The following dialogue in Lojban illustrates the uses of attitudinals and protocol vocatives in conversation. The phrases enclosed in “sei ... se'u” indicate the speaker of each sentence.
15.1) la rik. .e la .alis. nerkla le kafybarja
Rick and Alice in-go to-the coffee-bar.
Rick and Alice go into the coffee bar.
15.2) .i sei la rik. cusku se'u
ta'a ro zvati be ti
mi baza speni ti .iu
[Comment] Rick says, [end-comment]
[Interrupt] all at this-place,
I [future] [medium] am-spouse-to this-one [love].
Rick said, “Sorry to break in, everybody.
Pretty soon I'm getting married
to my love here.”
15.3) .i sei la djordj. cusku se'u
a'o ko gleki doi ma
[Comment] George says, [end-comment]
[Hope] [You-imperative] are-happy, O [who?].
George said, “I hope you'll be happy, um, ...?”
15.4) .i sei la pam. cusku se'u
pe'u .alis.
xu mi ba terfriti
le nunspenybi'o
[Comment] Pam says,
[Please] Alice, [end-comment]
[Is it true?] I [future] receive-offer-of
the event-of-spouse-becoming?
Pam said, “Please, Alice, am I going to be
invited to the wedding?”
15.5) .i sei la mark. cusku se'u
coi baza speni
a'o le re do lifri
le ka xamgu
[Comment] Mark says, [end-comment]
[Greetings] [future] [medium] spouse(s),
[Hope] the two of-you experience
the-property-of being-happy
Mark said, “Hello, spouses-to-be. I hope both of
you will be very happy.”
15.6) .i sei la rik. cusku se'u
mi'e .rik. doi terpreti
[Comment] Rick says, [end-comment]
[I am] Rick, O questioners.
Rick said, “My name is Rick, for those of you who
want to know.”
15.7) .i sei la .alis. cusku se'u
nu'e .pam. .o'ero'i
do ba zvati
[Comment] Alice says, [end-comment]
[Promise-to] Pam, [closeness] [emotional]
you [future] are-at.
Alice said, “I promise you'll be there, Pam honey.”
15.8) .i sei la fred. cusku se'u
.uinaicairo'i
mi ji'a prami la .alis.
fe'o .rik.
[Comment] Fred says, [end-comment]
[Happy] [not] [emphatic] [emotional]
I [additionally] love Alice.
[Over and out to] Rick.
“I love Alice too,” said Fred miserably. “Have a
nice life, Rick.”
15.9) .i la fred. cliva
Fred leaves.
And he left.
15.10) .i sei la rik. cusku se'u
fi'i ro zvati
ko pinxe pa ckafi
fi'o pleji mi
[Comment] Rick says, [end-comment]
[Welcome-to] all at-place,
[You-imperative] drink one coffee
with-payer me.
Rick said, raising his voice, “A cup of coffee
for the house, on me.”
15.11) .i sei la pam. cusku se'u
be'e selfu
[Comment] Pam says, [end-comment]
[Request to speak to] server.
Pam said, “Waiter!”
15.12) .i sei le selfu cu cusku se'u
re'i [end-comment]
[Comment] The server says,
[Ready to receive].
The waiter replied, “May I help you?”
15.13) .i sei la pam. cusku se'u
e'o ko selfu
le traji xamgu ckafi
le baza speni
fi'o selpleji mi
[Comment] Pam says, [end-comment]
[Petition] [You-imperative] serve
the (superlatively good) coffee
to-the [future] [medium] spouse
with-payment me.
Pam said, “One Jamaica Blue for the lovebirds here,
on my tab.”
15.14) .i sei le selfu cucusku se'u
vi'o
[Comment] The server says, [end-comment]
[Will comply].
“Gotcha”, said the waiter.
15.15) .i sei la rik. cusku se'u
ki'e .pam.
[Comment] Rick says, [end-comment]
[Thanks O] Pam.
“Thanks, Pam”, said Rick.
15.16) .i sei la pam. cusku se'u
je'e
[Comment] Pam says, [end-comment]
[Acknowledge].
“Sure”, said Pam.
15.17) .i sei la djan. cusku se'u
.y. mi .y. mutce spopa .y.
le nu le speni si .y.
ba speni .y. .y.
su .yyyyyy. mu'o
[Comment] John says, [end-comment]
[Uh] I [uh] very [nonexistent gismu] [uh]
the event-of the spouse [erase] [uh]
[future] spouse [uh] [uh]
[erase all] [uh] [over]
John said, “I, er, a lotta, uh, marriage,
upcoming marriage, .... Oh, forget it.
Er, later.”
15.18) .i sei la djordj. cusku se'u
ke'o .djan. zo'o
[Comment] George says, [end-comment]
[Repeat O] John [humor].
“How's that again, John?” said George.
15.19) .i sei la pam. cusku se'u
ju'i .djordj.
.e'unai le kabri bazi farlu
[Comment] Pam says, [end-comment]
[Attention] George,
[Warning] the cup [future] [short] falls
“George, watch out!” said Pam. “The cup's falling!”
15.20) .i le kabri cu je'a farlu
The cup indeed falls.
The cup fell.
15.21) .i sei la djan. cusku se'u
e'o doi djordj. zo'o rapygau
[Comment] John says, [end-comment]
[Petition] O George [humor] repeat-cause.
John said, “Try that again, George!”
15.22) .i sei la djordj. cusku se'u
co'o ro zvati pe secau la djan. ga'i
[Comment] George says, [end-comment]
[Partings] all at-place without John [superiority]
“Goodbye to all of you,” said George sneeringly,
“except John.”
15.23) .i la djordj. cliva
George leaves.
George left.