Fill a cup that is already full

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[Syaron]

I have been trying to figure out how to say "It is hard to fill a cup that is already full" niNa'vi. I have com eup with

"Ke ftue ne si teya teya tsngal" or Not easy to make full a full cup.

Is there anyone who can let me know if this would be a proper Na'vi way to translate this sentence or if it is already translated someplace else?

Irayo!!


PS LOVE the smilies!!  

Syaron

[omängum fra'uti]

Well first off, "ne" is not the right word here, unless you're talking a literal direction.  "to fill" is the infinitive form of "fill" in English, so should be translated with regard to that. (But note that Na'vi has no infinitive form, though often the subjunctive can be used in a similar way.)

teya si would be correct for "fill" but it must be in that order.

We also have "ngäzìk" for hard in the sense of difficult.

And to say that it is hard, you would use "lu ngäzìk", but that doesn't say WHAT is hard, just that something is.  So add "fwa" to elaborate on what is hard.

With "teya si", what is being filled goes in the dative.

Finally, a cup which is already full is "tsngal a lu li teya", pretty much a direct word for word translation there.

Lu ngäzìk fwa teya sivi tsngalur a lu li teya.
It is hard to fill a cup which is already full.

And on a mod note: The expressions and idioms thread is about certain common and colloquial expressions, this forum as a whole is the place to ask these sort of questions.

[Syaron]

Most awesome of you to help me with this!! And to move me where I need to be. Irayo! I love that expression and wanted to say it correctly. Thank you again and thank you for all the wonderful Na'vi tools you have had a hand in.

Syaron