836. (a) Kompletigu la frazojn: Henriko amas … patrinon. Alico amas … geavojn. Li pensis pri … fianĉino. La nevoj parolos al … onklo. La gepatroj laboras por … infanoj.
(b) My uncle has arrived with his sister. My aunt lives near her brother. The dog runs by its master. Our friends talked about their horse. The father loves his child. The mother called her daughter. A good dog will defend its master. My friends sold their garden. One does not easily forget one’s first love.
(c) Kies ĉapelon mi (S‑ino B, D‑ino D) portas? Per kies krajono li skribas? Kies plumojn ni (niaj amikoj) uzas?
837. (a) In the sentence Tom kantas al si, the word si refers to the subject, Tom, and the meaning is Tom sings to himself. Tom kantas al li = Tom sings to him (someone else, not the subject) (832). Similarly:
La knaboj kantas al si (themselves).
La knaboj kantas al ili (them, the other persons).
(b) Li amas sin kaj lin (himself and him = the other man). Ili servas ilin kaj sin, they serve the others and themselves. Mia fratino havas amikinon, kiu faras ĉion por si (herself) kaj nenion por ŝi (her). Georgo promenas kun sia (his own) filo, kaj lia (or, ties) (426) (the son’s) amiko.
(c) Paŭlo ludis kun Johano, kaj vundis lin kaj sin. Petro parolis (i) al si. (ii) al li. Petro kantis kun Johano kaj kun (i) sia edzino; (ii) lia (or, ties) edzino. Petro renkontis Johanon, kaj demetis (i) lian ĉapelon; (ii) sian ĉapelon.
(d) The father spoke to his (sia) son and his (own) (siaj) friends: he spoke also to his (the son’s) (liaj) friends. After the death of my aunt, my mother educated her children with her own. Mr. Verd invited his friend and his (the friend’s) family. Rose walked with Lily and with her (own) brother; also with her (Lily’s) brother. Henry opened his window, and saw his sweetheart, who opened her window at the same time. My friends love their children. I also love their children. My friend went with his wife to their country house, to visit her parents and their (the parents’) relations and his uncle.
838. The father’s pen is in his pocket = La plumo de la patro estas en lia poŝo. Not sia, which would mean in its own pocket! (Rule II), because the subject is plumo. Petro kantis kun Gertrudo kaj ŝia kuzo, Peter sang with Gertrude and her cousin. (Here sia would mean his own cousin (Rule II).)
She went with Robert and his mother. I walked with my dog and its pup. He will visit my neighbour and her daughter. We met Charles and Thomas with their friend.
839. In the sentence Petro kantis kun sia edzino we use sia, not lia, because the pronoun refers to the subject Petro (Rule II). But in Lia edzino kantis kun li we use lia, not sia, because lia edzino is the subject (Rule I).
840. John greets his friend (Johano salutas sian amikon — Rule II). His friend (Lia amiko — Rule I) greets him. The child learns its lesson. Its lesson is easy. The mother loves her daughter, but her daughter does not love her. The ladies left their house, because their house was too small. The father wrote to his son, and his son replied. The child lost its doll. I showed (to) the child its doll.
841. In the sentence Petro kaj lia edzino kantis, however, we use lia, not sia, because the subject is Petro-kaj-lia-edzino. It is really two sentences packed into one: (a) Petro kantis, and (b) Lia edzino kantis; and sia cannot be the subject (Rule I). Similarly: Petro kantis, sed ne lia edzino (=sed lia edzino ne kantis).
N.B. A conjunction (e.g., kaj, sed) introduces a new sentence: a preposition (e.g., kun in 839) does not.
842. (a) Si relates to the whole subject, not to a part of the subject only. Ŝi-kaj-li vizitas sian (their) avon. Petro-kaj-lia-edzino kantis kun lia (his) patro kaj ŝia (her) patrino kaj sia (their common) amiko kaj ties (the friend’s) kuzino.
843. (a) My friend and his brother love their sister. My friend goes with his brother and helps their sister.
(b) Translate the four meanings of P told J that he would have to leave (devos lasi) his house, translating he by li to denote P, and by tiu to denote J.
(c) The advanced student may find out and translate the forty possible meanings of When P met J, he was with his friend and his cousin, using ties (426) to translate the latter’s (the friend’s) cousin (1191).
844. Use si only when you are sure that is in order. It is a bad mistake to use si when it should not be used. And even where si is correct, there are cases where it may be clearer not to use it. When in doubt, leave it out.
845. Such sentences as He loves me more than his father and He loves me like a father are ambiguous (586). Compare Li amas min (1) pli ol (li amas) sian patron (=more than he loves his father) (sian, not lian, Rule II); (2) pli ol lia patro (amas min) (=more than his father loves me) (lia, not sia, Rule I); (3) kiel (li amas) sian patron, as (he loves) his father; (4) kiel lia patro (amas min), as his father (does).
Li estas tiel bona al mi, kiel (1) (li estas) al sia filo; (2) lia filo (estas).
More Difficult Cases
The following sentences cover most cases likely to arise. The principle to note is that si relates to the subject of the sentence or clause (sub-sentence) in which it occurs. A subject implied but unexpressed should be supplied mentally (even if this alters the construction).
846. (a) An INFINITIVE (-i) is regarded as a verb, forming a new sentence with its own subject.
Petro petis Markon viziti (=ke li vizitu) lian (P’s) domon kun sia (M’s) edzino. Jozefo ordonis al siaj servistoj balzami (= ke ili balzamu) lian patron, Joseph ordered his servants to embalm his father (sian would mean their father).