"could you please..."

[cbmvax!uunet!dragon.ulowell.edu!gryphon (Coranth)]

Reply-To: gryphon@dino.cpe.ulowell.edu

coi. rodo.

"The lojban translation of 'Do you know what time it is' would be:"

xu do djuno le cabna tcika

"literal= 'is-it-true-that you know that-which-I-describe-as now time ?'
where as a request for the current time would be: "

ma tcika le cabna

"literal = '<blank> is-the-time of day that-which-I-describe-as now'

Very different questions. And different again from
'Please tell me what time it is.' translated as: "

pe'u ko skicu le cabna tcika mi

"literal = please, you (imper.) tell-about the now time to me.

which is what the euphamism 'could you tell me what time it is' really
means.

One of the reasons that I love lojban is that it clearly distiguishes the
three different type of questions/requests which ARE so hopelessly muddled
in English.

"
lemi re fepni se vamji

co'o. rodo.

				mi'e korant.