Lojban and Chinese, A Word A Day

By Xah Lee. Date:

cilre ⇔ learn ⇔ 学 xue2

cilre ≔ x1 learns x2 (du'u) about subject x3 from source x4 (obj./event) by method x5 (event/process)
mi cilre zo'e la lojban ⇔ i learn lojban ⇔ 我学 lojban.
mi cilre zo'e la lojban la cukta ⇔ i learn lojban from a book ⇔ 我看kan4书su1学 lojban.

Recall that zo'e is blank word, and “la” is placed in front of names.

看 ⇔ read; look. 书 ⇔ book. 和 ⇔ and.

do .e mi cu cilre zo'e la lojban ⇔ you and me learn lojban ⇔ 你和我学lojban

tcadu ⇔ city ⇔ 城市 cheng2 shi4

tcadu ≔ x1 is a town/city of metropolitan area x2, in political unit x3, serving hinterland/region x4
barda tcadu ⇔ big city ⇔ 大da4城市
cmalu verba tcadu ⇔ city of small children ⇔ 小孩城市
barda verba tcadu ⇔ city of big children ⇔ 大孩城市
barda ke verba tcadu ke'e ⇔ big, city of children ⇔ 大的孩子城市

The ke and ke'e acts like grouping parenthesis.

城≈fortress; building; town. 市≈market place, center of activity, downtown. 孩子 ⇔ children.

mi pu klama le tcadu ⇔ i went to city ⇔ 我去城市
mi prami le nicte tcadu ku ⇔ i love night city ⇔ 我爱ai4夜ye4城

爱 ⇔ love. 夜 ⇔ night.

verba ⇔ child ⇔ 小孩 xiao3 hai2

verba ≔ x1 is a child/kid/juvenile [a young person] of age x2, immature by standard x3
fetsi verba ⇔ girl ⇔ 女孩 nu3 hai2
cmalu verba ⇔ little child ⇔ 小孩
cmalu fetsi bo verba ⇔ little girl ⇔ 小女孩

bo connects two words together, like a hypen, so that “little girl bo school” means “little girl-school”. See Lojban Reference Grammar: Chapter 5

小 ⇔ small. 女 ⇔ female. 孩 ⇔ child.

kalri ⇔ open ⇔ 開kai1

kalri ≔ x1 (portal/passage/entrance-way) is open/ajar/not shut permitting passage/access to x2 by x3
le vorme ku kalri ⇔ the door is open ⇔ 门开的 men2 kai1 de3

vorme ⇔ door ⇔ 門

Traditional characters: 门 ⇔ 門,开 ⇔ 開

tirna ⇔ hear ⇔ 听ting1

tirna ≔ x1 hears x2 against background/noise x3; x2 is audible; (adjective) x1 is aural
mi tirna le zgike ⇔ i listen to music ⇔ 我听音乐wo3 tin1 yin1yue4

音乐 ⇔ music. 听 ⇔ 聽. 音乐 ⇔ 音樂.