Constructing Sentences
Welcome to your ELEVENTH LESSON IN VEHEVIONIAN
Up until this point, you’ve now learned enough Vehevionian grammar to create complete sentences, express your ideas in multiple tenses, and hold basic conversations!
This lesson will give you some tools to help make communication easier.
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Forming Questions:
Questions are one of the simplest parts of Vehevionian grammar. There’s two ways to form them:
Voice Change
Letter Splitting
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Voice Change:
The easiest way to form a question is simply by raising your voice slightly at the end of a sentence like you would in almost any other language.
In writing, you don’t even have to do anything besides use a question mark!
Examples:
Es ana ne? — How are you?
Vulevei lurehe? — Do you want to go?
Since this method is so simple, it’s by far the most common way to ask questions in everyday speech and writing. It’s not only used informally, but also in many formal situations as well.
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Letter Splitting:
This method is sort of a misnomer, because you aren’t actually splitting any letters. To form a question through “letter splitting”, you simply add ‘-ie’ to the end of the sentence in order to turn it into a question. This ending, however, often carries a meaning equivalent to that of:
“… right?” OR
“… isn’t that correct?”
meaning that you can’t use this method for any question, only for those that seek some type of confirmation or response.
Examples:
Dinievesen ta-ie? — I said that, right?
Naé vi a neumere, non-ie? — Zero is a number, isn’t it?
Letter splitting is used more formally than voice changing is.
The word for “question” in Vehevionian is “kibichoi.”
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Common Helping Verbs:
Many common helping verbs appear in everyday speech. These words by themselves are not actual verbs, but help carry across a different connotation when paired with verbs.
Can — Pui
Could — Lanni
Must — Mahi
Should — Dills
Shall — Umue
Might — Dh’i
Examples:
Lanni plenerevei mil ulle? — Could you find my rock?
Dills lurehai. — You should go.
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A Short Conversation:
Naomi - Nive, Malachai!
Malachai - Nive, Naomi!
Naomi - Vulevei lurehe to te m'covaine cive Charles?
Malachai - Vie! Vulevei lurehe henessa erre illessa?
Naomi - Ianoteves lurehawi dills henessa.
Malachai - Eau! Kavahos unnivillehevicen!
Even if you don’t understand every word, do you notice how many familiar structures you can already see throughout the conversation? Pretty cool!
Here’s the translation if you’re curious:
Naomi - Hey, Malachai!
Malachai - Hey, Naomi!
Naomi - Do you want to go to the beach with Charles?
Malachai - Yeah! Do you want to go now or later?
Naomi - I think we should go now.
Malachai - Okay! I’m excited!
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Texting Abbreviations:
As with every modern language, Vehevionian speakers often shorten phrases while they text/communicate online.
Here are some popular abbreviations:
Be right back - VEN (Vas Eosche Nade)
Good morning - GC (Gea Clisete)
Good night - GS (Gea Sau)
Alright - OVC (Ovecca)
Seriously - NSTA (Naeistina)
On my way - AME (Ahn Mil Euieuivieuen)
Nothing - XE (Xicron Eft)
Got to go - LPA (Lerte Putai A’Lurehe)
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Conversational Speech:
When speaking, native speakers will frequently blend their words together. This allows for a more natural flow and less pauses between words.
Examples:
Maximilien, es ana ne? —> Maximilien esané? (in spoken Vehevionian; in written Vehevionian it would stay as “es ana ne"?”)
Ruby, v’se ite ta! —> Ruby v’sita!
This type of connected/slurred speech is extremely common among fluent speakers. Don’t be alarmed if you talk to a native and they start speaking like this; after spending some time with Vehevionian, you’ll soon be able to as well!