Common beginner misunderstanding database

This page tends to be an "add as you go" page that answers questions that beginners and intermediates may ask about particular elements in the language that confuses them or they find to be "void." Such as the lack of grammatical gender.

While it is to be expected that these questions are vague and underinformed, and we should do our best to answer them regardless, that does not excuse not doing one's best to ask precise and informed questions. The more effort you put into the question, the more you'll get out of the answer.

Remember folks, Translation Is Hard. You can't translate anything you don't understand.

Why isn't there anything like his/her, and what can I use to get that effect?

Different languages have different concepts of grammatical gender. In Lojban, the closest thing to it is ra and ri for any gender, ra poi fetsi and ri poi fetsi for she and ra poi nakni and ri poi nakni for he. Is is also possible to use to assign lerfu variables (letters) to referents. See lerfu pro-sumti, and why ko'a sucks for more information on some Lojbanic ways to deal with anaphora.

I am translating from a language that the speaker refers to himself/herself using various different words, should I and how can I translate those to lojban? (For instance, Japanese; watashi, atashi, boku, ore, sessha, etc.)

This requires actually understanding the meaning of the words. In Japanese, contrary to popular belief, the words do not imply the gender of the speaker. Rather, they reflect the speaker's attitude and politeness about and towards the environment around him, and his perceived status in it. Combinations of le'o, ga'i, .io and others suffice in this case.

In the case of actual gender, there is no attitudinal. However, consider, is the speaker actually making a point of the gender? Or are they simply following the rules of the language, in the most expedient fashion possible? We suggest you do the same (in either case: if the speaker needs to state something about someone's gender, then by all means do so explicitly. But you can use words like nakni and fetsi and add incidental information with noi clauses.

Can I write le mibrirni/doirirni <unrelated bridi> to mean "I"/"You listeners" with "{I am/You listeners are} a/as-a parent" as some incidental information, like when you refer to someone in other languages?

(Related to the previous question but not entirely.)

No. mibrirni is a lujvo and, whatever it means, it functions like any other brivla, so {le mibrirni} is a sumti that refers to that which I describe as a mibrirni (a "me-parent", either my parent(s) or myself as a parent maybe) and it will fill a place in a bridi like any other sumti. doirirni = doi rirni (two separate words even if you don't write a space between them) is a vocative you can use to address your parent(s).

Grammar and morphology issues aside, do you mean something like "Now I know all you loving parents are hardworking decent people..."? Or something like that? You can use {doi} vocatives to indicate whom you're talking to. {doi rirni} means "I'm addressing you, parent(s)," but on the other side, if the audience knows who they are, it therefore means that you, the audience, are parents. You can do something similar with {mi'e}, but Mark Shoulson don't really see how to fit that in naturally. I don't think I understand the context of the question in this matter. Information incidental to something that's already being mentioned is done well with {noi}.

Why does no one like my lujvo?

Making bad lujvo is easy. Making good, understandable lujvo is subtle. It requires a nontrivial grasp of Lojban, and a solid idea of what lujvo you're trying to make. In particular, you have to understand that you're translating a concept, not a single word. Hot tip: think about how you'd use it in a sentence as the selbri, not in part of a sumti.

• This question was so affecting that I couldn't help weeping while reading it -inego

Definitions of attitudinals and discursives (The selma'o UI layout)

• Question:

  definition of .a'o is attitudinal: hope - despair. What does it mean?

• Answer:

  it means that .a'o means hope, and .a'onai means despair.

  It's showing you the opposite/negative as well for clarity.