Láadan/Láadan Phrase Book

Introductions

Add your own Speech Act morpheme and Evidence morpheme as you see fit. Generally for a statement, you should use *Bíi*, but this can be left off as well. It's also a good rule to use an evidence morpheme, but once you've said it once you don't need to repeat it.

Láadan	English	Literal
Didebedihá le.	I am a beginner.	I'm an early-learner.
Bodibodá le.	I am a programmer.
Bedi le Láadan áabede.	I learn Láadan from a book.
Bíi zha letho X wa.	My name is X.	Name I-possess-by-other X.

Common words/phrases

Láadan	English	Literal
Em	Yes
Ra	No
Lu	Please
Áala	Thank you
Oho	You're welcome
Wil sha	Hello	Let there be harmony
Báa tháa ne?	How are you?	Are you good?
Aril	Goodbye	Literally, "Later"
Hoda	Excuse me.	Indicate that you regret something you are obliged to do (like interrupt somebody).
En le.	I understand.
En ra le.	I don't understand.
An ra le.	I don't know (a person)
Lothel ra le.	I don't know (a topic)

What are you doing?

Láadan	English	Literal
Báa shub le bebáath?	What are you doing?	You're doing what-thing?
Ril hal le.	I am working right now.
Amedara be.	They (singular) dances.	She dances. (No specific time)
Eril yod le.	I ate earlier.
Aril rúu le.	I am going to lie down later.
Báa eril om ne?	Did you teach?
Eril yod le baleth.	I ate bread.
Eril di be Láadan.	She spoke Láadan.
Aril sháad le wehedi.	I will go to the market.
Eril ban le thuzheth bedi.	I gave the cake to her.
Eril bedi le Láadaneth áabede.	I learned Láadan from a book.
Báa eril láad ne déelath oyinan?	Did you see the garden?	Did you perceive the garden with your eyes?

What is it?

Láadan	English	Literal
Bíi áya be wa.	She is beautiful.
Bíi le with wa.	I am a woman.
Bíi le withid wa.	I am a man.
Bíi le eduthá wa.	I am an engineer.
Bíi yide holanemid wi.	The wolf is hungry.	It is obvious to everyone, that the wolf is hungry.

What do you want?

Láadan	English	Literal	Breakdown
Néde le mahinath.	I want the flower.		want I flower-object.
Néde wéedan le.	I want to read.		want to-read I.
Ban shinehal thenath ledi.	I like the computer.	Computer gives me joy.	to-give computer joy-object me-destination.

What do you perceive?

Láadan	English	Literal
Bíi láad le neth oyinan wa.	I see you.	I perceive you with my eyes.
Bíi láad le neth oyunan wa.	I hear you.	I perceive you with my ears.
Bíi láad le neth omanan wa.	I feel you.	I perceive you with my hands.
Bíi láad le hisheth oyanan wa.	I feel snow.	I perceive snow with my skin.
Bíi eril loláad with lasheth wá.	The woman felt indifference.

Who, what, when, where, why?

Be = 3rd person singular + báa = "what" or "who", etc. - the interrogative.

Láadan	English	Vocab words
Báa bebáa hi?	What is that? What is this?	hi = that/this
Báa yod ne bebáath?	What are you eating?	yod = to eat, -th = Object marker
Báa sháad ne bebáadi?	Where are you going to?	-di = Goal marker
Báa hal ne bebáaden?	Who do you work with?	-den = Association marker
Báa lalom ne bebáawáan?	Why are you singing?	-wáan = Reason-cause marker
Báa den ne leth bebáanal?	How can you help me?	-nal = manner marker

Subjects and objects

Láadan	English	Vocab words
thi le doyuth	I have an apple.	thi = to have, le = I, doyu = apple, -th = object marker
thi ra le utheth	I don't have a brain.	thi = to have, ra = not, le = I, uth = brain, -th = object marker
il le neth	I see you.	il = to see, le = I, ne = you, -th = object marker