(The same sentence: “you may not do it”, meaning “perhaps you won’t do it”, would be forsan vu ne facos ol.)
How to translate MUST.
(1) With a personal subject, use the personal verb mustar:
• I must go → Me mustas departar.
(2) When the subject cannot, or need not, be expressed use the impersonal verb oportar:
• We must go now → Oportas departar nun.
(3) Sometimes an adjective in -end suffices:
• A book that must be read → Libro lektenda.
Frequentative Form — The word used to, when it really means “a habit”, is translated by affix -ad-
• We used to walk up and down for hours → Ni iradis e venadis dum hori.
Change of Tense
(1) In Ido tenses do not govern each other:
• I thought it was raining (= I thought that it is raining = "It is raining", I thought) → Me pensis, ke pluvas.
• He found she was tired (= He found that she is tired — at the time he found it) → Il trovis, ke el esas fatigita.
(2) The English present perfect with date is translated by present tense and the word since.
• I have known it these four days (= I know it from four days) → Me savas lo de quar dii.
• I have been here two months → Me esas hike de du monati.
• I had been in Rome a week when I received your letter (= I was in Rome from a week …) → Me esis en Roma de un semano, kande me recevis vua letro.
(3) The English preterite with for equals a past tense with dum.
• I was there for two months (= during two months) → Me esis ibe dum du monati.
• She used it for one year → El uzis ol dum un yaro.
Tagged Questions and the like. — The following examples will explain better than any rule how to translate sentences of the sort:
• Are you tired? → Ka vu esas fatigita?
• I am not tired → Me ne esas fatigita.
• You are tired, aren’t you? → Vu esas fatigita, ka ne?
• You aren’t tired, are you? → Vu ne esas fatigita, ka yes?
• I am not tired; are you? → Me ne esas fatigita; ka vu (esas)?
• I am tired; aren’t you? → Me esas fatigita; ka vu ne (esas)?
• He is tired, isn’t he? → Il esas fatigita, ka ne?
• He isn’t tired, is he? → Il ne esas fatigita, ka yes?
• I have finished; have you? → Me (ja) finis; ka vu (anke)?
• I have! → Me anke!
• Has he? → Kad il (anke)?
• He hasn’t → Il ne.
• You’ll come, won’t you? → Vu venos, ka ne?
• She won’t come; will you? → El ne volas venar; ka vu volas?
• I don’t know, I am sure → Me tote ne savas
• Oh! do! please! → Ho, yes! (venez) me pregas!
Lesson XV
The English termination -ing seldom is a real present participle that can be translated by -anta. The following rules cover most cases:
(1) Use -anta only if the word in -ing is a true verbal adjective, qualifying a noun:
• A crying child → Krianta infanto.
• A gratifying result → Kontentiganta rezulto.
In the above, the adjective in -ing can be replaced by a verb, with who or which:
— a child who cries,
— a result which gratifies.
(2) In most cases, -ing is merely a noun of action, i.e., a word expressing an action:
· to beat, a beating.
· to brush, a brushing.
· to institute, instituting.
Such nouns are rendered by the simple termination -o, which, when the root is a verb, precisely means action:
· bat-ar, bat-o.
· bros-ar, bros-o.
· instituc-ar, instituc-o.
If it is intended to convey an idea of particular duration, use the affix -ado:
• To dance, dans-ar;
• A dance, dans-o;
• Dancing, dans-ado.
• Young people are fond of dancing, La yuni prizas dansado.
• Angling is a pleasant pastime → (Angel-)peskado esas agreabla tempo-pasigivo.
• Constant travelling is bad for the nerves → La sempra voyajado nocas la nervi.
In the last two examples, the simple form pesko, voyajo, would mean catching a fish (not catching fish), and a journey (not travelling).
(3) At the beginning of a sentence or clause, the word in -ing should be translated by -ante, if it could be or is preceded by a preposition or conjunction like while, in, on:
• Replying to your letter (= in reply to your letter) → Respondante a vua letro.
• On coming in, I saw her → En-irante, me vidis el.
• I spoke to him standing (= while standing) → Stacante, me parolis ad il.
• Taking his hat, he went out → Prenante lua chapelo, il ek-iris.
If the word in -ing is the auxiliary to have, then the past participle of the second verb must be used:
• Having spoken thus, he sat down → Tale parolante, il sideskis.
• Having been in the place, I know it → Esinte en la loko, me konocas ol, or: Pro ke me esis …
(4) After a preposition, the word in -ing is the equivalent of an infinitive, as English prepositions, except to, govern the participle:
• Before going away (= before to-go-away) → Ante departar.
• After speaking (= after to-have-spoken) → Pos parolir.
• Instead of writing (= instead of to-write) → Vice skribar.
• After answering her letter → Pos respondir ad elua letro.