[lojban-beginners] Re: Hi and lots of questions

[Pierre Abbat <phma@phma.optus.nu>]

On Sunday 04 June 2006 20:12, Antonio Soriano wrote:
> 4. It is not difficult for Susan to understand that Zhang left.
> (Hint: try it as "To understand that Zhang left is not difficult for
> Susan.")
>
> the answer given is: .i {lenu jimpe {lenu la jan. cliva}} na nandu la
> suzyn. my answer: .i la suzyn na nandu jimpe lenu la jan cliva

This is true if Susan understands easily, but it's also true if Susan doesn't 
understand at all.

> 5. At 22:15, Susan wants to meet  Jyoti at 22:45.
>
>   answer given: ti'u li rere pi'e pamu la suzyn. djica  {lenu penmi la
> djiotis. ti'u li rere pi'e vomu}
> mine: le nu la suzyn djica le nu penmi la djotis. ti'u li rerepi'e pamu

Sentence fragment (although a sentence consisting only of sumti is 
grammatical). Also you have only one time.

> is there a flaw in my answers?, or they could be possible answers for
> the questions?
>
> also I find very difficult to distinguish between the sounds of 'b'
> and 'v' and 's' from 'z' and how to pronounce 'y'. Any advice you
> could give me?

gleki fa lo spano noi sebau ke'a zo jmive me zo pinxe
Beati Hispani quibus vivere bibere est. ;)
For 'b' the lips close completely; for 'v' they don't. For 's' and 'z', 
say "rescate" and "rasgado", then drop the 'g'/'c' and make sure you can 
still distinguish them. For 'y', say 'a' with your mouth half-closed.

>   also, if I am not wrong, 'tc' is pronounced like spanish 'ch' right?

Yes.

> one last thing, from another exercise:
> lenu tivni la SEsamis.strit. cu se tcika li ze  ("The broadcasting of
> Sesame Street is at the time 7:00." The cu is actually necessary,
> here, even though it follows a cmene; can you work out why?)
>
> actually... I can't...I am guessing it is because of the event
> abstraction, but I still dont know why it is needed.

Without {cu}, {nu tivni} is modifying {se tcika}. So x1 is "the televising 
Sesame Street event with time", x2 is "seven", and there is no verb.

phma