First attempt at saying something in Na'vi!

[Keith Cleaver]

Kaltxì!

I've been learning my Na'vi so far via a combination of the Na'vi in a Nutshell book and the Learn Na'vi Activity book (both of which are excellent!), and after a little learning session last night, I now feel confident enough to try & post something in Na'vi here. Please correct if there are any mistakes (I think there might be, reading it back this morning, but would love to see what people here say). Irayo!

Kaltxì! Oeru syaw fko Keith. Oe lu pxepey (I'm not sure if this number is correct?). Oe rey mì Cardiff, UK.
Oe lu nitram nerume nì-Na'vi.

[Kemaweyan]

Kaltxì!

You should use construction Oer solalew zìsìt *number* to tell your age, where "number" is how old are you. For example 27 years is º33 (symbol º means "octal") - pxevopey. Oer solalew zìsìt apxevopey. Here I use attributive marker -a- with pxevopey, because there is the same rule with numbers as with adjectives when we use them attributively. Also please note that with numbers we must use nouns in singular.

The verb rey means "live" as "be alive, not dead". If you want to say "I live in Cardiff", you shoul use the verb kelku si (literally "do home"): Oe kelku si mì Cardiff.

As for last sentence. With feelings in Na'vi we use construction oe 'efu *feeling*, so if you want to say "I'm happy" that should be Oe 'efu nitram. Also the cause why you are happy must be in topic -ri, if it isn't a single noun, use constructions with furia or tsaria (fì'uri a or tsa'uri a). So complete sentence is Oe 'efu nitram furia nerume lì'fyati leNa'vi.

[Keith Cleaver]

Kaltxì!

You should use construction Oer solalew zìsìt *number* to tell your age, where "number" is how old are you. For example 27 years is º33 (symbol º means "octal") - pxevopey. Oer solalew zìsìt apxevopey. Here I use attributive marker -a- with pxevopey, because there is the same rule with numbers as with adjectives when we use them attributively. Also please note that with numbers we must use nouns in singular.

The verb rey means "live" as "be alive, not dead". If you want to say "I live in Cardiff", you shoul use the verb kelku si (literally "do home"): Oe kelku si mì Cardiff.

As for last sentence. With feelings in Na'vi we use construction oe 'efu *feeling*, so if you want to say "I'm happy" that should be Oe 'efu nitram. Also the cause why you are happy must be in topic -ri, if it isn't a single noun, use constructions with furia or tsaria (fì'uri a or tsa'uri a). So complete sentence is Oe 'efu nitram furia nerume lì'fyati leNa'vi.

Kaltxì!

Irayo for the comments. I was thinking that the I live in Cardiff line was definately wrong. If I did something like Kelku si oe mì Cardiff, would that mean the same thing? (I'm trying to wrap my head around this free word order thing.)

I wasn't 100% sure on the number, but I thought I'd worked it out correctly. Is that vo part an infix that's needed every time you use a number over 10? The numbers part of NiaN wasn't very specific on that.

Thanks for the advice on the last line too. I wasn't sure quite how to express what I was trying to say, so thanks for clearing that up.

[Payä Tìrol]

Kelku si oe mì Cardiff, would that mean the same thing?

-Yes, but keep in mind it's not specifically free "word" order, but more free "sentence component" structure. All adjectives and genitives must still be attached to the noun they modify, and negations need to be by their verb, etc.

I wasn't 100% sure on the number, but I thought I'd worked it out correctly. Is that vo part an infix that's needed every time you use a number over 10? The numbers part of NiaN wasn't very specific on that.

-As for numerals, it's a bit difficult to explain. Keep in mind that the Na'vi have a thumb and 3 digits per hand, so they have 8 fingers, and thus all of their numbers are understandably base 8. So when they count (I'll be using English for the moment), it goes like
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 10₈, 11₈(8+1), 12₈(8+2),... etc.
Thus, when you pass 8, the next number becomes volaw (8+1). The numbers 1-7 all have a "remainder suffix" form that's used where I marked that underline. They're -aw, -mun, -pey, -sìng, -mrr, -fu, -hin.
When you reach 20₈ (2x8 or 16) or pxevol you start using prefixes. The numbers 2-7 also have a "multiplier prefix" form that's used where I marked that second underline. They're me-, pxey-, tsì-, mrr-, pu-, ki-.
When you reach 100₈ or 64, you "upgrade" to zam. Vozam is 1000₈ or 512, Zazam is 10000₈ or 4096. They're all used similarly.

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

As for last sentence. With feelings in Na'vi we use construction oe 'efu *feeling*, so if you want to say "I'm happy" that should be Oe 'efu nitram. Also the cause why you are happy must be in topic -ri, if it isn't a single noun, use constructions with furia or tsaria (fì'uri a or tsa'uri a). So complete sentence is Oe 'efu nitram furia nerume lì'fyati leNa'vi.

Why must the reason he is happy be topical?
Why can't this sentence simply be Oe 'efu nitram nerume lì'fyati leNa'vi? What exactly does furia do here?

[eanayo]

Why must the reason he is happy be topical?
Why can't this sentence simply be Oe 'efu nitram nerume lì'fyati leNa'vi? What exactly does furia do here?

It basically links the two clauses I am happy and (I am) learning the Na'vi language, much like you would say in English: I am happy to (be) learn(ing) the Na'vi language. Look at it this way: {{I am learning the Na'vi language} <- about this thing, I feel happy}

There are other ways to make a link between the two statements, but you most certainly need something. I'll leave the more concise explanations to the seasoned Grammarians

[kewnya txamew'itan]

As for last sentence. With feelings in Na'vi we use construction oe 'efu *feeling*, so if you want to say "I'm happy" that should be Oe 'efu nitram. Also the cause why you are happy must be in topic -ri, if it isn't a single noun, use constructions with furia or tsaria (fì'uri a or tsa'uri a). So complete sentence is Oe 'efu nitram furia nerume lì'fyati leNa'vi.

Why must the reason he is happy be topical?
Why can't this sentence simply be Oe 'efu nitram nerume lì'fyati leNa'vi? What exactly does furia do here?

It can't be the sentence you gave because there is no link between the clauses and essentially means "I am happy. I am learning na'vi". furia is often used to provide reasons and I think is Frommerian with the verb 'efu although talun(a) or a reversed clause order and tafral would also work.

[`Eylan Ayfalulukanä]

It can't be the sentence you gave because there is no link between the clauses and essentially means "I am happy. I am learning na'vi". furia is often used to provide reasons and I think is Frommerian with the verb 'efu although talun(a) or a reversed clause order and tafral would also work.

That said though, is there any problem with Oe 'efu nitram nerume lì'fyati leNa'vi literally meaning "I am happy. I am learning na'vi"?

But otherwise, you can use furia as  a form of 'because'  as if it worked like "I am happy because I am learning na'vi"?

[Payä Tìrol]

If you mean it as two sentences, then no. Otherwise it's a run-on.

[kewnya txamew'itan]

It can't be the sentence you gave because there is no link between the clauses and essentially means "I am happy. I am learning na'vi". furia is often used to provide reasons and I think is Frommerian with the verb 'efu although talun(a) or a reversed clause order and tafral would also work.

That said though, is there any problem with Oe 'efu nitram nerume lì'fyati leNa'vi literally meaning "I am happy. I am learning na'vi"?

But otherwise, you can use furia as  a form of 'because'  as if it worked like "I am happy because I am learning na'vi"?

There's no problem grammatically with it but there's no link made between the two clauses (let alone a causal one) so it's not the best translation. You could use furia or talun here (or flip the clauses round and use either a fì'uri, alunta or tafral) although I think furia is the best choice.