Help your fluency in a nifty way

Discussion of natural languages, or language in general.
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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

Ah, nilijua neno roa pia, ila nilikuwa nimesahau!
Ah, I knew the word "roa" too, but I'd forgotten.

Jifunze zaidi ya Kimaori! Uwe mtaalamu wa Kimaori!
Learn more Maori! Become an expert in Maori!
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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kanejam
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by kanejam »

Imralu wrote:Ah, nilijua neno roa pia, ila nilikuwa nimesahau!
Ah, I knew the word "roa" too, but I'd forgotten.

Jifunze zaidi ya Kimaori! Uwe mtaalamu wa Kimaori!
Learn more Maori! Become an expert in Maori!
E hiahia rawa ana au, engari nā wai e whakaako au? Koe? Kāo... Ka whakaako kē koe i a au ki te reo Swahili :P
I really want to, but who will teach me? You? No... You're already gonna teach me Swahili
If you cannot change your mind, are you sure you have one?

Here's a thread on Oscan.

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

kanejam wrote:E hiahia rawa ana au, engari nā wai e whakaako au? Koe? Kāo... Ka whakaako kē koe i a au ki te reo Swahili :P
I really want to, but who will teach me? You? No... You're already gonna teach me Swahili
Unaishi Nyuzilandi. Hakuna kozi za jioni karibu na unapoishi?
You live in New Zealand. Aren't there evening courses near where you live?

Na ukitaka kujifunza kwa kweli Kiswahili, tafadhali uandikiana nami!
And if you really do want to learn Swahili, please write with me!

Nafikiri kwamba hii ni rasilimali nzuri ya kujifunza Kiswahili, lakini sijui kama mbinu yake ingekufaa.
I think this is a good resource for learning Swahili, but I don't know if it's something that would work for you.
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
________
MY MUSIC

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kanejam
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by kanejam »

Imralu wrote:
kanejam wrote:E hiahia rawa ana au, engari nā wai e whakaako au? Koe? Kāo... Ka whakaako kē koe i a au ki te reo Swahili :P
I really want to, but who will teach me? You? No... You're already gonna teach me Swahili
Unaishi Nyuzilandi. Hakuna kozi za jioni karibu na unapoishi?
You live in New Zealand. Aren't there evening courses near where you live?

Na ukitaka kujifunza kwa kweli Kiswahili, tafadhali uandikiana nami!
And if you really do want to learn Swahili, please write with me!

Nafikiri kwamba hii ni rasilimali nzuri ya kujifunza Kiswahili, lakini sijui kama mbinu yake ingekufaa.
I think this is a good resource for learning Swahili, but I don't know if it's something that would work for you.
Ninaishi Nyuzilandi, na ninadhani kuna kozi bure za jioni karibu na ninapoishi.
E noho ana au ki Aotearoa, ki a au nei ka pātata mai he akoranga pō kore utu.
I do live in NZ, and I'm pretty sure there are free evening classes near where I live.

Me haere, engari kei te māngere rawa atu au. I haha tinanatia kētia* te akoranga, engari i wehi te pae tukutuku, ehara tūpore.
I should go, but I'm just too lazy. I did actually look the course up, but the website was awful and unhelpful.

Ngā mihi i te hono, kei te whakarongona taua iāianā kei te tari, kei waenga te whakarongona ngā tīpako o te puoro ōkawa a Sal.
Thanks for the link, I'm listening to it now at work in between Sal's examples of classical music.

* Ça c’est l’un des aspects plus cools du grammaire maori - des adverbes (tinana et kē) s'accordent avec le verbe principe (haha) en voix, et si des adverbes sont marqués comme passif, c’est pas obligatoire de marquer le verbe principe!
This is one of the coolest bits of Māori grammar - adverbs (tinana and kē) agree in voice with the main verb (haha), and if the adverbs are marked as passive, the main verb doesn't need to be!
If you cannot change your mind, are you sure you have one?

Here's a thread on Oscan.

Zju
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Zju »

kanejam wrote:
Imralu wrote:
kanejam wrote:E hiahia rawa ana au, engari nā wai e whakaako au? Koe? Kāo... Ka whakaako kē koe i a au ki te reo Swahili :P
I really want to, but who will teach me? You? No... You're already gonna teach me Swahili
Unaishi Nyuzilandi. Hakuna kozi za jioni karibu na unapoishi?
You live in New Zealand. Aren't there evening courses near where you live?

Na ukitaka kujifunza kwa kweli Kiswahili, tafadhali uandikiana nami!
And if you really do want to learn Swahili, please write with me!

Nafikiri kwamba hii ni rasilimali nzuri ya kujifunza Kiswahili, lakini sijui kama mbinu yake ingekufaa.
I think this is a good resource for learning Swahili, but I don't know if it's something that would work for you.
Ninaishi Nyuzilandi, na ninadhani kuna kozi bure za jioni karibu na ninapoishi.
E noho ana au ki Aotearoa, ki a au nei ka pātata mai he akoranga pō kore utu.
I do live in NZ, and I'm pretty sure there are free evening classes near where I live.

Me haere, engari kei te māngere rawa atu au. I haha tinanatia kētia* te akoranga, engari i wehi te pae tukutuku, ehara tūpore.
I should go, but I'm just too lazy. I did actually look the course up, but the website was awful and unhelpful.

Ngā mihi i te hono, kei te whakarongona taua iāianā kei te tari, kei waenga te whakarongona ngā tīpako o te puoro ōkawa a Sal.
Thanks for the link, I'm listening to it now at work in between Sal's examples of classical music.

* Ça c’est l’un des aspects plus cools du grammaire maori - des adverbes (tinana et kē) s'accordent avec le verbe principe (haha) en voix, et si des adverbes sont marqués comme passif, c’est pas obligatoire de marquer le verbe principe!
This is one of the coolest bits of Māori grammar - adverbs (tinana and kē) agree in voice with the main verb (haha), and if the adverbs are marked as passive, the main verb doesn't need to be!
Tutte le lingue oceaniche sono così con i loro avverbi temporali, no?
Aren't all oceanic languages like that with their temporal adverbs?

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kanejam
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by kanejam »

Zju wrote:Tutte le lingue oceaniche sono così con i loro avverbi temporali, no?
Aren't all oceanic languages like that with their temporal adverbs?
Je ne sais pas - le maori ne fait pas l'accord avec des adverbes temporels, mais avec une classe fermée des particules adverbiales. SJMSC le marquer du passif est très ancien donc je ne serais pas surpris si d'autres langues océaniques font quelque-chose similaire.
I don't know - Māori doesn't do agreement with temporal adverbs, but just with a closed class of adverbiales particles. IIRC the passive marker is pretty ancient so I wouldn't be surprised if other Oceanic languages do something similar.
Last edited by kanejam on Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
If you cannot change your mind, are you sure you have one?

Here's a thread on Oscan.

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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Vijay »

Zju wrote:
kanejam wrote:
Imralu wrote:
kanejam wrote:E hiahia rawa ana au, engari nā wai e whakaako au? Koe? Kāo... Ka whakaako kē koe i a au ki te reo Swahili :P
I really want to, but who will teach me? You? No... You're already gonna teach me Swahili
Unaishi Nyuzilandi. Hakuna kozi za jioni karibu na unapoishi?
You live in New Zealand. Aren't there evening courses near where you live?

Na ukitaka kujifunza kwa kweli Kiswahili, tafadhali uandikiana nami!
And if you really do want to learn Swahili, please write with me!

Nafikiri kwamba hii ni rasilimali nzuri ya kujifunza Kiswahili, lakini sijui kama mbinu yake ingekufaa.
I think this is a good resource for learning Swahili, but I don't know if it's something that would work for you.
Ninaishi Nyuzilandi, na ninadhani kuna kozi bure za jioni karibu na ninapoishi.
E noho ana au ki Aotearoa, ki a au nei ka pātata mai he akoranga pō kore utu.
I do live in NZ, and I'm pretty sure there are free evening classes near where I live.

Me haere, engari kei te māngere rawa atu au. I haha tinanatia kētia* te akoranga, engari i wehi te pae tukutuku, ehara tūpore.
I should go, but I'm just too lazy. I did actually look the course up, but the website was awful and unhelpful.

Ngā mihi i te hono, kei te whakarongona taua iāianā kei te tari, kei waenga te whakarongona ngā tīpako o te puoro ōkawa a Sal.
Thanks for the link, I'm listening to it now at work in between Sal's examples of classical music.

* Ça c’est l’un des aspects plus cools du grammaire maori - des adverbes (tinana et kē) s'accordent avec le verbe principe (haha) en voix, et si des adverbes sont marqués comme passif, c’est pas obligatoire de marquer le verbe principe!
This is one of the coolest bits of Māori grammar - adverbs (tinana and kē) agree in voice with the main verb (haha), and if the adverbs are marked as passive, the main verb doesn't need to be!
Tutte le lingue oceaniche sono così con i loro avverbi temporali, no?
Aren't all oceanic languages like that with their temporal adverbs?
Le malgache est un peu comme ça aussi.
Malagasy is a bit like that, too.

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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by jal »

Mein Winterurlaub in Riezlern ist fast vorbei. Ich habe den lätzten Tagen mehr Deutsch gesprochen als das ganze lätzte Jahr zusammen. Es war schön auf Deutsch zu reden, aber es ist schwer, Leute gut zu verstehen.
My winter holiday in Riezlern is almost over. I've spoken more German the last days than the entire previous year combined. It was nice to be able to speak German, but it's hard to hear people well.


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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by happybud »

Ich will lernen, Deutsch zu sprechen, und ich mag euch alle!
I want to learn how to speak German, and I like all of you!

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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by hwhatting »

Czy rzeczywiście nie byłem tutaj trzy tygodnia?
Est-ce que c'est réellement trois semaine que je n'étais pas ici?
Was ik werkelijk drie weken niet hier?

Is it really three weeks that I wasn't here?

Znex wrote:Ich kann das Lied im Kopf hören, während ich das lese! Obwohl ich kenne dieses Lied eigentlich nicht kenne.
I can hear the song in my head as I read this! Although I don't actually know this song.
Znex wrote:Frohen Valentinstag, alle zusammen!
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Ich hatte einen schönen Tag mit einer guten Freundin von mir; wir sind herumlaufend und redend in der Stadt herumgelaufen und haben geredet.*1) Wir haben einen große chinesischen Gartenkunst[/smile] besucht, wo wir Kuchen gegessen haben, und einen japanischen Buchladen. Wir haben dann abends einen Teil von einem anime Film im Abendzusammen angesehen, dort, wo sie wohnt.
I had a lovely day with a good friend of mine wandering around the city and talking. We visited a grand Chinese Garden, where we had cake, and a Japanese bookshop. We then in the evening watched part of an anime film together, where she lives.
*1) This kind of participial construction is unidiomatic in German.
linguoboy wrote:Ich hab nichts Ungewöhnliches gemacht. Zum Abendessen hab ich mir eine Pizza zubereitet*2), aber ich hab sie mit braunem Senf garniert und das war ein Fehler*3). Das hat mir die Speiseröhre verbrannt und ich habe schlecht geschlafen.
I didn't do anything special. For dinner I made myself a pizza, but I topped it with mustard greens and that was a mistake. It burned my oesophagus and I slept badly.
*2) gemacht would also work perfectly fine here.
*3) Irrtum would be correct if you did it by mistake - e.g. you didn't want to put brown mustard, but something else, and grabbed the wrong jar. As here you seem to want to say that you did it on purpose but didn't like the result, Fehler is the correct word.
linguoboy wrote:
Travis B. wrote:Ich habe mir über "Valentinsdag" auch gewundertGedanken gemacht.
"Wundern" im Deutschen ist eher "staunen".
"Wundern" in German is more like "marvel".
Yes, but Travis's original wording is also correct, as is yours.
Znex wrote:Oh, ich denke, dass sich da etwas Norwegisch eingeschlichen haben muss. :o
Oop, I think a bit of Norwegian must have slipped in.
Znex wrote:Gibt's so wenig Leute, die ein/e Gatte/in oder ein/e Freund/in haben?? Ich hätte schwören können, dass ich mehr Leute als die kennen hätte kennen würde, bei denen das so ist.[/b*4)] :oops:
Are there so few people who have a spouse or love?? I could've sworn I knew of more people than that.

[Ich bin froh, dass du zumindest etwas Liebe von der Mutter von deinem Freund gekriegt habest. :wink:
I'm glad you got some love from your boyfriend's mum at least.

*4) There's not really an equivalent construction to your English one in German.
Travis B. wrote:Ich habe auch gedacht, dass die Fastenzeit nichts ist*5), was man feiert, nicht war.
I also thought that Lent was not something that one celebrated.

*5) or: subjunctive 1 sei (bookish) or 2 wäre.
linguoboy wrote:Ich auch nicht, aber, glaub mir, es ist wie, wenn man Tag des Gedenkens an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus "feiern" würde.
Me neither, but, believe me, it's like "celebrating" Holocaust Memorial Day.
jal wrote:
Ziz wrote:I'm 5'7'' at most on a good day

Deine Größe variiert???
Your length varies???
Znex wrote:Ich weiß nicht, ob ich so weit ich gehen würde, aber „length“ kann sich auf „height“ auf Englisch nicht wirklich auf „height“ beziehen.
I don't know that I'd go that far, but "length" really can't refer to "height" in English.
jal wrote:Auf Niederländisch, "lang" wird angewendet für sowohl für "Länge" als auch "Größe": Menschen sind "lang", nicht "groot" (groß)*, aber z.B. ein Turm ist "hoog" (hoch).
In Dutch, "lang" (long) us used for both "length" and "height": people are "lang", not "groot" (litt. "big", here "high"), but e.g. a tower is "hoog" (high).
Imralu wrote:Sometimes I get frustrated in German when I want to say something like "I'm taller but he's bigger than me." I usually respond by saying Ich bin größer als er [vertical hand movement] aber er ist größer als ich [expanding in all directions hand movement] and people always tell me I should say schwerer but, like, I'm not talking about weight so much as volume. If I were talking about weight, I'd say that. And I'm not talking about fat or being muscular ... just ... bigger.

breiter, umfangreicher und dicker are idiomatic alternatives. Of these, dick*6) may be seen as offensive by some, similar to calling someone fat in English.
*6) No, not because it sounds like an English word. Don't be puerile. ;-)
jal wrote:Mein Winterurlaub in Riezlern ist fast vorbei. Ich habe in den letzten Tagen mehr Deutsch gesprochen als das ganze letzte Jahr zusammen. Es war schön, auf Deutsch zu reden, aber es ist schwer, Leute gut zu verstehen.
My winter holiday in Riezlern is almost over. I've spoken more German the last days than the entire previous year combined. It was nice to be able to speak German, but it's hard to hear people well.

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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by jal »

hwhatting wrote:Was ik werkelijk drie weken niet hier?
I'd say something like "Ben ik hier echt drie weken niet geweest?" or "Ben ik echt drie weken weggeweest?" "werkelijk" is pretty formal, and the "niet hier" jars a bit. Also, you'd need a present perfect.

Ich weiß nicht, wie lange du weg war, aber wir haben dich alle sehr vermisst!
I'm not sure how long you were gone, but we all mist you dearly!


JAL

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linguoboy
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by linguoboy »

hwhatting wrote:Czy rzeczywiście nie byłem tutaj trzy tygodnia?
Est-ce que c'est réellement trois semaine que je n'étais pas ici?
Was ik werkelijk drie weken niet hier?

Is it really three weeks that I wasn't here?
Es kam mir lang vor, aber so lang nicht.
It seemed long but not that long.

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

happybud wrote:Ich will lernen, Deutsch zu sprechen, und ich mag euch alle!
I want to learn how to speak German, and I like all of you!
Wewe ni mtamu!
You're cute!
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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Astraios
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Astraios »

La semaine dernière j’ai travaillé au moins dix heures chaque jour et dormi moins de deux heures par nuit, étant sortie chaque soir jusqu’à l’aube avec des amis pour la fête de Pourim (c’est-à-dire, pour trop boire, tous costumés, moi magnifique dans la robe noire d’Audrey Hepburn dans « Diamants sur canapé »). Cette semaine je ne sors pas, la fête malheureusement finie, mais je travaille encore une semaine de 40+ heures. L’épuisement m’a déjà faite gaffer une première mardi soir quand je ne voyais pas dans la coulisse d’en face la régisseuse qui me fait signe de « sur scène !», donc je ne suis pas montée à l’heure avec les fleurs pour les participants et on m’a passé plusieurs savons. Pour ma défence, c’est elle qui m’a mise toute seule dans l’autre coulisse, deux projecteurs braqués directement sur mes yeux, sans instructions sauf « Je te ferai signe ».

Last week I worked at least ten hours every day and slept less than two hours a night, having gone out every night until sunrise with friends for the festival of Purim (that is, to drink too much dressed in costumes, me looking gorgeous in Audrey Hepburn’s black dress from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”). This week I’m not going out, the festival sadly being over, but I am working another 40+ hour week. The exhaustion already made me mess up one premiere yesterday evening when I couldn’t see the stage manager signaling me “on stage!” from the opposite wing, so I didn’t go on on time with the flowers for the participants and I got several tellings-off. In my defence, she’s the one who put me on my own in the other wing with two spotlights aimed straight at my eyes and no instructions other than “I’ll signal you”.

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ˈd̪ʲɛ.gɔ kɾuˑl̪
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by ˈd̪ʲɛ.gɔ kɾuˑl̪ »

Хаха, меня не было в школе уже шесть недель спасибо зимнему перерыву и приготовлении к пяти конкурсам (я победил в математике, фияике и русском языке!), но сегодня я понял больше всех из повторении к экзамену по польскому языку, который все кроме меня пишут завтра. Мои знакомые скауты тоже ленивые, мне и моей подруге надо сделать что-то, чтобы они хотели раявиваться. У меня ещё будет трудная информатическая работа, но я могу получить даже 10 000 злотых, поэтому я очень рад и уже хочу её делать!
Hah, I haven't been in school for six weeks thanks to the winter break and preparations for five competitions (I succeeded in mathematics, physics and Russian language!), but today I understood the revision to the Polish language exam the best of all, which all except for me are writing tomorrow. My fellow scouts are also lazy, me and my friend need to do something to make them want to improve themselves. I'll also have a hard computer work, but I can earn even up to 10,000 zloty, so I'm very happy and I'd like to do it right now!

Life is strange, tough and exhausting.
In Budapest:
- Hey mate, are you hung-a-ry?

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linguoboy
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by linguoboy »

Obwohl ich wüsste, dass es hier an der Uni Stammtische für Sprachen gibt, hab ich gedacht, dass sie für Studenten geeignet waren. Aber in der Kundmachung hab ich gelesen, dass sie auch dem Lehrkörper und dem Hilfspersonal offen stehen, also bin ich diese Woche zweimal hingegangen.
Although I knew that there were language tables here at the university, I thought they were intended for students. But I read in the announcement that they were open to faculty and staff as well so I went twice this week.

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

linguoboy wrote:language tables
Watu husema hilo?
Do people say this?
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
________
MY MUSIC

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linguoboy
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by linguoboy »

Imralu wrote:
linguoboy wrote:language tables
Watu husema hilo?
Do people say this?
Mal googeln!
Try googling!

Wie heissen sie bei dir?
What d'y'all call 'em?

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kanejam
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by kanejam »

Ninapenda kujifunza kiSwahili. Nilienda kwa baa jana usiku, niliona mwanamuziki maarufu wa Nyuzilandi. Yeye ni mwimbaji wa Shihad. Alikuwa nzuri.
I like learning Swahili. I went to a bar last night and saw a well-known Kiwi musician. He's the lead singer of Shihad (known in the States as Pacifier). He was good.
If you cannot change your mind, are you sure you have one?

Here's a thread on Oscan.

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

linguoboy wrote:
Imralu wrote:
linguoboy wrote:language tables
Watu husema hilo?
Do people say this?
Mal googeln!
Try googling!

Wie heissen sie bei dir?
What d'y'all call 'em?
Sijui. Hivyo niliuliza. Tangu nilipong'amua wazo hili, nimesema Stammtisch hata kwa Kiingereza. Ninapoongea na mtu asiyejua Kijerumani, sasa ninasema meet-up, lakini kama ni lazima kusema kwamba ni mkutano wa kawaida, hivyo nasema regular meet-up, lakini zamani nilikuwa nikisahau sikuzote neno hili na kusema Stammtisch.
I dunno. That's why I asked. Since I've known about this concept, I've said "Stammtisch", even in English. When I'm talking to someone who doesn't know German, now I say "meet-up", but if it's necessary to say that it's a regular meet-up than I say "regular meet-up", but I used to always forget this word and say "Stammtisch"
kanejam wrote:Ninapenda kujifunza kiSwahili. Nilienda kwa baa jana usiku, niliona mwanamuziki maarufu wa Nyuzilandi. Yeye ni mwimbaji wa Shihad. Alikuwa mzuri.
I like learning Swahili. I went to a bar last night and saw a well-known Kiwi musician. He's the lead singer of Shihad (known in the States as Pacifier). He was good.
Ah, ninakumbuka Shihad. Walibadili jina lao baada ya mashambulio ya Septemba kumi na moja wakalibadili tena.
Ah, I remember Shihad. They changed their name after the September 11 attacks and changed it back afterwards.

Kiswahili chako ni kizuri!
Your Swahili is good!

Aside from the n you had on nzuri, the only little things I would change are pretty trivial.

(1). Swahili doesn't generally follow the trend of the more southerly Bantu languages of capitalising the beginning of the stem, so Kiswahili is much more common than kiSwahili ... although I'm not sure if the latter is actually proscribed. There are three language authorities, as far as I know - one in Kenya and two in Tanzania and their standards are slightly different.

(2). According to the prescriptive standard, using kwa to make something locative is only done with animate things. eg. Nilienda kwa dada yangu "I went to my sister's (place)." With inanimate things such as a bar, you'd use kwenye (literally "place having..." so *kwa baa is "location of a bar" (proscribed) and kwenye baa is "location having a bar" (prescribed)) ... but in some dialects, kwa is also used with inanimates to indicate location. You could also say katika but that would emphasise a little bit more that you went inside the bar.

(3) Finally, niliona would most likely be nilimwona in that sentence because the object is animate and also specific, both of which conditions make the object prefix much more likely.

(4) Oh, also, if you want to say lead singer you can say mwimbaji mkuu, just for your info ... but I don't think that was really important information that you left out.
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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Znex
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Znex »

Astraios wrote:La semaine dernière j’ai travaillé au moins dix heures chaque jour et dormi moins de deux heures par nuit, étant sortie chaque soir jusqu’à l’aube avec des amis pour la fête de Pourim (c’est-à-dire, pour trop boire, tous costumés, moi magnifique dans la robe noire d’Audrey Hepburn dans « Diamants sur canapé »). Cette semaine je ne sors pas, la fête malheureusement finie, mais je travaille encore une semaine de 40+ heures. L’épuisement m’a déjà faite gaffer une première mardi soir quand je ne voyais pas dans la coulisse d’en face la régisseuse qui me fait signe de « sur scène !», donc je ne suis pas montée à l’heure avec les fleurs pour les participants et on m’a passé plusieurs savons. Pour ma défence, c’est elle qui m’a mise toute seule dans l’autre coulisse, deux projecteurs braqués directement sur mes yeux, sans instructions sauf « Je te ferai signe ».

Last week I worked at least ten hours every day and slept less than two hours a night, having gone out every night until sunrise with friends for the festival of Purim (that is, to drink too much dressed in costumes, me looking gorgeous in Audrey Hepburn’s black dress from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”). This week I’m not going out, the festival sadly being over, but I am working another 40+ hour week. The exhaustion already made me mess up one premiere yesterday evening when I couldn’t see the stage manager signaling me “on stage!” from the opposite wing, so I didn’t go on on time with the flowers for the participants and I got several tellings-off. In my defence, she’s the one who put me on my own in the other wing with two spotlights aimed straight at my eyes and no instructions other than “I’ll signal you”.
Ah, arbeitest du im Theater als Schauspieler? Ich beneide dich dem nicht; obwohl, als ich in der Oberschule war, ich habe Theater studiert, ich hatte das Lampenfieber (auch hatte ich einen Grad von sozialer Phobie). Mein Bruder ist ein besserer Schauspieler als ich.

À, a' bheil thu ag obair aig an taigh-cluiche mar actair? Chan eil an t-eud orm riut air; ged' dh'ionnsaich mi Dràma aig an àrd-sgoil, chaidh mi 'nam phuins air an àrd-ùlar (mar an ceudna, chaidh mi 'nam ceum an Social Anxiety). 's mo bhràthair actair fheàrr nam.

Oh, you work in theatre as an actor? I don't envy you that; although at high school I studied drama, I had stage fright (not to mention a degree of social anxiety). My brother is a better actor than me.
Native: English || Pretty decent: Ancient Greek || Alright: Ancient Hebrew || Eh: Welsh || Basic: Mandarin Chinese || Very basic: French, Latin, Nisuese, Apsish
Conlangs: Nisuese, Apsish, Kaptaran, Pseudo-Ligurian

Astraios
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Astraios »

Non, j’ai eu des problèmes avec le trac aussi. Je suis portière, mais en tant que telle je dois des fois présenter les fleurs aux acteurs et aux réalisteurs à la fin d’une première, ce qui compte comme partie du spectacle mais qui ne vaut pas de répétitions ou d’instructions en avance — tu viens dans les coulisses et retrouves les fleurs, la régisseuse te dit où attendre et quand monter, tu les distribues et sors. Trop facile, non ? Mais moi j’ai réussi à le foirer, parce que dix heures par jour sans sommeil ou week-end dépasse un peu les bornes.

No, I had problems with stage fright too. I’m an usher, but as such I sometimes have to present the flowers to the actors and producers at the end of a premiere, which counts as part of the show but isn’t worth rehearsing or instructing in advance — you go backstage and find the flowers, the manager tells you where to wait and when to go on, you hand them out and go off. So easy, no? But I managed to mess it up, because ten hours a day without sleep or weekends is a bit much.

hwhatting
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by hwhatting »

ˈd̪ʲɛ.gɔ kɾuˑl̪ wrote:Хаха, меня не было в школе уже шесть недель благодаря зимнему перерыву и приготовлению к пяти конкурсам (я победил в математике, физике и русском языке!), но сегодня я понимал больше всех из повторение к экзамену по польскому языку лучше всего, которое все кроме меня будут писать завтра. Мои знакомые скауты тоже ленивые, мне и моей подруге надо сделать что-нибудь, чтобы они хотели раявиваться. У меня ещё будет трудная компьютерная работа, но я даже могу получить до 10 000 злотых, поэтому я очень рад и уже хочу её делать!
Hah, I haven't been in school for six weeks thanks to the winter break and preparations for five competitions (I succeeded in mathematics, physics and Russian language!), but today I understood the revision to the Polish language exam the best of all, which all except for me are writing tomorrow. My fellow scouts are also lazy, me and my friend need to do something to make them want to improve themselves. I'll also have a hard computer work, but I can earn even up to 10,000 zloty, so I'm very happy and I'd like to do it right now!
linguoboy wrote:Obwohl ich wusste, dass es hier an der Uni Stammtische für Sprachen gibt, hab ich gedacht*1), dass sie für Studenten gedacht waren. Aber in der Ankündigung*2) hab ich gelesen, dass sie auch dem Lehrkörper und dem Hilfspersonal offen stehen, also bin ich diese Woche zweimal hingegangen.
Although I knew that there were language tables here at the university, I thought they were intended for students. But I read in the announcement that they were open to faculty and staff as well so I went twice this week.
*1) I'd use either the simple past (dachte ich) or the pluperfect (hatte ich gedacht) here.
*2) Kundmachung sounds like something from a historical novel.
Znex wrote:Ah, arbeitest du im Theater als Schauspieler? Ich beneide dich dem nicht darum; obwohl ich, als ich an der Oberschule war, ich habe Theater studiert habe, ich hatte ich das Lampenfieber (auch hatte ich einen gewissen Grad von sozialer Phobie). Mein Bruder ist ein besserer Schauspieler als ich.
Oh, you work in theatre as an actor? I don't envy you that; although at high school I studied drama, I had stage fright (not to mention a degree of social anxiety). My brother is a better actor than me.
Astraios wrote:because ten hours a day without sleep or weekends is a bit much.
Najpierw czytałem "10 tygodni bez snu." To brzmiało strasznie!
D'abord j'avais lu "10 semaines sans sommeil". Ça sonnait effrayant!
Eerst had ik "10 weken zonder slaap" gelezen. Dat klonk vreselijk.

I first read "10 weeks without sleep". That sounded scary!

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

hwhatting wrote:
Astraios wrote:because ten hours a day without sleep or weekends is a bit much.
Najpierw czytałem "10 tygodni bez snu." To brzmiało strasznie!
D'abord j'avais lu "10 semaines sans sommeil". Ça sonnait effrayant!
Eerst had ik "10 weken zonder slaap" gelezen. Dat klonk vreselijk.

I first read "10 weeks without sleep". That sounded scary!
Asingalilala kwa wiki kumi, angekuwa amekufa, amefariki, ameaga dunia. Baada ya takriban wiki kumi, angeelekea kuvunja rekodi ya dunia.
If he hadn't slept in ten weeks, he would be dead, deceased, gone. After about two weeks, he'd be heading towards breaking a world record.

Kesho lazima nifundishe watoto lugha ya alama peke yangu. Bosi wangu anapaswa kwenda daktari na aliuliza mwalimu anayepanga kozi kama ni sawa kama msaidizi wake, yaani mimi, pekee akienda. Mwalimu alisema kwamba ndio. Ingalikuwa vizuri kutopaswa kufanya kazi kesho. Nina wasiwasi kidogo kwa sababu mimi si mwalimu wa watoto, si mwalimu wa lugha ya alama na pia sihitaji mengi ili niwe na wasiwasi.
Tomorrow I have to teach children sign language all by myself. My boss has to go to the doctor and she asked the teacher in charge of the course if it's OK if her assistant (ie. me) goes on his own. The teacher said yes. It would have been nice not to have to work tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous because I'm not a teacher of children, I'm not a sign language teacher, and also it doesn't take much for me to be nervous.
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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kanejam
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by kanejam »

Imralu wrote:Kiswahili chako ni kizuri!
Your Swahili is good!
Asante, lakini Kiswahili changu si kizuri na Kiswahili chako ni kizuri kweli :) . Je niliweza kusema pia 'nilienda/nilikuwa baani' kwa 'nilienda kwenye baa'?
Thanks, but my Swahili isn't that good and yours is very good. Could I also have said 'I went to/was at a bar' for 'I went to a bar'?

Je pana kamusi nzuri ya intaneti? Kiswahili ni rahisi kuliko Kimaori, ninadhani.
Are there any good online dictionaries? I think that Swahili is easier than Māori.
If you cannot change your mind, are you sure you have one?

Here's a thread on Oscan.

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