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Author Topic: "don't even" + verb  (Read 1852 times)
meek
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« on: 07 11, 2007, 09:29: AM »

how would you say someone "doesn't even know how to...?"

i don't even know how to make a verb negative....

i'm trying to say "you don't even know how to drink, PIG!" would it be something like "chech bISov(negative-noteven suffix), Qovpatlh!"?

(i haven't found pig anywhere either, Qovpatlh is one of the substitutes i'm toying with)
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ter'eS
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« Reply #1 on: 07 11, 2007, 03:03: PM »

There's no exact equivalent of "to know how to", but if you know how to do something, then you can do it, so the suffix -laH 'ability' would serve.

"You know how to drink/You can drink" would be bItlhutlhlaH (bI- 'you (subject) - (no object)' verb prefix; tlhutlh 'to drink')

"You can't drink" would be bItlhuthllaHbe' (-be' negative suffix).

I can't think of a Klingon equivalent to "even".  You could add jay' '@#$%' to the sentence to increase the meanness, although it's not exactly the same thing: bItlhutlhlaHbe' jay' "You can't #$@% drink!"

I don't remember what Qovpatlh means, but you could also use the well-known petaQ, which we've heard used on TV.  I like it at the beginning of the sentence: petaQ, bItlhutlhlaHbe' jay'! "You S.O.B., you can't @#$% drink!".


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meek
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« Reply #2 on: 07 12, 2007, 04:11: AM »

i thought chech was to drink. i believe you, though.

Qovpatlh is an insignificant person, an idiot. I've considered using that, petaQ, and bIHnuch, the latter to replace "You are a pig!" Since pig is mentioned three times, I've thought of using all three.

this brings up a question: if you are addressing someone, does that always come at the beginning? I figured at the end, even though it's not exactly the subject. You know what? I'll just show you what i want to translate:

"To the pig who always vomits in the elevator: you are a pig! And you don't even know how to drink, PIG!"
and my try: reH tepqengwl'Daq 'emwI' petaQ: bIHnuch! ej' bItlhutlhlaHbe' jay', Qovpatlh!


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Jon
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« Reply #3 on: 07 15, 2007, 02:09: AM »

chech is be drunk, be intoxicated. You might say:
     jIchech        I am drunk.
     chech loD   The man is drunk.
     loD chech   the drunk man
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