Lojban and Chinese, A Word A Day

By Xah Lee. Date:

pinca ⇔ urine/piss/pee ⇔ 尿 niao4

pinca ≔ x1 is a urine/piss/pee of x2
ta pinca mi ⇔ that is my pee ⇔ 那 na4 (that) 是 shi4 (is) 我的 wo3 de3 (my) 尿 niao4.
ti pinca do ⇔ this is your pee ⇔ 这 ze4 (this) 是 shi4 你的 ni3 de3 (your) 尿 niao4.

djica ⇔ want/desire ⇔ 要yao4

djica ≔ x1 desires/wants/wishes x2 (event/state) for purpose x3
mi djica le nu citka ⇔ I want to eat ⇔ 我 wo3 (I) 要 yao4 (want) 吃 chi1 (eat).
mi djica le nu cadzu ⇔ I want (to take a) walk ⇔ 我要走 zou2 (go) 走 zou3. (走走 ⇔ take a walk, wander)

the “nu” is a event abstraction descriptor; grammatically: it turns a whole bridi into a selbri, and adding le in front of the selbri, it becames a sumti.

nanba ⇔ bread ⇔ 面 mian4 (noodle) 包 bao1 (bun) (traditional: 麵包).

nanba ≔ x1 is a quantity of/contains bread [leavened or unleavened] made from grains x2
mi djica le nanba ⇔ I want bread ⇔ 我要面包.
mi xagji le nanba ⇔ I (am) hungry (for) bread. Chinese: 我要吃chi1面包 (i want eat bread.)

gletu ⇔ fuck ⇔ 肏 cao4. (often as 操, but incorrect.)

gletu ≔ x1 fucks x2
mi gletu do ⇔ I fuck you ⇔ 我 wo3 肏cao4 你 ni3

In the sentence: “mi gletu ko” , “ko” is a command form of you. So the whole sentence means “come be fucked by me”, or in Chinese 你 ni3 (you) 来 lai2 (come) 给 gei3 (give) 我 wo3 (I) 肏 cao4 (fuck). Of course, in normal English or Chinese people do not say such odd sentences. The word fuck and 肏 are used almost only as an interjection or as expletives. People would say “make love”, “sleep together”, “copulation”, “coitus” or other synonyms. But in a logical and artificial language like lojban, gletu is the way to say it.

mi djica le nu gletu do ⇔ i want to fuck you ⇔ 我 wo3 要 yao4 肏 chao4 你 ni3

for a Chinese essay on the word 肏, see: this file

citka ⇔ eat ⇔ 吃 chi1

citka ≔ x1 eat/consume x2
mi citka le cidja ⇔ I eat food ⇔ 我 wo3 吃 chi1 食 si2 物wu4

pa ⇔ one ⇔ 一 yi1 .

One easy way to remember lojban numbers is to use them in varius online passwords. For example, joe123 can be joepareci. (pa ⇔ 1 ⇔ 一yi1, re ⇔ 2 ⇔ 二 er4, ci ⇔ 3 ⇔ 三 san1)

cidja ⇔ food ⇔ 食 si2 (eat) 物 wu4 (object)

cidja ≔ x1 is food/feed/nutriment for x2; x1 is edible/gives nutrition to x2

pinxe ⇔ drink ⇔ 喝 he1

pinxe ≔ x1 (agent) drinks liquid x2 from source x3
mi pinxe le djacu ⇔ i drink water ⇔ 我 wo3 喝 he1 水 shui3.

djacu ⇔ water ⇔ 水shui3

2004-02