Lojban and Chinese, A Word A Day
By Xah Lee. Date:
canja ⇔ trade ⇔ 买卖mai3mai4,交易jiao1yi4
canja ≔ x1 exchanges/trades/barters commodity x2 for x3 with x4; x1, x4 is a trader/merchant/businessman
jdini canja ⇔ money trade ⇔ 金钱jin1 qian2 交易jiao1yi4
金 ⇔ gold. 钱 ⇔ money. 交 ⇔ exchange. 易 ⇔ convenience. 金钱 ⇔ money in a formal context. 交易 ⇔ trade, commerce.
jamna ⇔ war ⇔ 战zhan4 争zheng1
jamna ≔ x1 (person/mass) wars against x2 over territory/matter x3; x1 is at war with x2
le merko ku jamna le muslo ⇔ American and Islam is warring. ⇔ 美国与回教战争
le jungo ku jamna le ponjo ⇔ Chinese and Japanese is warring. ⇔ 中国与日本战争
“ku” marks the end of “le”
catra ⇔ kill ⇔ 杀sha1
catra ≔ x1 (agent) kills/slaughters/murders x2 by action/method x3
mi catra le danlu ⇔ i kill animal
le danlu ku catra do ⇔ animal kill you
le danlu ku catra le danlu ⇔ animals kill animals
Enclosing a word between “le” and “ku” makes it a “noun”, and can be used in one of the x1, x2, x3… places. “ku” is often not necessary.
bajra ⇔ run ⇔ 跑pao3
bajra ≔ x1 runs on surface x2 using limbs x3 with gait x4
mi klama le zarci ku zo'e zo'e le bajra ku ⇔ i run to the store (i go store blank blank run) ⇔ 我跑步去商店 （i run gait go commerce shop)
recall that “le zarci ku” means store.
co'o ⇔ goodbye ⇔ 再zai4 见jian4
co'o
再zai4 见jian4
再 ⇔ again. 见 ⇔ see. 再见 ⇔ “see you again” or “see you/goodbye”.
taxfu ⇔ clothing ⇔ 衣yi1 物wu4
taxfu ≔ x1 is dress/a garment/clothing for wearing by x2 (gender/species/body part) serving purpose x3
zo'e vecnu mi le taxfu ⇔ i buy clothing ⇔ 我买mai3 衣物.
Recall “zo'e” is blank. So the literal English version is: “blank sells me clothing”.
sutra ⇔ fast ⇔ 快kuai4
sutra ≔ x1 is fast/swift/quick/hastes/rapid at doing/being/bringing about x2 (event/state)
mi sutra ⇔ I'm fast ⇔ 我很快.
do sutra ⇔ you are fast ⇔ 你很快
mi sutra lo nu citka ⇔ I eat fast (i'm fast at the-event-of-eating ⇔ 我吃得快
xu do sutra le nu citka
⇔ do you eat fast (true? you are fast at eating?) ⇔ 你吃得快吗?
mi na sutra ⇔ I'm not fast ⇔ 我不快
xu do sutra le nu cadzu ⇔ do you walk fast? ⇔ 你走得快吗?
ko sutra ⇔ faster! ⇔ 快kuai4 点dian3
“nu … kei” makes something abstract.
coi ⇔ hi, hello ⇔ 你好
“coi” is the standard greeting. “coi” can be used for “hi”, “hello”.
你好 ⇔ used for general greeting; iterally: “you good”.
jmive ⇔ alive ⇔ 活huo2 的de3
jmive ≔ x1 lives/is alive by standard x2; x1 is an organism/living thing
xu ta jmive ⇔ is that alive?
ta na jmive ⇔ that is not alive.
活 ⇔ live, to live, living. 的 ⇔ often added at the end of sentence to indicate a state. 活的 ⇔ alive.
2004-02