In response, you’ll need the preposition fon (from).

Names of countries in the Lidepla language sound as close as possible to the way they are pronounced in the native language of these countries:

• Rusia - Russia (Россия, Rossiya)
• Ingland - England
• Frans - France
• Doichland - Germany (Deutschland')
• Espania - Spain (España)
• Nipon - Japan (日本, Nippon)
• Jungwo - China (中国, Zhōngguó)

Language in focus: Chinese

Despite its popularity, the English language is only in third place by number of native speakers (about 300 million). The number of Chinese speakers is more than two times larger (over 800 million)!

The Chinese language is very ancient: scientists have found inscriptions carved on the bones of animals sacrificed as early as the 11th century BCE.

A feature of the single Chinese writing system is that the characters do not transmit the sounds and meanings of words. Several dialects were formed on the basis of this system, which have each evolved independently within different regions of China. Over time, more widely spoken dialects formed in the north, and these served as the basis for forming an official language for the Chinese empire, in which all significant documents were written, as well as the language of ordinary people, which was used only in oral communication.

The lexical structure of the language has undergone at least two significant transformations — in the 1st century BCE, when the arrival of Buddhism enriched the language with many religious and philosophical concepts; and from the beginning of the 20th century, when the language absorbed many concepts of Western civilization.

An excerpt from "The Little Prince" in Chinese (very approximate transcription recorded with the sounds of Lidepla but without marking the tones):

(reminder:

• the Lidepla letter ‘z’ is read as a lightweight affricate "dz", as in the English word "adze."
• the Lidepla letter ‘j’ is read as a lightweight affricate "dzh", as in the English word "June."

Chinese words are made up of syllables, each of which has its own value, and which are quite different from the sounds of familiar European languages. In addition, Chinese has not only the sounds themselves but also distinctive tones which specify how to pronounce a syllable — whether the vocal utterance is to be raised in pitch for that syllable, to be lowered or to remain at the same pitch.

Among the most frequent words of Lidepla, many words are borrowed from Chinese.

• Reserved keywords and adverbs: bu (not), ba (повелит наклонение), gwo (еопред прош. вр.), zai (current activity), zuy (most), fen (to form a fraction), shi (ten), idyen (a little), haishi (still), shao (a little), turan (suddenly).
• Nouns: jen (man), bao (bag), mao (wool), dao (path), yuan (employee), guan (a public institution), bey (back), duza (abdomen), tuza (hare), chiza (spoon), feng (wind).
• Verbs: zwo (do), shwo (talk), lwo (fall), yao (want to), kan (watch), gun (work), chi (eat), zin (included), chu (go), zun (to do something), mangi (to be busy with something), tungitt (hurt), kaulu (consider, take into account).
• Adjectives: hao (good), lao (old), gao (high), syao (small), byen (convenient), hwan (yellow), suan (sour), guy (expensive), kway (fast), lenge (cold), lan (lazy).

Exercise keys

Following lesson