Lánc dialogues

Here there are some dialogues in Lantian, listed according to an increasing difficulty, with some explanations.

Swé wámejis? - What's your name?

- Sofronis: Déno nóšfadžo, lástnejn!
- Marie: Déno nóšfadžo!
- Sofronis: Málajč ér³. Kí Sofronis eru. Ši rí² swé wámejis?¹
- Marie: Marie wámus¹. Málajč ér³. Swád ery, Sofronis?
- Sofronis: Elladajád. Ši rí?
- Marie: Fransád.
- Sofronis: Ši hí, mé ér?
- Marie: Hí Ana Elladajád ér. Čwesačan ér. Kí kokwe⁵.
- Sofronis: Kí kokwe⁵ čwesačan eru. Ši lak mon, mé er?
- Marie: Ó⁴ lást Petru. Ó popítačan láncu ér.

- Sofronis: Good morning, mrs.!
- Marie: Good morning!
- Sofronis: Nice to meet you (lit. It's a pleasure). I am Sofronis. What's your name (lit. How are you called?)
- Marie: My name's Marie (lit. I am called Marie). Nice to meet you. Where are you from, Sofronis?
- Sofronis: From Greece. And you? (polite form)
- Marie: From France.
- Sofronis: And she, who is she?
- Marie: She is Ana from Greece. She's student. And me too (lit. I also).
- Sofronis: And I am a student too. And this man, who is he?
- Marie: Mr. Petru. He's (the) teacher of Lantian.

• ¹ The name isn't asked as in English (even if you can build such a sentence Máke townon úk ér?, it won't sound suitable), but with the passive form of the verb wámor, to call: Swé wámecis? - literally How are you called (by name)?
• ² When two people meet and don't know each other they don't use the singular 2nd person to (thou), but make use of a polite form, which coincides with the second plural person form rí. Verbs have to agree with this person, and also pronouns, but not adjectives neither nouns: Mó toljuj? - What are you doing?; Valmu ža ply rijo znodža - I think I already know you.
• ³ To reply an introduction the polite form nice to meet you is translated as it's a pleasure to meet you - tó bejznódor málajč ér, when the first part of the sentences is dropped as implied: you simply have to answer Málajč ér!
• ⁴ The article ó comes before the word lást, which means mister, differently from English. The article comes before every definite word, only except personal and geographical nouns. Here the word lást is definite and it's not a personal noun, even if followed by a personal one, so the article is present.
• ⁵ Kokwe, meaning also, too, always follows the nouns and pronouns, which is linked to.

Máke rijunon twák ér? - What's your job?

- L. Brown: Rýžač¹, lást, popítačan ery?
- L. Asenov: Ét, popítačan ét eru!
- L. Brown: Máke² rijunon twák ér?
- L. Asenov: Indžineren³ twaču, ýbo čuk inglišoko čwesu. Ši rí, mé ery?
- L. Brown: Kí Henry Brown eru, biznesmén. Málajč ér!
- L. Asenov: Málajč ér, Hristo Asenov. Swád ery, lást Brown?
- L. Brown: Núčelačýd Mjáwejýd Amerikaw (alt.: NMA-jád)! Ši rí, swád ery?
- L. Asenov: Bylgariajád aču!

- Mr. Brown: Sorry (lit. Excuse), mister, are you teacher?
- Mr. Asenov: No, I am not teacher!
- Mr. Brown: What is your job?
- Mr. Asenov: I work as engineer, but now I am studying English. And you, who are you?
- Mr. Brown: I am Henry Brown, business man. Nice to meet you!
- Mr. Asenov: Nice to meet you, Hristo Asenov. Where are you from, mr. Brown?
- Mr. Brown: From the United States of America (alt.: from USA)! And you, where are you from?
- Mr. Asenov: I come from Bulgaria!

• ¹ The apologizing form is expressed by the verb rýžor, conjugated in imperative form: rýž - Excuse me (to someone you know); rýžač (to someone you don't know or to many people); rýžače (to two people). The object form is optional: kijo rýž is an optional way of apologizing. A more polite form involves the optative mood as a question: kijo rýžij? - Would you like to excuse me?
• ² Here the English pronoun what (má) is replaced with máke (which), because it fits better with the sentence as an adjectival pronoun.
• ³ The verb twákor (to work) expresses its object (the kind of work) with the instrumental case, instead of a particle as English as: popítačanen twaču - I work as teacher.

Swot ó lást Petru ér? - Where is Mr. Petru?

- Ln. Peta: Déno nóšfadžo!
- L. Vine: Déno nóšfadžo!
- Ln. Peta: Ono lásto Petruwo tyrcu. Rí ery?
- L. Vine: Ét, ét eru¹.
- Ln. Peta: Lak ó bjuró onu lástu Petrú ér?
- L. Vine: De! Ét krópuc². Ó lást Petru lakot néremot twače, ýbo čuk ét ájér³.
- Ln. Peta: Ši swot ér?
- L. Vine: Šiko néremo sáljej?
- Ln. Peta: Mákewo?
- L. Vine: Pjuvot onot voremožot!
- Ln. Peta: De?
- L. Vine: Lak ó bjuró onu direktoru ér. Ó lást Petru kájot ér. Ýbo pu-dénum zao ájot kánjač⁴
- Ln. Peta: Dénum. Džanu!
- L. Vine: Dólbu!

- Mrs, Peta: Good morning!
- Mr. Vine: Good morning!
- Mrs. Peta: I am looking for mr. Petru. It is you?
- Mr. Vine: No, it's not me.
- Mrs. Peta: Is this the office of mr. Petru?
- Mr. Vine: Yes! You're not wrong. Mr. Petru works in this room, but now there isn't.
- Mrs. Peta: And where is he?
- Mr. Vine: Do you see that room?
- Mrs. Peta: Which one?
- Mr. Vine: On the right in the corridor!
- Mrs. Peta: Yes?
- Mr. Vine: That's the office of the director. Mr. Petru is there. Ma it's better if you wait for him here (lit. but better wait for him here)
- Mrs. Peta: Well. Thank you!
- Mr. Vine: You're welcome!

• ¹ The verb ervuč doesn't require a direct object in accusative as English to be. The object of the verb is in nominative case (as in many languages of the world), and a sentence like it's not me, should be translated as ét eru - I am not.
• ² The English construction to be wrong is expressed by the verb krópuč, which also means to make an error. Valmu ža krópavec - I think you were wrong.
• ³ The English construction to be there is expressed by the single verb ájervuč, a compound form of ervuč: Króp ájér - There is an error.
• ⁴ This sentence has a different construction in the two languages. In English it is divided in two clauses, because the part it's better holds an entire second clause. In Lantian it's better to compose a single sentence, by using better (pu-dénum) as adverb, and the verb goes in imperative. It is also possible to compose two clauses as in English, building a sentences like: Ýbo pu-dén ér, ža zao ájot kánjaj, but this construction is avoided if possible.

Mó toljuc? - What are you doing?

- Hristo: Ehoj, Marie!
- Marie: Ehoj, Hristo! Dénum okátjáv! Asátj!
- Hristo: Džanu! Swé erc? Mó toljuc?
- Marie: Dénum eru. Džanu! Lójyo porejoy láncot čwesu.
- Hristo: Vnosy eruk?
- Marie: Ét! Majtaftóč minutyt¹ sgoton tekersu.
- Hristo: Vnosyo porejoy ply znodžec ši dénum lánco malžec!
- Marie: Džanu! Ervomš méske vnosum ralu ši nočalum lánco ša² láncyen vjéšajeyn malžu.
- Hristo: Gnawtum! Swot Ana ér?
- Marie: Tálenawrot ér. Skjáwandžijo čwese. Ájot na 18.00 h.³ tekerse.
- Hristo: Dénum. Ájot hijo tekánjesu.

- Hristo: Hello, Marie!
- Marie: Hello, Hristo! Welcome! Come in!
- Hristo: Thank you! How are you? What are you doing?
- Marie: I'm fine. Thanks! I'm studying new words in Lantian.
- Hristo: Are they many?
- Marie: No! I'll be ready in fifteen minutes.
- Hristo: You already know many words and speak well Lantian!
- Marie: Thank you! Maybe because I read very much and I speak only Lantian with Lantian friends.
- Hristo: Sure! Where is Ana?
- Marie: She's in the library. She's studying biology. She will be here at 6.00 pm.
- Hristo: Good. I'll wait for her here.

• ¹ When you express a period of time, which an action is carried out in, this period is stated in locative case: kájot nočot minutot tekersu - I'll be there in one minute.
• ² The preposition ša is translated with the same preposition (with) as the simple instrumental case. The preposition express a meaning of companionship, instead the simple case has a meaning of something being used (as a tool, usually a thing).
• ³ Hour time is expressed by the preposition na with the accusative case: na vát húrejoy - at 8.00 am.