Faleni · Lesson 3: Doing things

Now you'll do things, act on objects, ask open questions, count, and talk about more than one. Still no word ever changes shape.

Hear these first

Tap to hear, say it aloud, then reveal the meaning.

Tap a word to hear it, say it aloud, then reveal the meaning.

Verbs go in the same predicate slot

A verb is just another thing you put after ha:

• wa ha kema: I eat. · wi ha kumi: He sleeps. · we ha kali: You walk.

(Remember rule 6: the same root can be a noun or a verb. kali = "walk" the action here; kali wa could mean "my walk." Position decides.)

Acting on an object: the object follows the verb

• wa ha kema solo: I eat eggs.
• wa ha kesu sa: I drink water.
• wa ha mi sopo: I see the cat.
• wa ha mu we: I love you.

So the predicate is just verb → object, head first, the same "head first" you already know.

Two verbs in a row: want to, can

Stack a second verb to say want to / can / try to:

• wa ha me kema: I want to eat. (me = want)
• wa ha melo kake: I can swim. (melo = can)
• wi ha mele fa: They try to speak. (mele = try)

Open questions: the je- words

Put the question word where the answer would go (no reordering):

• we ha kema jeta?: You eat what? = What do you eat?
• we ha ka jewa?: Where do you go? (ka = go)
• we ha kawi jeni?: When do you come?
• jepa ha kawi?: Who comes?

More than one: jo

Add jo after a noun for plural, including pronouns:

• sope jo: dogs · wa jo: we · wi jo: they
• wa jo ha kema: We eat.

Whose: just put the owner after

• tu wa: my house · sope we: your dog · fone wi: his/her/their name

Counting

Digits: so0 ta1 ne2 ki3 fo4 pe5 lu6 si7 mo8 ku9 (then na10). The number follows the noun, like any modifier:

• sope ki: three dogs · taki ne: two cups
• wa ha komu taji ta: I have one car. (komu = have)

Vocabulary (this lesson)

Practice

1. Listen & choose

Tap 🔊, listen, then pick what it means.

2. Read & understand

Read each aloud, then reveal the meaning.

• wa ha me kema.
• wi ha komu sope ne.
• we ha ka jewa?

3. Say it in Faleni

Translate to Faleni: 1. I see you. 2. We drink water. 3. What do you want? 4. They have two dogs. 5. Where do you sleep?

Next: Lesson 4, Describing your world →