1. Basic Sentences
1.1 Content Words
In Kokanu, all content words belong to one of three categories:
- Nouns
- Verbs
- Modifiers
Although a word’s category and its usage don’t always have to match (verbs can be used as nouns, etc. — see Chapter 3), here we will start using them in their base form.
The main verb in a sentence is usually marked by le (exceptions in 2.2 and 5.4). In the simplest case, the subject goes right before it.
Examples:
| Kokanu | English |
|---|---|
| mi | I |
| makan | eat/drink |
| mi le makan | I eat |
| tu | you |
| kota | speak |
| tu le kota | you speak |
Warning
Notice: Kokanu words often refer to a more general concept than similar English words. For example makan refers to any consumption of food, both solid and liquid.
1.2 Pronouns
Besides content words, Kokanu also has pronouns. There are five:
| Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mi | I / we |
| tu | you |
| ja | he / she / it / they |
| sa | self |
| usen | each other |
Warning
Like any other word in Kokanu, pronouns do not carry grammatical information.
- “I / me” and “we / us” use the same word (mi).
- Likewise, there is no distinction between “he / him / she / her / it / they / them” → all use ja.
1.3 Direct Objects
In Kokanu, every base verb is transitive (for intransitives, see Chapter 3).
This means one can always form a direct object, marked by in.
The direct object, like the subject, always acts as a noun (or pronoun), regardless of its base category.
If the direct object is not a base noun, it will be converted into a noun, which will be covered later (Chapter 3).
Examples:
| Kokanu sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|
| tu le makan in kuwosi | you eat a fruit |
| ja le teka in kuku | they see a bird |
| mi le makan in pani | I drink (lit. eat liquid) |
| ukiki le suki in tu | the monkey likes you |
New Words
- kuwosi = fruit
- teka = to see
- kuku = bird
- pani = water, liquid
- ukiki = monkey
- suki = to like
Warning
The direct object in Kokanu may differ from English.
For example: in English you answer a question; in Kokanu you answer [with] a response.
Some verbs come with a built-in preposition. For instance:
- sitija = to sit on → the direct object is the thing someone sits on.
The Kokanu dictionary shows this explicitly:amo · verb · to love (a loved entity). See 3.4.
1.4 Modifiers
The last word type are modifiers. As the name suggests, they modify other words.
- They can act on both verbs and nouns.
- In English terms, they are both adjectives and adverbs.
- A chain of modifiers collectively modifies the preceding word.
- A pronoun used as a modifier becomes a possessive pronoun.
Examples:
| Kokanu sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|
| mi le makan wiki in kuwosi hunsi | I quickly eat a red fruit |
| pawo cenpo le teka in sa | the big dog sees itself |
| insu cenpo hunsi | big red building |
| kuku mi | my bird |
| ukiki ja | their monkey |
New Words
- wiki = fast
- hunsi = red
- pawo = dog
- cenpo = big
- insu = building