Romani Language Education

Most dialects of Rromanes are not standardized. There are no

universally accepted spellings & even written grammar “standards”
vary. This creates a situation in which it can be difficult to
understand written Rromanes if among fluent speakers.

Lovari is a Vlax dialect. It can be written in a modified Latin

alphabet, or in the Cyrillic alphabet. However, neither alphabet truly
represents the sounds of the language. It is not uncommon for
words to be spelled slightly differently even within the same
dialect.Spellings can even be influenced by the dominant local
language.

What is presented on this site has been “standardized” according to

academic databases and common spellings of the North Balkan
region: Southern Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, etc..

Here, you will see Lovari Rromanes written in both the Pan-Vlax
alphabet, as well as in an unmodified Latin alphabet. It is important
to have exposure to both. The Pan-Vlax alphabet is a version of the
Latin alphabet that has been modified to better fit Vlax dialects of
Rromanes.

There is no true right or wrong when writing in Rromanes, but

rather acceptable spellings are those that most closely
fit pronunciations. Certain letters can be substituted for others and
there are various letter combinations that are used to represent
similar sounds. Learning these will take time and patience,
especially for those who do not already speak Rromanes.

Alphabets
There are several alphabets that have can be used to write in Rromanes.
The ones used on this site are the Pan-Vlax alphabet and an unmodified
Latin alphabet.

Writing With the Latin Alphabet:

For those who write and read in English, the unmodified Latin alphabet
may be preferred. Listed below will be the respective letter, the
phoneme according to The International Phonetic Alphabet, and an
example of the sound made in a Lovari word.
(To supplement learning, feel free to use IPA sound examples.)

A a - /ɐ/ - nakh (nose)

B b - /b/ - bal (hair)
C c - /ts/ - muca (cat)
Ch ch - /tʃ/ - chej (girl / daughter)
D d - /d/ - dikhlo (head scarf)
E e - /e̞/ - djes (day)
F f - /f/ - falka (chin)
G g - /g/ - gadje (non-Rromani)
H h - /h/ - hulavel (comb)
I i - /i/ - kushtik (belt)
J j - /j/ - jakh (eye)
K k - /k/ - kefa (brush)
Kh kh - /kʰ/ - kher (house)
L l - /ɺ/ - lon (salt)
M m - /m/ - manush (man)
N n -/n/ -manush (man)
O o - /o̞/ - djov (rye)
P p - /p/ - papin (goose)
Ph ph - /pʰ/ - phej (sister)
R r - /ɽ/ - cher (sky)
S s - /s/ - sap (snake)
Sh sh - /ʃ/ - shukar (beautiful)
T t - /t/ - rat (blood)
Th th - /tʰ/ - thud (milk)
U u - /u/ - purum (onion)
V v - /ʋ/ - vast (hand)
X x - /X/ - baxt (luck)
Z z - /z/ - zejtino (oil)
Zh zh - /ʒ/ - zhuto (yolk)
Dzh dzh - /dʒ/ dzhukel (dog)

Writing in the Pan-Vlax Alphabet:

The Pan-Vlax Alphabet is a modified Latin alphabet that better fits

some of the sounds made in Rromanes.

A a - /ɐ/ - nakh (nose)

B b - /b/ - bal (hair)
C c - /ts/ - muca (cat)
Č č - /tʃ/ - čej (girl / daughter)
D d - /d/ - dikhlo (head scarf)
Dj dj / Dy dy - /d͡ʑ/ - djes (day)
E e - /e̞/ - djes (day)
F f - /f/ - falka (chin)
G g - /g/ - gadje (non-Rromani)
Ğ ğ - /ɟ/ - te ğindisarel (to think)
H h - /h/ - hulavel (comb)
I i - /i/ - kuštik (belt)
J j - /j/ - jakh (eye)
K k - /k/ - kefa (brush)
Kh kh - /kʰ/ - kher (house)
L l - /ɺ/ - lon (salt)
M m - /m/ - manuš (man)
N n -/n/ -manuš (man)
Nj nj / Ny ny - /ɲ/ - njamnji (female relative)
O o - /o̞/ - djov (rye)
P p - /p/ - papin (goose)
Ph ph - /pʰ/ - phej (sister)
R r - /ɽ/ - cher (sky)
S s - /s/ - sap (snake)
Š š - /ʃ/ - šukar (beautiful)
T t - /t/ - rat (blood)
Th th - /tʰ/ - thud (milk)
U u - /u/ - purum (onion)
V v - /ʋ/ - vast (hand
X x - /X/ - baxt (luck)
Z z - /z/ - zejtino (oil)
Ž ž - /ʒ/ - žuto (yolk)
Dž dž - /dʒ/ džukel (dog)

PRONUNCIATION
Correct pronunciation keeps you from saying “I want a fart” when
you’re trying to say “I want some chicken”.

In Balkan Lovari, the word for chicken is “kajn” & a similar word,
“khan” actually means fart.

Ekh kahy'n mangav.

Some chicken I want.

Ekh kha'an mangav.

A fart I want

It can also be difficult to distinguish words that carry different

meanings in different dialects.

For example, in many Lovari-based dialects, “haj” means yes &

“thaj” means and.
There are several dialects that use “haj” as both yes & and because
“ha”/“haj” is a loan word.

T'hai e muca.
And the cat.

Hai e muca.
And the cat.

Ha'ai, e muca.
Yes, the cat.

Ha'a, e muca.
Yes, the cat.

Similarly, the words “naj”, “na” & “ma” mean not, but “naj” can also
mean finger.
In this case, the words which mean “not” are more abrupt, whereas
“naj” for finger is longer & more fluid in sound.

Correct pronunciation can also keep you from being offensive, or

unintentionally using a slur.

Our word for thumb is “palco” & our word for “f****t” is “palcno”.
The subtle “-n” pronunciation, or even extra emphasis on the
ending, changes the meaning entirely.

thumb - pahl-tsoh
slur - pahl-tsnoh
You may accidentally say “I frighten you”, instead of "I support
you".

Me darav tut. (dah-raf)

I support you.

Me daravav tut. (dah-ra-waf)

I frighten you.

Improper pronunciation can make you say “flat bread” (marikli)

when you want to be talking about a new “necklace” (merikli).

Ekh mey'rikli nevi si man.

I have a new necklace.

Ekh mah'rikli nevi si man.

I have some new bread.

PRAYERS
Our Father:
Amaro Dad,
(ah-mah-rroh dahd)
kon san ando rajo,
(kohn sahn ahndoh rrai-yoh)
te svuncisajvelpe tyo anav,
(tay svoon-tsee-sai-veyl-pay tyeo ahnahv)
te aveltar tyo them,
(tay ahv-el-tahr tyeo t'hem)
te kerdyolpe tyi voja
(tay keyr-dyoh-l-pay ty'ee voyah)
sar ando rajo, kade vi pej phuv.
(sahr ahndoh raai-yoh, kah-day vee pay p-hoov)
Sakko dyesesko manro de amen adyes,
(sahk-koh dyays-ess-koh mahn-rroh day ah-meyn ah-dyays)
haj jertosar amare bezexa,
(h'ay yayr-toh-sar ahm-ahray bayz-eykh-ah)
sar ke vi ame jertosaras kodolenge,
(sahr kay vee yayr-toh-sahr-ahs koh-doh-layngay)
kon amenge keren bezexa.
(kohn ahm-eyn-gay keyr-en bayz-ekh-ah)
Haj na inger amen andel’nasulyipe,
(h'ay nah een-gayrr ah-mayn ahndel'nahs-ool-yee-pay)
ba slobodisar amen kathar o dushmano.
(bah sloh-boh-dee-sahr ah-mayn kah-t'haroh doosh-mah-noh)
Amin.
(ah-meen)

Hail Mary:
Dobrome Marija,
(doh-broh-may mah-ree-yah)
svuncimasa pherdyi,
(svoon-tsee-mah-sah p'hayr-dyee)
O Raj silo tusa,
(oh rrai see-loh too-sah)
domnyime san tu mashkar le romnya,
(dohm-ny'ee-may sahn too mahsh-kahr lay rrohm-nyah)
haj domnyimej tye perreski fruta,
(h'ai dohm-ny'ee-may t'yay pay-rray-skee froo-tah)
Jesus.
(yaysoohs)
Mri Romnyi Marija,
(m'ree rohm-ny'ee mah-ree-yah)
Devleski svunto Dej,
(deyv-leskee svoon-toh day)
rudyisartu and'ame bezexale,
(rroo-dy'ee-sahr-too ahnd'ahmay bay-zekh-ahlay)
Akanak haj p'amare merimasko chaso,
(ahk-ahn-akh h'ai p'ahm-ahrr-ay may-ree-mahs-koh chah-soh)
Amin.
(Ameen)

God Bless You:

Te ažutil tuke o del
(tay azhoo-teel too-kay oh dayl)

GREETINGS
Hello! T'aves baxtalo! (m) T'aves baxtali (f)
T'aven baxtale (pl)

Good morning! Laši detehara!

Good afternoon! Lašo pala-mismeri!
Good night/evening! Laši ratji!

Nice to meet you! Me lošav hat/hoj maladilem tusa!

Me lošav te pindžarav tut!
 Š ukares te maladilol'as tut!
(“hat” and “hoj” both mean “that” in Lovari Rromanes and their uses
vary regionally)

How are you? Sar san?

So si tusa?

I am well. Mišto sim.

Lašo sim. (m) Laši sim. (f)

I am not well. Čhi sim mišto.

Bilašo sim. (m) Bilaši sim. (f)

Thank you. Najis.

Najis tuke.

And you? Thaj tut? (sing)

Thaj tumen? (pl)

Goodbye! Ž ha Devlesa! (sing)

Ž han Devlesa! (pl)

See you soon! Maj sigo te dikhel tut! (sing)

Maj sigo te dikhel tumen! (pl)

Good journey! Baxtalo drom!

Good luck! But baxt!

INTRODUCING
What’s your name? - Sar bushos?
So si tjiro anav?

My name is.. - Bushav..

Muro anav si..

Where are you from? - Katharutno (masc.) san?

Katharutni (fem.) san?
Katharutne (pl.) san?
Kathar san?

I am from.. - Kathar sim..

Me sim kathar..

I am American - Sim Amerikanska / Amerikanjal.

I am Canadian - Sim Kanadanska / Kanadajal.
I am British - Sim Anglijanksa / Anglijal.
I am Hungarian - Sim Ungrikal.
I am Serbian - Sim Serbijal.

Where do you live? - Kaj zhives?

Kaj trajis?

I live in.. - Me zhivav anda..

Me trajiv anda..

How old are you? - Kozom bershja si tut?

Keci bershja si tut?
So si tjiro phurimos?
I am […] years old.. - […] bershja si man
Muro phurimos si […]

Do you speak Rromanes? - Phenes Rromanes?

Phenes Rromani chib?
Vorbisares Rromanes?
Vorbisares Rromani chib?

Do you speak English? - Phenes Inglizitska?

Vorbisares Inglizitska?

I speak.. - Phenav…
Vorbisarav..
I speak some / a little.. - Phenav ekh cerra..
Vorbisarav ekh cerra..
I don’t speak.. - Chi phenav..
Chi vorbisarav..
How do you say […]? - Sar phenes […]?
Sar vorbisares […]?

QUESTIONS
what - so
which - sosko
which one - savo
what for / why - soske / minek
why - sostar
when - kana
where - kaj
from where - kathar
how - sar
how much / how many - kazom / keci / sode
who - kon
whose – koske

GENDER AND NUMBERS: NOUNS AND ARTICLES

Nouns in Rromanes are gendered, as are most adjectives & articles.

In Lovari, there are three forms of the word “the”.

O - singular & masculine

E - singular & feminine
LE - plural or neutral

O čavo - the boy

E čej - the girl
Le čavorja - the children

There is only one word that means “a” - ekh.

Ekh čavo - a boy

Ekh čej - a girl
Ekh čavores - a child

In Lovari, most nouns have a gender:

Masculine nouns will always end in “-o”.
Most feminine nouns will end in “-i” or “-a”.

The article must match the gender, number, or neutrality of the

noun.
O zobuno - the coat (masculine)
E čuri - the knife (feminine)
O sato - the hour (masculine)
E muca - the cat (feminine)

Not all nouns will follow this exact pattern. As in English, there are
exceptions to the grammar rules of Rromanes.

E khurko - the week (feminine)

O Baba - the father (masculine)

The gender of any noun that ends in a consonant must be

memorized.

E ambrol - the pear (feminine)

O thud - the milk (masculine)

In Rromanes, a noun’s gender can change if the object’s gender can

also change.

Such nouns can also be made gender neutral.

Most neutral nouns will end in “-e”, or “-es”.

Le manušes - the person (neutral)

O manuš - the man (masculine)
E manušnji - the woman (feminine)

Le džukhel - the dog (neutral)

O džukhel - the dog (masculine)
E džukhla - the dog (feminine)
Le bal - the pig (neutral)
O balo - the pig (masculine)
E bali - the pig (feminine)

In Lovari Rromanes, most plural nouns will end in either “-a” or “-

ja”:
.
Le manušja - the people (plural, neutral) or (plural, masculine)
Le manušnija - the women (plural, feminine)
Le balja - the pigs (plural, neutral) or (plural, masculine)
Le balija - the pigs (plural, feminine)
Le džukhela - the dogs (plural, neutral) or (plural, masculine)
Le džukhlaja / le džukhlja - the dogs (plural, feminine)

Some, however, will end in “-e”:

Le jakhe - the eyes (plural, neutral)

(Note: these grammar rules apply only to sub-dialects of Lovari
Rromanes spoken in the North Balkans, Hungary, America &
Canada)

ADJECTIVES
In Rromanes, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in
both gender & number.

Most adjectives use the following pattern:

“-o” ending - singular, masculine
“-i” or “-a” ending - singular, feminine
“-e” ending - plural or neutral
In some Lovari sub-dialects, the adjective is placed after the noun it
modifies.

Examples:
tsine - small sap - snake

O sap tsino - the small snake (singular, masculine)

E sapnji tsini - the small snake (singular, feminine)
Le sapes tsine / Le sap tsine - the small snake (singular, neutral)
Le sapja tsine - the small snakes (plural, neutral) or (plural,
masculine)

E farba loli - the red paint

Le kejžja šukare - the beautiful silks

O džukel-žadno baro - the big fox

When two adjectives are used to describe a noun, the first is placed
before the noun & the second is placed after the noun:

E tsini kajnji loli - the little red hen

O baro džukel-žadno melaxno - the big brown fox

When three or more adjectives are used to describe a noun, the first
two are placed before the noun & the final descriptor after:
O baro, melaxno džukel-žadno daralo - the big, brown, scary fox

All adjectives must always agree in both gender & number with the
nouns they describe.

Possession: Possessive Pronouns and

Suffixes

The following is a list of nouns that will be used in this post:

chavoro - boy / son (masculine)
chej - girl / daughter (feminine)
chavorja - children (plural)
kher - house (masculine)
phej - sister (feminine)
bukija - things (plural)

Possessive Pronouns:

Possessive pronouns must agree in both gender and number with

the object in possession.

My - Mure

My house (masculine object). - Muro kher.

My sister (feminine object). - Muri phej.
My things (plural object). - Mure bukija.

Your (singular) - Tjire

Your house. - Tjiro kher.
Your sister. - Tjiri phej.
Your things. - Tjire bukija.

His - Leske

His house - Lesko kher.

His sister - Leski phej.
His things - Leske bukija.

Her - Lake

Her house - Lako kher.

Her sister - Laki phej.
Her things - Lake bukija.

Our - Amare

Our house - Amaro kher.

Our sister - Amari phej.
Our things - Amare bukija.
Your (plural) - Tumare

Your (plural) house - Tumaro kher.

Your (plural) sister - Tumari phej
Your (plural) things - Tumare bukija

Their - Lenge

Their house - Lengo kher.

Their sister - Lengi phej.
Their things - Lenge bukija.

Possession Suffixes:

Suffixes are used in Lovari Rromanes to express possession of an

object. These suffixes must agree in gender and number for both the
object in possession and the noun possessing the object.

Masculine nouns use “-eske” endings when possessing an object.

The boy’s house (masculine object).

O chavoresko kher.
The boy’s sister (feminine object).
O chavoreski phej.
The boy’s things (plural object).
O chavoreske bukija.

Feminine nouns use “-ake” endings when possessing an object.

The girl’s house.

E chejjako kher.
The girl’s sister.
E chejjaki phej.
The girl’s things..
E chejjake bukjia.

Plural nouns use “-enge” endings when possessing an object.

The children’s house.
Le chavorjengo kher.
The children’s sister.
Le chavorjengi phej.
The children’s things.
Le chavorjenge bukija.

Sometimes, these endings are prefixed with the letter “J” in order to
make the word flow. Some words will also have the ending dropped
before the suffix is added.

For example:

The boy - O chavoro

The boy’s house - O chavor-esko kher - O chavoresko kher
The girl - E chej
The girl’s sister - E chej-jaki phej - E chejjaki phej
The children - Le chavorja
The children’s things - Le chavor-jenge bukija - Le chavorjenge
bukija

To Have
In Rromanes, there is no verb that directly translates to “to have”.

The expression of “having something” in Rromanes is the

construction of the verb “to be”, pronouns and the possession.

In Rromanes, the way to express “having something” is formulated

by stating that an object “is to” the possessor.

I have - Si man
You have - Si tut
He/She has - Si les/la

We have - Si amen
You have - Si tumen
They have - Si len

Ekh lanco si man.

A necklace is (to) me.
I have a necklace.

Kova kalopa si tut.

That hat is (to) you.
You have that hat.

Tjiri lulava si len.

Your pipe is (to) them.
They have your pipe.

Present Tense Verb Conjugations

There are several different verb endings & they each have their own
conjugations.

-EL Verbs

te kerel - to make

me kerav
tu keres
vo / voj kerel

ame keras
tume keren
von keren

-OL Verbs
te shol - to put

me shov
tu shos
vo / voj shol
ame shos
tume shon
von shon

-IL Verbs
te volil - to love
me voliv
tu volis
vo / voj volil

ame volis
tume volin
von volin

-SAREL Verbs
te vorbisarel - to speak
me vorbisarav
tu vorbisares
vo / voj vorbisarel
ame vorbisaras
tume vorbisaren
von vorbisaren

Verbs of Being
I am - Me sim
You are - Tu san
He/She is - Vo/Voj si / Vo/Voj i

We are - Ame sam

You are - Tume san
They are - Von si

Verbs of Being: Past Tense

I was - Me simas
You were - Tu sanas
He/She was - Vo/voj sas

We were - Ame samas

You were - Tume sanas
They were - Von sas

Negations: “Bi”, “Ni” & “Naj”

In Balkan Lovari, “bi”, “ni” & “naj” are used to express some level of
negation.

“Bi” is typically used when one wants to say the equivalent to “un-”,
or “dis-” in English.
It is used to express the opposite of the word to which it is the
prefix.

“Ni" can be used in a similar fashion, but expresses negation more

than it does opposite definition. Using "ni” is akin to saying, “non”,
“not very”, or “less”.

“Naj” simply means “not”. Any word prefixed with “naj” simply
translates as “not” […].

Let’s take, for example, the word “pakiv”. It translates in English to

“respect” or “honor”.
We can use both the “bi-” & “ni-” prefixes to change its meaning to
“disrespect”.

Bi-pakivo san.
You are un-respectful; dis-respectful.

O ni-pakiven jazo.
The obvious non-respect.

Here, the “bi” prefix is used with the adjective & the “ni” prefix is
used with the noun.

We can also use “naj” to express a lack of “respectfulness”.

Pakiv naj si les.

Respect is not to him; he has no respect.

Here, “naj” negates the act of “having”, and not the “respect”.

Let’s look at the word “lašo”, which means “good”, or “well”

The prefix, “bi”, when used with “lašo” changes its meaning from
“good” to “bad”.

Kava djili bi-laši sas.

That song was not good; bad.

When, “naj” is used with “lašo”, it typically means “not well”.

Nasvalimos si muro čavo; naj lašo.

My son is ill; he is not well.

The use of “naj” in conjunction with “lašo" could also be translated

to mean "bad”. However, “bi-lašo” will always translate to mean
“bad”. It’s use in context is similar to when we would say “not well”
or “bad” in any English conversation.

“Ni” can also be used as stand-alone terms that mean “without”.

Such use does not require hyphenation, or combination.

Ekh lumna ni lašimos.

A world without goodness.

Or, take for example, our word(s), which mean “never”; ni jekhvar.
This literally translates to “without one time”.

In some dialects, “bi” can be used in the same manner, or perhaps

“bisti” or “nisti” may be used.

Though “bi”, “ni” & “naj” all suggest negation, they are not exactly
interchangeable.

For example, with the use of “pajtašno”, which means “friendly”, we

can use “bi” or “ni” to suggest that one is being “un-friendly”. The
choice of prefix changes the degree to which the object is “not
friendly”, as well as tone of the speaker.

Bi-pajtašne san.
You are un-friendly.
T'aven ni-pajtašimos san.
You are being not very friendly; rather un-friendly.
(This could even be translated to “you are not having much
"friendliness”.)
The latter phrase is considered a more polite way to tell “you” that
you are being “un-friendly”, but it also suggests a higher degree of
“un-friendliness”.

Anonymous asked: hi... so i'm rromani by ancestry but wasn't

raised within rromanipen, didn't even know until i was in my
teens, etc. is it inappropriate for me to be interested in rromani
stuff? is it okay if i'm doing so as an ally/don't try to claim stuff?
sorry
It’s not inappropriate to be interested in your heritage. It’s not
inappropriate to seek knowledge and learn about your heritage. It’s
not inappropriate to want to understand and feel connected with
your heritage.
It is when people try to appropriate traditions simply for the sake of
having ancestry that we find offensive. There is a lack of cultural
awareness and understanding when people attempt to take on
traditions that they have only read or heard about and have not
been raised with.
Anonymous asked: How would you properly conjugate the
adjective "little" if you wanted to say "little cat"?
The word “cat” is “muca” and it is feminine, so the adjective “little”
must be in the feminine case. So, it would be “tsini muca”.
Okolo O Kher: Around the House
house - kher (m)
door - vudar (m)
window - feljastra (f)
roof - uchardipe (m) / tavano (m)
cellar - podrumo (m)
attic - tavano (m)
floor - padlovo (m)
room - soba (f)
living room - djeseski soba (f)
bathroom - najimaski soba (f) / kupatilo (m) / banja (f)
bedroom - sovljimaski soba (f) / ratjardi (f)
dining room - xajimaski soba (f)
kitchen - kujna (f)
hallway - sala (f)
entryway - ulazo (m)
closet - sekrini (f) / shifoni (f)
fireplace - bov (f)
chimney - horno (m) / kosho (m)
cupboard - ormano (m)
Expressing Feelings
Reference Basic Grammar: Verbs of Being, Verbs of Being: Past
Tense & Possessive Constructs
te hatjarel - (v) to understand, to feel
hatjaripe - (n) feeling
Feelings can be expressed by using verbs of being, the verb “te
hatjarel”, or by using possessive constructs.
Expressing Feelings through Verbs of Being
Like using any other adjective, there needs to be agreement in
number & gender between the adjective and the noun it is
describing.

brigako - (masc.) sad

Vo si brigako - He is sad
Voj si brigaki - She is sad
Von si brigake - They are sad

khino - (masc.) tired

Me sim khini - I am tired (fem.)
Ame sam khine - We are tired (pl.)
xolariko - angry (masc.)
Tu san xolariko - You are tired (sing.)(masc.)
Tume san xolarike - You are tired (pl.)
Expressing Feelings through Possessive constructs:

Instead of using an adjective, possessive constructs use a noun and

allow the object to possess the felling or emotion.
[Noun formation from adjectives and verbs will be discussed in a
later post]

khinimos - (n.) tiredness

Khinimos si man - I am tired [lit. tiredness is to me]

Khinimos si amen - We are tired [lit. tiredness is to us]
bokh / bokhalipe - (n.) hunger

Bokhalipe sas tut - You were hungry [lit. hunger was to you]
Bokhalipe sas tumen - You were hungry [lit. hunger was to you]
losh - (n.) happiness, joy

Losh si la - She is happy [lit. happiness is to her]

Losh sas les - He was happy [lit. happiness was to him]
Losh si len - They are happy [lit. happiness is to them]
Expressing Feeling Using “te hatjarel”:

“Te hatjarel” is a verb meaning “to feel” or “to understand”. It should

be conjugated appropriately and used along with the adjective,
which must agree with the noun it is describing.

ladzhano - (adj.) (masc.) ashamed

Me hatjarav ladzhali - I feel ashamed (sing.) (fem.)

Tume hatjaren ladzhale - You feel ashamed (pl.)

darano - (adj.) (masc.) afraid, scared

Voj hatjarel darani - She feels afraid (sing.) (fem.)

Vo hatjarel darano - He feels afraid (sing.) (masc.)

pachako - (adj.) (masc.) calm, patient

Ame hatjardam pachake - We felt calm (pl.)

Tu hatjardan pachako - You felt calm (sing.) (masc.)
Expressing Feelings Using Possessive Constructs & “Hatjaripe”:

To express that one has a certain feeling, the word “hatjaripe” is

used along with the appropriate possessive construct and an
adjective, which must agree in number with “hatjaripe”.

bilasho - (adj.) (masc.) bad

Ekh hatjaripe bilasho si man - I have a bad feeling [lit. a feeling

bad is to me]
Hatjarimata bilashe si amen - We have bad feelings [lit. feelings
bad are to us]

nervozno / njugtalano - nervous, uneasy

Ekh hatjaripe nervozno sas les - He had an uneasy feeling [lit. a

feeling uneasy was to him]
Hatjarimata njugtalane si tumen - You have uneasy feelings
[lit. feelings uneasy are to you (pl.)]

Conjuction List
and - thaj / haj
or - vaj
but - de, ba, aba, ham
yet - inke, mig
for - pe, pre, pala
nor - chi
so - dehat, hat, te

after - pala
although - makar
as - sar, sar vi
as long as - pune
because - andar, kaj, ke, hat
before - angla
even if - makar
even though-
if - te, hat te, kana
if only - chak te
in order to - te
once - jekhvar, varekana
since - hat, kana, dekana
so that - hoj, hat, te
than - sar
that - hat, ke, hoj, te
though - kam
unless - hachak
until - dzhikaj, dzhi
when - kana
whenever - kanagodi
where - kaj
whereas - ba
wherever - kajgodi
while - sar, sarso, dzhikaj

both…and - vi…thaj vi
not only…but also - na chak…de vi
not…but - chi…de
either…or - vaj…vaj
neither…nor - chi…chi / ni…ni
whether…or - kana…vaj
as…as - sar…kaj

Adjective Derivation
Lovari has numerous suffixes that can be used to derive an
adjective:

-an, -al, -ikan, -utn, -un, -val, etc..

Each suffix belongs to a certain category of words, i.e. the semantics

of the word determines the suffix when deriving an adjective.

Ethnicity or Nationality
-AN-
example: Rromano, Xoraxano (Turkish), Dasikano (Croatian)

Persons
-IKAN-
example: gadzhikano (as a gadjo), chorrikano (as a thief)

Animals
-AN-
example: bakrano (sheep’s), dzhuklano (dog’s)

Body
-UTN-
example: shorutno (head’s)

Materials
-UN-
example: barruno (of stone), sumnajkuno (golden), phanrruno
(silken)

Location
-UN-
example: angluno (front, first), gavuno (of a village), teluno (lower)

Physical Adjectives
-AN-, -AL-, -VAL-
example: phurano (old), balalo (hairy), nasvalo (sick)

Emotional Adjectives
-AN-, -AL-, -IK-
example: bidarano (fearless), darano (scared), baxtalo (lucky).
chorrikano (miserable)

When using adjectives, remember that the suffix must agree in both
gender and number with the noun it describes.

Anonymous asked: How do you pronounce the letters like z

and c when the have different lines over them?
Č - ch - as in the word ‘chair’
Ž - zh - the closest English equivalent is the 'z’ sound in the word
'azure’
Special Occasions & Holidays
Birthday - bijandimasko djes, bijando djes, rodendano
Happy Birthday!
Lasho bijandimasko djes!
Lasho rodendano!
Congratulations!
Baxtalipe!
Chestitime!
Christmas - Krechuno, Bozhiko, Kulunda
Merry Christmas!
Baxtalo/Lasho Krechuno!
Baxtalo/Lasho Bozhiko!
Baxtali/Lashi Kulunda!
Christmas Eve - Krechunjeski Ratji, Kulundali Ratji, Tshinisara
New Year - Bersh Nevo
Happy New Year!
Baxtalo Bersh Nevo!
New Year’s Eve - Silvesteri
New Year’s Day - Vasili
Easter - Patradi
Happy Easter!
Lasho Patradi!
Palm Sunday - Tsini Patradi
Passover - Patradjako
Happy Passover!
Lasho Patradjako!

Hanukkah - Hanukkah
Happy Hanukkah!
Baxtali Hanukkah!
Ramadan - Ramadano
Happy Ramadan!
Baxtalo Ramadano!
Herdelezi - Herdelezi, Ederlezi, Kakava
Happy Herdelezi!
Baxtalo O Herdelezi!

Saint George’s Day - Djurdjevdan

Happy Saint George’s Day!
Baxtalo Djurdjevdan!
World Roma Day - Lumjako Romano Djes

Women’s Day - Manushnijako Djes

Mother’s Day - Dajako Djes
Father’s Day - Dadesko Djes, Babesko Djes
Holiday - Djes baro
Happy Holidays!
Baxtale Djesa Bare!
Have a good holiday!
T'aves shukar djes baro! (sing.)
T'aven shukar djes baro! (plu.)
Cheers!
Pe sastimaste!
Zhiveli!
Good Luck!
But baxt!

Verbs of Being: Past Tense

I was - Me simas
You were - Tu sanas
He/She was - Vo/voj sas
We were - Ame samas
You were - Tume sanas
They were - Von sas

Past Tense Verb Conjugation

Most regular verbs follow a general past tense conjugation:

-em -am
-an -an
-as -e
The verb “to be”:

I was - me simas we were - ame samas

you were - tu sanas you were - tume sanas
he/she was - vov/voj sas they were - von sas

However, some verb stems change in the past tense form:

Verb stems that end in “v”, “r” or “l” and some in “n” are conjugated
by “d” + ending:

to do/make - te kerel
I did - me kerdem we did - ame kerdam
you did - tu kerdan you did - tume kerdan
he/she did - vov/voj kerdas they did - vov kerde
to dance - te khelel
I danced - me kheldem we danced - ame kheldam
you danced - tu kheldan you danced - tume kheldan
he/she danced - vov/voj kheldas they danced - vov khelde
to hit - te malavel
I hit - me maladem we hit - ame maladam
you hit - tu maladan you hit - tume maladan
he/she hit - vov/voj maladas they hit - vov malade
Verbs that have “y” sounds preceding the final syllable of the verb
stem may be conjugated using “-ilem” endings:

to drink - te pijel
I drank - me pilem we drank - ame pilam
you drank - pilan you drank - tume pilan
he/she drank - vov/voj pilas they drank - vov pile
to become drunk - te matjol
me matjilem ame matjilam
tu matjilan tume matjilan
vov/voj matjilas vov matjile
There are also several verbs with irregular past tense conjugations
& they must be memorized when presented later.