Difference between revisions 10965558 and 10965622 on enwiki

< previous diff
next diff >
List of common phrases in constructed languages
Here is a list of '''common phrases in [[constructed language]]s''', similar to the list of [[common phrases in different languages]] which lists phrases in natural languages.

It is possible for [[tourism|tourists]] in a country whose language they do not understand to get along with a surprisingly short list of phrases, combined with pointing, miming, and writing down numbers on paper. While most of the languages on this page are not spoken by a wide number of people, the list may give a little glimpse into what a language looks like. Also, some languages (in particular [[Esperanto]]) may indeed be useful to a tourist wishing to communicate.

You are invited to add more languages to the list. Please use the minimum number of words that would be understandable and put the pronunciation in slashes according to [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]], [[SAMPA]] or [[X-SAMPA]] transcription if possible. If desired, also add a pseudo-English pronunciation guide for those not familiar with SAMPA or [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]. However, actual pronunciations of the pseudo-English spellings will vary wildly from speaker to speaker. Enclose the "spelling guide" in parentheses, separate syllables with dashes, use English words that sound like the syllables if possible, and render the stressed syllable in ALL CAPS.

The language family of every language is listed in parentheses. 

==Examples==

=== [[Buglere|Chakobsa]] ([[Constructed language|Fictional]] from the ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'' series) ===

*Buglere: ''Buglerege'' /buu le AY e/
*hello: ''cheklemine'' /che klay mee NAY/
*good-bye: ''bachage no'' /ba CHA ge no/
*please: 
*thank you: ''kle no'' /klay no/
*that one: ''lle'' /ye/
*how much?: ''zenbat'' /s,en bat/
*English: ''ingelez'' /ing lez/
*yes: ''no'' /no/
*no: ''meno'' /may no/
*generic toast: kle no

=== [[Ekspreso]] ([[constructed language|planned]], based on European languages) ===

*Ekspreso: ''Ekspreso'' (ex-PREY-so)
*hello: ''halo'' (HAH-low)
*welcome: ''bonvenied'' (bon-vay-nee-ED)
*good-bye: ''adio'' (a-dee-OH)
*please: ''per favor'' (per FAH-vor)
*thank you: ''grasias'' (GRAH-see-yass)
*sorry: ''perdonen'' (per-DOEN-nehn)
*that one: ''isa'' (EE-saw)
*how much?: ''kuanto?'' (KWAN-toe)
*English: ''angles'' (an-GLACE)  
*yes: ''si'' (SEE)
*no: ''no'' (NOH)
*I don't understand: ''Mio no komprenden'' (MEE-oh NOH kom-PRAYN-dayn)


=== [[Esperanto]] ([[constructed language|planned]], based on European languages) ===

*Esperanto: ''Esperanto'' /&#603;sp&#603;&#712;rant&#596;/ (ess peh RAN toe)
*hello: ''saluton'' /sa&#712;lut&#596;n/ (sa LOO ton)
*good-bye: ''&#285;is revido'' /&#676;is r&#603;&#712;vid&#596;/ (jiss re VEE doe)
*please: ''bonvole'' /b&#596;n&#712;v&#596;l&#603;/ (bon VOE leh)
*thank you: ''dankon'' /&#712;dank&#596;n/ (DAN con)
*that there: ''tio'' /&#712;ti&#596;/ (TEE oh)
*how much?: ''kiom'' /&#712;ki&#596;m/ (KEY om)
*English: ''angla'' /&#712;angla/ (ANN glah)
*yes: ''jes'' /j&#603;s/ (yes)
*no: ''ne'' /n&#603;/ (neh)
*Where is the bathroom?: ''Kie estas la necesejo?'' /&#712;ki&#603; &#712;&#603;stas la n&#603;ts&#603;&#712;s&#603;j&#596;/ (KEY-eh ESS-tas la neh-tseh-SEH-yo)
*generic toast: ''je via sano'' /j&#603; &#712;via &#712;san&#596;/ (yeh VEE-a SAH-no)
*Do you speak English?: ''&#x108;u vi parolas angle?'' /&#679;u vi pa&#712;r&#596;las &#712;angl&#603;/ (choo vee pa-ROE-las ANG-leh)

=== [[Ido language|Ido]] ([[constructed language|planned]], reformed version of [[Esperanto]]) ===

*Ido: ''Ido''
*hello: ''bona jorno''
*good-bye: ''adio''
*please: ''bonvole''
*thank you: ''danko''
*that one: ''co''
*how much: ''quanta''
*English: ''angla''
*yes: ''yes''
*no: ''no''
*generic toast: &nbsp;

=== [[Interlingua]] ([[English language|Anglo]]-[[Romance languages|romance]], [[constructed language|planned]], based on European languages) ===

*Interlingua: ''Interlingua'' (een-ter-LEENG-wah)
*hello: ''salute'' (sah-LOO-teh)
*welcome: ''benvenite'' (ben-veh-NEE-teh)
*good-bye: ''adeo'' (ah-DEH-oh)
*please: ''per favor'' (per fah-VOR)
*thank you: ''gratias'' (GRAH-tsias)
*sorry: ''pardono'' (par-DOH-noh)
*that one: ''iste'' (EES-teh)
*how much?: ''quanto?'' (QUAHN-toh)
*English: ''Anglese'' (ahng-LEH-zeh)
*yes: ''si'' (see)
*no: ''no'' (noh)
*I don't understand: ''Io non comprende'' (EE-oh non com-PREN-deh)
*generic toast: "A vostre sanitate!" (ah VOS-treh sahn-ee-TAH-teh)

=== [[Klingon language|Klingon]] ([[Constructed language|Fictional]] from the [[Star Trek]] series)===

Usage Note:  Many sentences which in English would be phrased as requests are represented in Klingon by imperative verbs, which are very freely used in this language. As a result, the word "please" is absent from the Klingon lexicon. Whereas in English one asks "what is it", in Klingon one would be more likely to say ''yIngu' ''(literally, "Identify it!"), and for Klingons, "ordering" a drink is not a metaphor:'' romuluS HIq HInob'' "give me Romulan ale!"

<!-- Note: please leave in the <nowiki>...</nowiki> bits for sentences that have double apostrophes, or that have an apostrophe at the beginning or end, to avoid having Wiki misinterpret the multiple apostrophes as formatting. -->

*English: ''DIvI' Hol'' /d`I.vI? xol/ (dih-VIH khole) ("Federation language")
*Klingon: ''tlhIngan Hol'' /t_KI.NAn xol/ (TLING-an khole) ("Klingon language")
*hello, good-bye, please, thank you: (can safely be left out; see Note below)
*that one: ''Dochvetlh'' /d`ot_S.vEt_K/ (DOACH-vettle)
*how much?: ''<nowiki>'ar</nowiki>'' /?Ar/ (ARE)
*yes: ''<nowiki>HIja'</nowiki>'' /xI.d_ZA?/ (khi-JAH), ''HISlaH'' /xIs`.lAx/ (khish-LAHKH) (response to a yes/no question); ''luq'' /luq/ (luke) (response to an order)
*no: ''<nowiki>ghobe'</nowiki>'' /Go.bE?/ (gho-BEH)
*sorry: ''jItlhIj'' /d_ZI.t_KId_Z/ (jih-TLIDGE) (literally "I apologise"); ''jIQoS'' /d_ZI.q_Xos`/ (jih-KROASH) ("I am sorry")
*I don't understand: ''<nowiki>jIyajbe'</nowiki>'' /d_ZI.jAd_Z.bE?/ (jih-yahj-BEH)
*where's the bathroom?: ''<nowiki>nuqDaq 'oH puchpa''e'?</nowiki>'' /nuq.d`Aq ?ox p_hut_S.p_ha?.?E?/ (NOOK-dack oakh pooch-pah-EH)
*generic toast:'' 'IwlIj jachjaj'' /?Iw.lId_Z d_ZAt_S.d_Zad_Z/ (EWWW-lidge JATCH-jadge)
*Do you speak English?: ''DIvI' Hol DajatlhlaH'a'?'' /d`I.vI? xol d`A.d_ZAt_K.lAx.?A?/ (dih-VIH khole da-jattle-lahkh-AH)
*foreigner: ''nov'' /nov/ (noav)

====Note====
Klingon usually dispenses with such things as greetings, "please", or "thank you". It is recommended that you leave out these phrases.

If you specifically wish to say these, here are some ways:

*hello: ''nuqneH'' /nuq.nEx/ (nook-NEHKH) (literally "What do you want?", only said when someone approaches you, not the other way around)
*goodbye: ''<nowiki>Qapla'</nowiki>'' /q_XAp.lA?/ (krap-LAH) (literally "Success!")
*please: ''qatlhob'' /qa.t_Kob/ (ka-TLOBE)
*thank you: ''<nowiki>qatlho'</nowiki>'' /qA.t_Ko?/ (ka-TLOE) (when speaking to one person), ''<nowiki>Satlho'</nowiki>'' /s`A.t_Ko?/ (sha-TLOE) (when speaking to more than one person)

=== [[Lojban]] (''a priori'' [[constructed language|planned language]]) ===

*Lojban: ''la lojban'' /la &#712;lo&#658;ban/ (lah LOZH-bahn)
*hello: ''coi'' /&#643;oj/ (shoy)
*good-bye: ''co'o'' /&#712;&#643;oho/ (SHO-ho)
*please: ''pe'u'' /&#712;p&#603;hu/ (PEH-hoo)
*thank you: ''ki'e'' /&#712;kih&#603;/ (KEE-heh)
*that one: ''ta'' /ta/ (tah)
*how much?: ''la'u ma'' /&#712;lahu ma/ (LAH-hoo mah)
*English: ''le glibau'' /l&#603; &#712;glibaw/ (leh GLEE-bow)
*yes: ''.i go'i'' /&#660;i &#712;gohi/ (ee GO-hee)
*no: ''.i na go'i'' /&#660;i na &#712;gohi/ (ee nah GO-hee)
*sorry: ''.u'u'' /&#712;&#660;uhu/ (OO-who)
*generic toast:
*I don't understand: ''mi na jimpe'' /mi na &#712;&#658;imp&#603;/ (mee nah ZHEEM-peh)
*Where's the bathroom?: ''ma stuzi le vimku'a'' /ma &#712;stuzi l&#603; vim&#712;kuha/ (ma STOO-zee leh vim-KOO-ha)
*Do you speak English?: ''xu do se bangu le glibau'' /xu do s&#603; &#712;bangu l&#603; &#712;glibaw/ (khoo doe seh BAN-goo leh GLEE-bow)

====See also====
*[http://www.digitalkingdom.org/lojban/phrasebook/ Lojban Phrasebook], especially the section "[http://www.digitalkingdom.org/lojban/phrasebook/sampu.html simple phrases]"

=== [[Quenya]] ([[Constructed language|Fictional]] from [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s work) ===

*Quenya: ''Quenya'' /"k<sup>w</sup>eJa/
*hello: ''m&aacute;ra cal&euml;'' /"ma:ra kale/
*good-bye: ''nam&aacute;ri&euml;'' /na"ma:rie/; ''m&aacute;ra mesta'' /"ma:ra "mesta/
*please: 
*thank you: ''hantanyel'' /hanta"Jel/ (lit. I thank you)
*sorry: 
*that one: 
*how much?: 
*English: 
*yes: ''y&eacute;'' /"je:/
*no: ''l&aacute;'' /"la:/
*I don't understand: ''ni l&aacute; hanyan'' /"ni "la: "haJan/
*where's the bathroom?: 
*generic toast:
*Do you speak English?:

=== [[Toki Pona language|Toki Pona]] ([[constructed language|planned]] [[pidgin]] based on sources from around the world) ===

''Words are accented on the first syllable.''

*Toki Pona: ''toki pona''
*hello: ''toki!''
*good-bye: ''mi tawa'' (said by person leaving); ''tawa pona'' (said by person staying)
*thank you: ''pona''
*that one: ''ni''
*how much?: ''mute seme?''
*English: ''toki Inli''
*yes: ''lon''<sup>4</sup>
*no: ''lon ala''<sup>5</sup>
*generic toast: ''telo nasa pona!''
*Do you speak English?: ''sina sona ala sona e toki Inli?''

=== [[Volapük]] ([[constructed language|planned]], based mostly on English and other European languages) ===

*Volapük: ''Volapük''
*hello: ''Glidis''
*welcome: ''veköm''
*good-bye: ''ledit''
*please: ''if plüdol''
*thank you: ''danö''
*sorry: ''pardö''
*that one: ''atos''
*how much?: ''flagedö?''
*English: ''Linglanik'', ''Nelijik''
*yes: ''si''
*no: ''no''
*I don't understand: ''No suemob''

==See also==
*[[Common phrases in different languages]]


[[Category:Lists of phrases]]