Carune Lesson 3

In Lesson 2 you learned about describing feelings with the verb stare. In this lesson, you will learn to use stare in describing location, and the verb sere will be introduced. We'll also talk about third conjugation (-i stem) verbs, such as cognire and somnire.

Dialogue

Having arrived in Torine, Ione and Rome said goodbye to Ofelia and now are proceeding to an art exhibit that they've been looking forward to. Passing through the web of side streets, they become lost and seek out directions from Iulia, a passerby.

Carune

• Ione: Cogno quo stam confuzati. (Ele punte a una muera.) Lo pudem pidire direchioni a li.
• Rome: Signa, signa. M'scusi, siniorina.
• Iulia: Signa? Que te pudo fazere?
• Ione: Stam vistadori a Torine, e nezitam direchini.
• Rome: Signa. Noi querem zare al Museme di Arti para al presentazione.
• Iulia: In realita? Io tamben! Venis com mi.
• Eli ambulae al Museme di Arti.

Traduzione (Translation)

• Ione: I think that we are lost. (He points to a woman.) We can ask her for directions.
• Rome: Yes, yes. Excuse me, miss.
• Iulia: Yes? What can I do for you?
• Ione: We are visitors to Torine, and we need directions.
• Rome: Yes. We want to go to the museum of art for the presentation.
• Iulia: Really? Me too! Come with me.
• The walk to the Museum of Art.

Grammar Notes

This dialogue focuses on a number of points that were studied previously, and some that are coming up. In the first line, Ione says ...stam confuzati. This means "we are confused". Here are some other sentences you should be able to understand, and a list of vocabulary.

• confuzate: lost, confused (adj)
• siniorina: miss
• vistadore: vistor
• nezitam direchini: we need directions
• nezitare: to need
• direchine: direction
• in realita: really (lit. in reality)
• tamben: also
• venis: come (all of you)
• m'scusi: excuse me (to one person)
• pudere: to be able to (pudo=I can)
• signa: yes

-I Stem Verbs

You already know how to conjugate regular -a and -e stem verbs. In this lesson you will learn about -i stem verbs, the third conjugation. Here is a sample -i stem verb, fully conjugated in the present indicative tense:

• Somnire: to sleep
• Io somno: I sleep
• Tu somnei: you (familiar) sleep
• Ele/ela/vusse somni: he/she/you (formal) sleeps/sleep
• Noi somnim: we sleep
• Voi somnis: you (plural) sleep
• Eli/elae somnie: they sleep

So, simply remove the infinitive ending and add -o/-ei/-i/-im/-is/-ie. Here are some other -i stem verbs:

Additional Verbs

-a stem

• funziare: to work
• cegrare: to close
• caglentare: to heat

-e stem

• aprendere: to learn
• attendere: to attend
• videre: to see

-i stem:

• cognire: to think
• pidire: to ask for
• venire: to come

Describing Location and Origin

To speak of your location, use a simple formula. To speak of origin, you will learn a new irregular verb, and a new preposition, di. Di means "of" or "from", and is used in possession as well as location. For example:

• al ava di Ione: Ione's bird (lit., the bird of Ione)
• il cane di Iulia: Iulia's dog (lit., the dog of Iulia)
• il fele di Rome: Rome's cat (lit., the cat of Rome)

Location

The formula for location is as follows: [subject pronoun]+stare+in+location. The subject pronoun is largely unnecessary, but you must use a conjugated form of stare in and the location. For example:

• Io stoi in Zergattum: I am in Zergattum.
• Stai in Torine: You are in Torine
• Stam noi in Grenobela?: Are we in Grenobela?
• Signa, stam in Grenobela: Yes, we are in Grenoble

Sere

To talk about origin, you will need to use a new verb: sere, another verb for "to be. Sere describes qualities, time, and origin. It is conjugated as follows:

• Sere: to be
• Io evo: I am
• Tu eves: you (familiar) are
• Ele/ela/vusse es: he/she is
• Noi sovom: we are
• Voi sovos: you (plural) are
• Eli/elae sovoe: they are

Origin

To describe your origin, use the following formula: [subject pronoun]+sere+di+origin. The subject pronoun is mostly unnecessary, but sere di is key. For example:

• Evo di Grenobela: I am from Grenobela
• Ela es di Torine: She is from Torine
• Di ube sovos?: Where are you all from? (ube="where")
• Noi sovom di Zergattum: We are from Zergattum

Exercises

Exercise I

Translate the following from Carune to English:

• 1) Io stoi in Zergattum.
• 2) Eves tu di Grenobela?
• 3) Pudei aiudare (aiudare=to help)
• 4) Ube stai?
• 5) Evo di Londone (Londone=London)

Exercise II

Translate the following from English to Carune:

• 1) I am from Torine.
• 2) I am in Grenobela.
• 3) Can you walk?
• 4) Excuse me, are you from Zergattum?
• 5) I attend classes. (class=il clase)

Exercise III

Answer the following questions in Carune.

• 1) Comi stai? (comi=how)
• 2) Di ube eves?
• 3) Ube stai?
• 4) M'scusi, eves tu di Milane?

Exercise IV

You thought it wasn't going to be here, didn't you. :P Conjugate each of these verbs in all forms:

• 1) Concibire (to conceive)
• 2) Criere (to believe)
• 3) Prepare (to prepare)

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