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Translation help . . .

de Jonatano, 2016-februaro-05

Mesaĝoj: 23

Lingvo: English

Jonatano (Montri la profilon) 2016-februaro-05 00:43:07

I just want help in translating the following type of exchange:

Q: "Why does he love that?"
A: "He doesn't."

My assumption is that it would be...

Q: "Kial li amas tion?"

But I don't know the proper response. Thanks.

erinja (Montri la profilon) 2016-februaro-05 00:59:36

"Li ne" is one option.

Muzikistino (Montri la profilon) 2016-februaro-08 11:35:46

"Li ne amas". The answer must not be too short. Better is the most easily understandable form.

Alkanadi (Montri la profilon) 2016-februaro-08 13:46:49

Kial li amas tion?

Li ne amas tion

erinja (Montri la profilon) 2016-februaro-08 15:19:20

Muzikistino:"Li ne amas". The answer must not be too short. Better is the most easily understandable form.
In informal speech, with context, "Li ne" would more than likely be understood perfectly.

I don't recall that I've ever used quite this sentence but I've certainly been in plenty of situations where someone asks something like "Kiam vi venos?" and I answer "Mi ne".

You can certainly be conservative as a beginner and answer more completely. "Mi ne venos", "Li ne amas", etc. but I think as you gain experience, most people gain a level of comfort regarding how minimal a sentence can be and still have a clear meaning in context.

Vestitor (Montri la profilon) 2016-februaro-08 16:41:06

erinja:
In informal speech, with context, "Li ne" would more than likely be understood perfectly.
I don't recall that I've ever used quite this sentence but I've certainly been in plenty of situations where someone asks something like "Kiam vi venos?" and I answer "Mi ne".
It works when the reply is a negation of the single verb given in the question (in this case venos). With one verb you're okay, but if the question was 'Kioma horo vi venos?' the questioner can't know whether the the missing verb is scias or a contradiction of the entire question.

Isn't it better to add the little verb? And not much more effort required methinks.

erinja (Montri la profilon) 2016-februaro-08 17:57:12

It would be "Je kioma horo li venos?", btw.

"Why does he love that?" also has just one verb, so the "Ne" pretty clearly refers either to "doesn't love" or "not that" (ne amas or ne tion). It's clear either way you parse it.

If it were "Je kioma horo li venos?", it is more likely that I'd respond "Li ne venos" but I still think that "Li ne" would be perfectly clear.

If I don't know what time he is coming, of course I need a subject so I'd say "Mi ne scias", so the subject is different in any case than "Li ne venos". "Ne" would obviously be an unclear answer but as soon as you add a subject it becomes clearer.

Vestitor (Montri la profilon) 2016-februaro-08 21:10:14

erinja:It would be "Je kioma horo li venos?", btw.
To ask: "what time will you be coming?"

erinja:"Why does he love that?" also has just one verb, so the "Ne" pretty clearly refers either to "doesn't love" or "not that" (ne amas or ne tion). It's clear either way you parse it.
I meant sentences like that with more than one possible element which might be being referred to.

erinja:If it were "Je kioma horo li venos?", it is more likely that I'd respond "Li ne venos" but I still think that "Li ne" would be perfectly clear.

If I don't know what time he is coming, of course I need a subject so I'd say "Mi ne scias", so the subject is different in any case than "Li ne venos". "Ne" would obviously be an unclear answer but as soon as you add a subject it becomes clearer.
You're far more expert than me, I accept that, but isn't it better to get people speaking in clear, probably fuller, sentences before they start dropping elements? Does Esperanto benefit from this sort of thing anyway when there's a possibility that some people speak and understand at different levels? I've found such a thing to be an obstacle for following speakers of languages I'm learning.

Between high-level speakers, well... carry on!

Tsahraf (Montri la profilon) 2016-februaro-09 09:35:04

"He does not" would be "Li ne faras" would it not?

And "Li ne amas" would be "He loves not."

Would "Why does he love that?" be more exactly translated "Kial faras li amas tion?"?

And "Kial li amas tion?" would be more like "Why loves he that?"

In other words, would the difference between:
"He loves that."
and
"He does love that."
be indicated by "faras"?

Like
"Li amas tion."
"Li faras amas tion."

Vestitor (Montri la profilon) 2016-februaro-09 11:20:36

You can't have faras and amas in a sentence together like that. A second verb would be in the infinitive form. In any case Kial li amas tion? already renders 'Why does he love that?'

Mi amas ĝin = I (do) love that. Since it isn't negated. The does bit is already in the verb amas, so it only needs to be negated.

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