xan xan
[ʔaŋ ʔaŋ]
(安安)
“Hi!”
This is the most basic greeting, used specifically 1) when greeting someone in passing with no intention to talk to them, 2) when greeting more than one person at once, and 3) when greeting someone you are familiar with or know well. The literal meaning is meant to be ironic, meaning both “peace and tranquility” and “how can you be calm?”
guon gielh
[gwoŋ gje̤ɫ̯ᶿ]
(觀究)
“Hello.”
This is a slightly more formal greeting, used when meeting someone you are not familiar with or when you have an intent to speak to someone about something. Its literal meaning is “observe and ponder” in reference to the Classic of Sapience.
yenh thlieq
[ʝje̤n̪ᶿ ɬjeʔ]
(應釋)
“Hello.”
This is the appriopriate response to the guon gielh greeting. It literally means “respond and elucidate” in reference to the Classic of Sapience.
thuonh thalq
[θwon̪ᶿ θaɫ̯ˀ]
(頌壽)
“Goodbye.”
This is a common phrase used when parting or ending a conversation. It is a bit formal and typically used with less familiar people. It literally means “a long life (to you).”
barq gluonq
[baɚ̯ʔ glwon̪ˀ]
(保重)
“Take care.”
This is another way to politely wish ones collocutor well when parting. It literally means “look after (your health).”
glie glie
[glje glje]
(喈喈)
“See you!”
This is an informal way of saying “bye” that is commonly used with people you are familiar with. It is a contraction of the phrase gienh ye (見噫) (see/meet + emphatic particle) reduplicated.
thlieq lielq
[ɬjeʔ l̪jeɫ̪ˀ]
(失律)
“Sorry.”
This apology is specifically used for expressing regret about ones own behavior with no expectation of forgiveness or feedback. It literally means “(I) lost restraint/credence” in reference to the Classic of Sapience.
hie hie
[çje çje]
(奚奚)
Reply to “sorry.”
This is how one typically replies to thlieq lielq. It is a reduplication of the interrogative pronoun to indicate a rhetorical question, more literally translated as “how so?” or “(it’s) nothing.”
mie zirn
[mje zjɪɚ̯ɳ]
(迷津)
“Sorry.”
This apology is specifically used when expecting some form of help, feedback, or forgiveness. It literally means “(one is on) the wrong path” or “one has gone astray.”
zlieq valq dhienh
[ɮjeʔ faɫ̯ˀ l̪jen̪ᶿ]
(指不定)
Reply to “sorry.”
This is how one replies to mie zirn when to indicate that they either cannot help or that they themself are also at fault. It literally means “one cannot point the way with certainty.”
lrnh pieh
[l̪ɚ̤ɳᶳ pje̤]
(紉佩)
“Thank you.”
This literally means “to sew a pendant to ones waist” and refers to the act of attaching or threading ornaments and other decorations with deeply symbolic and personal meanings onto one’s belt or clothing.
pieh
[pje̤]
(佩)
“Thanks.”
This literally means “to put a pendant on ones waist” and is a shorter and less formal form of lrnh pieh.
mien xan
[mjeŋ ʔaŋ]
(名安)
“What is your name?”
⋮
mien …
[mjeŋ …]
(名…)
“My name is…”
glienh xan
[gljen̪ᶿ ʔaŋ]
(經安)
“How are you?”
This is the closest approximation to the phrase “how are you” that exists in Thernese. The word glienh has several meanings: 1) to go through or experience, 2) to manage (oneself), and 3) to shift (as in the phase of a wave). All three of these meanings apply here, as the Thern typically think of ones “mood” as an endlessly fluctuating wave. Literally, this can be understood as “how does one manage?” as well as “how does one shift phases?”
⋮
glienh lielq … mie
[gljen̪ᶿ ljeɫ̪ˀ … mje]
(經律…冞)
Reply to “how are you?”
To reply to the phrase glienh xan, Thern rely on radians and moon phases, where thlurq 朔 corresponds to 3𝜏/4 radians and a new moon, hien slanh 弦上 corresponds to a first quarter moon and 0 radians, manh 望 corresponds to a full moon and 𝜏/4 radians, and hien hlaq 弦下 corresponds to the last quarter moon and 𝜏/2 radians. In other words, thlurq 朔 (new moon) indicates the trough of a wave—least stable mood state; hien slanh 弦上 (first quarter) indicates rising towards the peak—more stable and rising mood state; manh 望 (full moon) indicates the peak—most stable mood state; and hien hlaq 弦下 (last quarter) indicates falling towards the trough—less stable and falling mood state. A Thern will reply with one of these to indicate their current state of mind.
glir thieh
[gljɪɚ̯ θje̤]
教賜
“Please”
Thernese does not have a direct equivalent for “please”; instead, this phrase is specifically used when inquiring someone for criticism, feedback, or for a detailed and honest answer to a question. thieh (賜), however, can be used on its own as a sentence-final speech particle to indicate a request.
sar hie
[sʰaɚ̯ çje]
(操奚)
“What are you doing?”
glr hie zar
[glɚ çje zaɚ̯]
(居奚在)
“Where do you live?”
zalh nglrq thlrnh mie muo
[za̤ɫ̪ᶿ ŋlɚʔ ɬɚ̤ɳᶳ mje mwo]
(奏語蜃冞無)
“Do you speak Thernese?”
zalh nglrq luon mie muo
[za̤ɫ̪ᶿ ŋlɚʔ l̪woŋ mje mwo]
(奏語鸞冞無)
“Do you speak Luanese?”
blanh blanh sarq thirnh,
xlirnq valq manq thirn
[bla̤n̪ᶿ bla̤n̪ᶿ sʰaɚ̯ʔ θjɪ̤ɚ̯ɳᶳ
ŋljɪɚ̯ɳˀ faɫ̪ˀ man̪ˀ θjɪɚ̯ɳ]
(瓣瓣采信 永不滿心)
“I love you.”
Thernese does not have a direct way of saying “I love you” or expressing fondness towards a person, and both romantic love and romance are alien concepts to the Thern. The closest direct equivalent to the word ‘love’ (xarh 愛) is used exclusively with abstract interests or to express curiosity. Typically, when expressing fondness towards a person, a Thern will use this phrase quoting the Classic of the Lotus, which more literally translates as “each petal collected assures but never fills the heart” and is their way of saying “I want to learn more about you” or “I want to spend time with you.”