LESSON XIII.


How to translate WHAT.
(a) If it means that which, use to quo or to quon, according to sense:
(1) What is here is good (= That which is here is good).
To quo esas hike, esas bona.
(In this sentence which is the subject of is.)
(2) What you say is right (= that, which you say, is right).
To quon vu dicas, esas justa.
(Here which is the object of you say.)
NOTE.- In the correlation to quo, or to quon, the to can be omitted after a verb:
I heard what he said, Me audis quon il dicis.
I know what they are, Me savas quo li esas.
(b) If it is a question and means what thing, use quo or quon:
What is it? Quo esas?
What is the matter? Quo eventas?
What do you want? (= you want what thing? you subject, what object, placed before the verb).
Quon vu volas?
(c) As as adjective, use qua, quan:
What carriage? Qua veturo?
What day? Qua dio?
(d) As an exclamation, use quo!
What! is it true! Quo, ka vera?
(e) Followed by a, translate what by quala:
What a wind! Quala vento!

Indefinite Adjectives and Pronouns.

Some, any. See Lessons X. and XI.
No before a noun of quantity = not before the verb:
Me ne havas pano.
No before a noun of individuality = not one: nula:
No man will say, Nula homo dicos.
Either (= the one or the other):
Either of them will do (= one or other will suit).
Una od altra konvenos.
[Either .. or is a conjunction, sive .. sive.]
Neither (= nor one nor the other):
Neither door was open,
Nek una nek la altra pordo esis apertita.
Few = poka.
A few = kelka.
Several = plura.
Many, much = multa (too many, much = tro multa).
Such meaning "quality" = tala.
" " meaning those = ti.
Such as we are, Tala, quala ni esas.
Such as like it, Ti, qui prizas ol.
All meaning everything = omno.
" " meaning everybody = omni.
All I have said, Omno, quon me dicis.
All were there, Omni asistis.
All trouble, all efforts, Omna peno, omna esforci.
All the, meaning the whole = la tota.
All the town was ablaze, La tota urbo flagris.
Each other = una altra.
One another = una altra (or verb commencing by inter-)
They loved each other,
Li amis una altra.
They loved one another,
Li amis una altra (or: inter-amis).
They took each other's hats,
Li prenis la una la chapelo di la altra.
Not anything, Nothing = ne .. ulo or nulo.
Not anyone, no one, none = ne .. ulu or nulu.
One is translated by un as a number, una as an adjective showing unity, unu as a pronoun of person:
One and one make two,
Un ed un facas du.
The One Holy Church,
La Una Santa Eklezio.
The one said this, the other said that,
Unu dicis ico, la altru dicis ito.
One after demonstratives (this one, that one, the other one), and after adjectives (a young one, a good one) is omitted:
This one said this, that one said that, and the other one said the other thing,
Ica dicis ico, ita dicis ito, e la altra dicis la altro.
The little one was tired,
La puereto esis fatigita.
One, after an adjective, is often translated by a repetition of the noun:
She had a doll, and a beautiful one too,
El havis pupeo, vere bela pupeo.
The ones as a pronoun = uni:
The ones were long, the others were short,
Uni esis longa, l'altri esis kurta.
Ones, after an adjective is not translated:
Give me two small ones, Donez a me du mikra.
Self.- The pronoun self is translated by ipsa:
Who was there? Only myself,
Qua esis ibe? Nur me ipsa.
When myself, himself etc. are used after the simple pronoun (I myself, she herself etc.), or after a noun (the king himself), translate the simple pronoun or noun, and add ipsa as separate word:
They themselves told me, Li ipsa dicis to a me.
She saw it herself, El ipsa vidis ol.
She saw the thing itself, El vidis la kozo ipsa.
It will be noticed that the word ipsa should be placed next to the word it refers to.
Self as a noun is translated by persono.
My whole self, mea tota persono.

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James Chandler 2000