Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Common phrases in constructed languages
Here is a list of common phrases in constructed languages, similar to the list of common phrases in different languages which lists phrases in natural languages.
It is possible for tourists in a country whose language they do not understand to get along with a surprisingly short list of phrases, combined with pointing, miming, and writing down numbers on paper. While most of the languages on this page are not spoken by a wide number of people, the list may give a little glimpse into what a language looks like. Also, some languages (in particular Esperanto) may indeed be useful to a tourist wishing to communicate.
You are invited to add more languages to the list. Please use the minimum number of words that would be understandable and put the pronunciation in slashes according to IPA transcription if possible. If desired, also add a pseudo-English pronunciation guide for those not familiar with IPA. However, actual pronunciations of the pseudo-English spellings will vary wildly from speaker to speaker. Enclose the "pronunciation guide" in parentheses, separate syllables with hyphens, use English words that sound like the syllables if possible, and render the stressed syllable in ALL CAPS.
The language family of every language is listed in parentheses.
Examples
Chakobsa (Fictional from the Dune series)
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buglere | Buglerege | (buu-le-AY-e) | ||
| hello | cheklemine | (che-klay-mee-NAY) | ||
| good-bye | bachage no | (ba-CHA-ge-no) | ||
| please | ||||
| thank you | kle no | (klay-no) | ||
| that one | lle | (ye) | ||
| how much? | zenbat | (s,en-bat) | ||
| English | ingelez | (ing-lez) | ||
| yes | no | (no) | ||
| no | meno | (may-no) | ||
| generic toast | kle no |
Ekspreso (planned, based on European languages)
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ekspreso | Ekspreso | (ex-PREY-so) | ||
| hello | halo | (HAH-low) | ||
| welcome | bonvenied | (bon-vay-nee-ED) | ||
| good-bye | adio | (a-dee-OH) | ||
| please | per favor | (per FAH-vor) | ||
| thank you | grasias | (GRAH-see-yass) | ||
| sorry | perdonen | (per-DOEN-nehn) | ||
| that one | isa | (EE-saw) | ||
| how much? | kuanto? | (KWAN-toe) | ||
| English | angles | (an-GLACE) | ||
| yes | si | (SEE) | ||
| no | no | (NOH) | ||
| I don't understand | Mio no komprenden | (MEE-oh NOH kom-PRAYN-dayn) |
Esperanto (planned, based on European languages)
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esperanto | Esperanto | (ess peh RAN toe) | ||
| hello | saluton | /saˈlutɔn/ | (sa LOO ton) | |
| good-bye | ĝis revido | /ʤis rɛˈvidɔ/ | (jiss re VEE doe) | |
| please | bonvole | /bɔnˈvɔlɛ/ | (bon VOE leh) | |
| thank you | dankon | /ˈdankɔn/ | (DAN con) | |
| that there | tio | /ˈtiɔ/ | (TEE oh) | |
| how much? | kiom | /ˈkiɔm/ | (KEY om) | |
| English | angla | /ˈangla/ | (ANN glah) | |
| yes | jes | /jɛs/ | (yes) | |
| no | ne | /nɛ/ | (neh) | |
| Where is the bathroom? | Kie estas la necesejo? | /ˈkiɛ ˈɛstas la nɛtsɛˈsɛjɔ/ | (KEY-eh ESS-tas la neh-tseh-SEH-yo) | |
| generic toast | je via sano | /jɛ ˈvia ˈsanɔ/ | (yeh VEE-a SAH-no) | |
| Do you speak English? | Ĉu vi parolas angle? | /ʧu vi paˈrɔlas ˈanglɛ/ | (choo vee pa-ROE-las ANG-leh) |
Ido (planned, reformed version of Esperanto)
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ido | Ido | |||
| hello | bona jorno | |||
| good-bye | adio | |||
| please | bonvole | |||
| thank you | danko | |||
| that one | co | |||
| how much | quanta | |||
| English | angla | |||
| yes | yes | |||
| no | no | |||
| generic toast |
Interlingua Anglo-romance, planned, based on European languages)
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interlingua | Interlingua | (een-ter-LEENG-wah) | ||
| hello | salute | (sah-LOO-teh) | ||
| welcome | benvenite | (ben-veh-NEE-teh) | ||
| good-bye | adeo | (ah-DEH-oh) | ||
| please | per favor | (per fah-VOR) | ||
| thank you | gratias | (GRAH-tsias) | ||
| sorry | pardono | (par-DOH-noh) | ||
| that one | iste | (EES-teh) | ||
| how much? | quanto? | (QUAHN-toh) | ||
| English | Anglese | (ahng-LEH-zeh) | ||
| yes | si | (see) | ||
| no | no | (noh) | ||
| I don't understand | Io non comprende | (EE-oh non com-PREN-deh) | ||
| generic toast | A vostre sanitate! | (ah VOS-treh sahn-ee-TAH-teh) |
Klingon (Fictional from the Star Trek series)
Usage Note: Many sentences which in English would be phrased as requests are represented in Klingon by imperative verbs, which are very freely used in this language. As a result, the word "please" is absent from the Klingon lexicon. Whereas in English one asks "what is it", in Klingon one would be more likely to say yIngu' (literally, "Identify it!"), and for Klingons, "ordering" a drink is not a metaphor: romuluS HIq HInob "give me Romulan ale!"
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | DIvI' Hol | /ɖɪ'vɪʔ xol/ | (dih-VIH khole) | ("Federation language") |
| Klingon | tlhIngan Hol | /'tɬɪ.ŋɑn xol/ | (TLING-an khole) | ("Klingon language") |
| hello, good-bye, please, thank you | (can safely be left out; see Note below) | |||
| that one | Dochvetlh | /'ɖotʃ.vɛtɬ/ | (DOACH-vettle) | |
| how much? | 'ar | /ʔɑr/ | (ARE) | |
| yes | HIja' HISlaH luq | /xɪ'dʒɑʔ/ /xɪʂ'lɑx/ /luq/ | (khi-JAH), (khish-LAHKH) (luke) | (response to a yes/no question); (response to an order) |
| no: | ghobe' | /ɣo'bɛʔ/ | (gho-BEH) | |
| sorry: | jItlhIj jIQoS | /dʒɪ'tɬɪdʒ/ /dʒɪ'qχoʂ/ | (jih-TLIDGE) (jih-KROASH) | (literally "I apologise"); ("I am sorry") |
| I don't understand | jIyajbe' | /dʒɪ.jɑdʒ'bɛʔ/ | (jih-yahj-BEH) | |
| where's the bathroom? | nuqDaq 'oH puchpa''e'? | /'nuq.ɖɑq ʔox pʰutʃ.pʰaʔ'ʔɛʔ/ | (NOOK-dack oakh pooch-pah-EH) | |
| generic toast | 'IwlIj jachjaj | /'ʔɪw.lɪdʒ 'dʒɑtʃ.dʒadʒ/ | (EWWW-lidge JATCH-jadge) | |
| Do you speak English? | DIvI' Hol DajatlhlaH'a'? | /ɖɪ'vɪʔ xol ɖɑ.dʒɑtɬ.lɑx'ʔɑʔ/ | (dih-VIH khole da-jattle-lahkh-AH) | |
| foreigner | nov | /nov/ | (noav) |
Note
Klingon usually dispenses with such things as greetings, "please", or "thank you". It is recommended that you leave out these phrases. If you specifically wish to say these, here are some ways:
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hello | nuqneH | /nuq'nɛx/ | (nook-NEHKH) | (literally "What do you want?", only said when someone approaches you, not the other way around) |
| goodbye | Qapla' | /qχɑp'lɑʔ/ | (krap-LAH) | (literally "Success!") |
| please | qatlhob | /qa'tɬob/ | (ka-TLOBE) | |
| thank you | qatlho' Satlho' | /qɑ'tɬoʔ/ /ʂɑ'tɬoʔ/ | (ka-TLOE) (sha-TLOE) | (when speaking to one person), (when speaking to more than one person) |
Lojban (a priori planned language)
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lojban | la lojban | /la ˈloʒban/ | (lah LOZH-bahn) | |
| hello | coi | /ʃoj/ | (shoy) | |
| good-bye | co'o | /ˈʃoho/ | (SHO-ho) | |
| please | pe'u | /ˈpɛhu/ | (PEH-hoo) | |
| thank you | ki'e | /ˈkihɛ/ | (KEE-heh) | |
| that one | ta | /ta/ | (tah) | |
| how much? | la'u ma | /ˈlahu ma/ | (LAH-hoo mah) | |
| English | le glibau | /lɛ ˈglibaw/ | (leh GLEE-bow) | |
| yes | .i go'i | /ʔi ˈgohi/ | (ee GO-hee) | |
| no | .i na go'i | /ʔi na ˈgohi/ | (ee nah GO-hee) | |
| sorry | .u'u | /ˈʔuhu/ | (OO-who) | |
| generic toast: | ||||
| I don't understand | mi na jimpe | /mi na ˈʒimpɛ/ | (mee nah ZHEEM-peh) | |
| Where's the bathroom? | ma stuzi le vimku'a | /ma ˈstuzi lɛ vimˈkuha/ | (ma STOO-zee leh vim-KOO-ha) | |
| Do you speak English? | xu do se bangu le glibau | /xu do sɛ ˈbangu lɛ ˈglibaw/ | (khoo doe seh BAN-goo leh GLEE-bow) |
See also
- Lojban Phrasebook, especially the section "simple phrases"
Quenya (Fictional from J. R. R. Tolkien's work)
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quenya | Quenya | /'kweɲa/ | ||
| hello | mára calë | /'ma:ra kale/ | ||
| good-bye | namárië mára mesta | /na'ma:rie/; /'ma:ra ‘mesta/ | ||
| please | ||||
| thank you | hantanyel | /hanta'ɲel/ | (lit. I thank you) | |
| sorry | ||||
| that one | ||||
| how much? | ||||
| English | ||||
| yes | yé | /'e:/ | ||
| no | lá | /'la:/ | ||
| I don't understand | ni lá hanyan | /'ni 'la 'haɲan/ | ||
| where's the bathroom? | ||||
| generic toast | ||||
| Do you speak English? |
Toki Pona (planned pidgin based on sources from around the world)
Words are accented on the first syllable.
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toki Pona | toki pona | |||
| hello | toki! | |||
| good-bye | mi tawa tawa pona | (said by person leaving) (said by person staying) | ||
| thank you | pona | |||
| that one | ni | |||
| how much? | mute seme? | |||
| English | toki Inli | |||
| yes | lon4 | |||
| no | lon ala5 | |||
| generic toast | telo nasa pona! | |||
| Do you speak English? | sina sona ala sona e toki Inli? |
Volapük (planned, based mostly on English and other European languages)
| Translation | Phrase | IPA | Pronunciation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volapük | Volapük | |||
| hello | glidis | |||
| welcome | veköm | |||
| good-bye | ledit | |||
| please | if plüdol | |||
| thank you | danö | |||
| sorry | pardö | |||
| that one | atos | |||
| how much? | flagedö? | |||
| English | Linglanik, Nelijik | |||
| yes | si | |||
| no | no | |||
| I don't understand | no suemob |
See also
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