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Copyright (C) 2015-16 A. S. Lewis. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later
version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the Invariant Sections being Intellectual
Property Notice, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover-Texts. A copy of the license is included
in the section entitled "Appendix A: GNU Free Documentation License".
Contents
Introduction to The Course...................................................................................................................3
Introduction to Klingon Pronunciation.................................................................................................5
Lesson 1..............................................................................................................................................11
Lesson 2..............................................................................................................................................29
Lesson 3..............................................................................................................................................45
Lesson 4..............................................................................................................................................59
Lesson 5..............................................................................................................................................72
Practice Section 1...............................................................................................................................85
Lesson 6..............................................................................................................................................95
Lesson 7............................................................................................................................................109
Lesson 8............................................................................................................................................125
Lesson 9............................................................................................................................................140
Lesson 10..........................................................................................................................................156
Practice Section 2.............................................................................................................................170
Appendix A: GNU Free Documentation License.............................................................................181
(hhoo-MAHN)
tlhIngan
(tling-AHN)
vulqan
(vool-KAHN)
It is not recommended that you rely on the imitated pronunciation too much. At best, it will show
you how not to pronounce the word. There are a number of sounds in the Klingon language that
don't exist in English, so even with this guide, your pronunciation will still be flawed.
The imitated pronunciation is based on English as it is spoken by educated people in southern
England. There can be wide variations in pronunciation between this language and the many
varieties of English spoken all around the world. You will need to take these variations into account
if you use the imitated pronunciation.
In the imitated pronunciation, the stressed syllable is shown in capital letters (except in singlesyllable words).
ghoj
(rhohj)
tengchaH
(teng-CHAHK)
qarDaSngan
(kahr-dahsh-NGAHN)
Here is the Klingon alphabet as we humans normally write it. There are twenty consonants, five
vowels and one special sound written as an apostrophe and treated as a letter in its own right.
a b ch D e gh H I j l m n ng o p q Q r S t tlh u v w y '
In an English sentence, the first letter is always a capital letter, but this isn't the case in Klingon.
Klingon consonants
Consonants generally sound the same in Klingon and English, but there are some important
differences. You don't need to memorise this list, but you should make sure that you understand the
imitated pronunciation for each sound.
First we'll talk about the sounds that are easy to pronounce, and then we'll discuss the sounds which
are a little more tricky.
The letters b, ch, j, l, m, n, ng, p, t, v, w and y are pronounced as in English.
ch sounds like the "ch" in "change"
(imitated pronunciation: j)
(imitated pronunciation: y)
The letter D is almost like the English letter d, which is pronounced by touching the tip of the
tongue to the roof of the mouth, just behind the teeth. When sounding the Klingon D, the tongue
touches the roof of the mouth a little further back (imitated pronunciation: d).
The letter r is slightly rolled, just as it is in Italian (imitated pronunciation: r).
The letter S is somewhere between the sounds at the start of the English words "super" and "sheep".
To remind you that the sound is not quite like the English s, the imitated pronunciation will be sh.
Now we come to the trickier sounds. Let's talk about q and Q. These sounds are similar, but Q is
much stronger.
q is a little like the c in "castle", but is sounded at the back of the mouth, near the throat (imitated
pronunciation: k).
Q is almost the same, but it is spoken very forcefully. To get the sound right, you are almost forced
to spray saliva over anything (or anyone) in front of you (imitated pronunciation: kkh).
Neither q nor Q are ever pronounced like the "qu" in "quick".
H is something like the ch in the Scottish word loch and the German word "Bach. It is also
like the Spanish j in "viejo". It should sound almost like you are trying to clear your throat
(imitated pronunciation: kh).
gh is also sounded near the throat, but this time your vocal cords should vibrate as if you were
humming at the back of your throat (imitated pronunciation: rh).
tlh is a little like the ll in the Welsh word "Llanelli". The tip of the tongue touches the roof of the
mouth again, but this time air is forced through the gap between the teeth and the tongue (imitated
pronunciation: tl).
The sound written as an apostrophe actually exists in English, too. It is the slight gap between
sounds in uh-oh (imitated pronunciation: ' ).
Linguists call this sound a glottal stop. When a Klingon word ends with a glottal stop, it stops
abruptly - there is a clear difference in length between the words cha (normal length) and cha'
(abruptly short).
Klingon vowels
There are five vowel sounds and although they are easy to pronounce, they are also easy to
mispronounce.
For example, it would be a mistake to pronounce a like the a in "cat". (Don't forget that the
imitated pronunciation is based on British English.)
a sounds like the a in "calm"
(imitated pronunciation: e)
(imitated pronunciation: i)
Klingon diphthongs
Sometimes two vowel sounds combine to make a new sound. This new sound is called a
diphthong, and we have several of them in English. For example, the sound "oy" in "boy" is a
combination of the sounds "oh-ee", spoken very quickly.
aw sounds like the "ow" in "cow"
The sound uy is like the English sounds oo-ee" spoken quickly (imitated pronunciation: ooee).
The sound ew is like the English sounds eh-oo" spoken quickly (imitated pronunciation: ehoo).
Finally, the sound Iw is like the English sounds "ee-oo" spoken quickly (imitated pronunciation:
eeoo).
Lesson 1
This is a list of the new words introduced in this lesson. You don't need to memorise the list. You
can go straight to the next page now.
This course uses a simple visualisation technique to help you learn new vocabulary.
The technique works by associating something new with something already known.
Whenever you are given a new Klingon word, you will also be given an image to visualise in your
mind's eye. The image suggests the sound of the Klingon word in a memorable way.
For example,
man is loD (pronounced lohd)
imagine a man carrying a heavy load of equipment on his back
Now, whenever you need to remember the Klingon word for "man", you will remember a man who
is struggling to carry a heavy load of phaser pistols, or perhaps a sack full of stem bolts. He is
sweating profusely, his knees are trembling and he's muttering under his breath.
It is important to make the image as vivid, unusual, funny and colourful as possible. Use all five of
your senses. Don't just see the man in your mind - smell his sweat, listen to his muttering and feel
the uneven road beneath his feet.
!!! If you don't want to use visualisation, you will find a list of new words at the beginning of every
lesson. We suggest that you learn these words, using your preferred method, before reading the rest
of the lesson.
Here are some more Klingon words. Concentrate on each image for several seconds before moving
on to the next one.
woman is be' (be')
imagine a woman being chased by a ferocious bear!
friend is jup (joop)
imagine your best friend is so hungry, that they are going to chew up a plate
enemy is jagh (jahrh)
imagine that you've captured your enemy in a large glass jar
child is puq (pook)
imagine a small child who is puking non-stop!
pet is Saj (shahj)
imagine visiting a Klingon pet shop. You've never seen such terrifying animals!
captain is HoD (khohd)
imagine that two Klingon guards are holding the starship captain by each arm
officer is yaS (yahsh)
imagine that the officer fires a phaser, turning you into a pile of ash!
After learning new words, you will always be given the opportunity to test yourself. This will help
to fix the words in your memory.
What is the English for yaS
What is the English for HoD
What is the English for Saj
What is the English for puq
What is the English for jagh
What is the English for jup
What is the English for be'
What is the English for loD
In Klingon, some sounds are cut very short. For example, in the word be' "woman", the final letter
-e is cut short.
Written Klingon uses an apostrophe to show this cutting-short sound.
!!! This course doesn't use a lot of long words that only trained linguists will recognise. On the
other hand, it would be unfair to make those of you who are linguists wade through material that
you already understand.
!!! If you don't recognise the terms in these notes???, you can safely ignore them.
!!! Our first 'experienced linguist' note is this: in written Klingon, the apostrophe represents a glottal
stop.
It wouldn't be easy to incorporate this sound directly into an image. For that reason, we will use
something with the same shape - a stick - to symbolise the apostrophe.
Whenever you have an image which involves a stick, you will be reminded that the word has a
sound which is cut short, and that the word is spelled with an apostrophe.
So, woman is be'
imagine a woman being chased by a ferocious bear. Eventually she fights it off with a large
stick
Now let's learn some action words. These words are called verbs.
goes is jaH (jahkh)
imagine that Jack goes up the hill and then down again
comes is ghoS (rhohsh)
imagine lots of people coming towards you in a rush
eats is Sop (shohp)
imagine eating everything in the shop. It's totally empty now!
drinks is tlhutlh (tlootl)
imagine a musician who drinks wine using the lute as a cup
speaks is jatlh (jahtl)
imagine a chart (map) that can speak. The chart will always tell you where to go
understands is yaj (yahj)
imagine that no-one understands the inscription written on your arch
reads is laD (lahd)
imagine reading an 800-page book called "How to make lard"
writes is ghItlh (rhitl)
imagine burying all your money and then writing a riddle that describes where to find it
The word order in an English sentence is important. If you change the order of the words, you get a
very different meaning.
The dog bites the man.
The man bites the dog.
The word order in a Klingon sentence is also very important. It is usually quite different to the
word order used in an English sentence.
!!! Klingon is an "object-verb-subject" (OVS) language.
If you want to say "the man eats" or "the man drinks", in Klingon you reverse the order and say
"eats - the man" or "drinks - the man".
Sop loD
tlhutlh loD
Now you're ready to make some real Klingon sentences. Since this is a conversational course,
please say your answers out loud. (Klingons do not take kindly to off-worlders who speak their
language timidly.)
It is very important to take your time and think carefully about the sentences. Think before you
speak. Do not say the first thing that comes into your head.
How do you say...
The friend goes. The enemy comes.
A child speaks. A pet understands.
The captain reads. The officer writes.
The answers are...
jaH jup. ghoS jagh.
jatlh puq. yaj Saj.
laD HoD. ghItlh yaS.
yaj be'
The words "and" and "but" can be used to join such sentences together.
jatlh loD 'ej yaj be'
You might find it useful to work out the two sentences separately before you try to join them.
How do you say...
The captain speaks. The officer understands.
The captain speaks and the officer understands.
A friend reads. An enemy writes.
A friend reads but an enemy writes.
The man eats and the woman drinks.
The child comes but the pet goes.
The answers are...
jatlh HoD. yaj yaS.
jatlh HoD 'ej yaj yaS.
laD jup. ghItlh jagh.
laD jup 'ach ghItlh jagh.
Sop loD 'ej tlhutlh be'.
ghoS puq 'ach jaH Saj.
Here are some more words to learn. If you didn't already know, a tribble is a small, furry animal
with a voracious appetite.
alien is nov (nohv)
imagine aliens trying to escape a star system that has suddenly gone nova
tribble is yIH (yikh)
imagine a Klingon shouting "yeeek!" when waking to find himself sharing a bed with dozens
of tribbles
doctor is Qel (kkhel)
imagine a doctor who couldn't care less about your health. (North Americans should
imagine a doctor who could care less about your health.)
patient is SID (shid)
imagine a patient who refuses to let the nurses change the sheets
family is qorDu' (kor-DOO')
imagine tying your family together with a cord, to stop them from hitting each other with
sticks
baby is ghu (rhoo)
imagine giving up your baby to a kangaroo. The baby grows up inside the kangaroo's
pouch!
The words for star systems, planets and the people who live on them are often the same in both
English and Klingon. You won't need images to remember these two words.
human is Human (khoo-MAHN)
Klingon is tlhIngan (tli-NGAHN)
speaks
jatlhbe'
doesn't speak
yaj
understands
yajbe'
doesn't understand
jatlhbe' Human
That's the end of the first lesson. Here are some hints to help you get the most out of the remaining
lessons.
Firstly, don't rush! The lessons are designed to last about forty minutes, but you should
complete them at your own pace. Take as much time as you need!
If you are doing all of the exercises, you won't need to make notes.
It doesn't matter if you sometimes make mistakes. If you understand why you made the
mistake, you don't need to repeat the section.
Try to read at least one lesson every day. if possible. If you read more than one lesson at a
time, take breaks in between lessons (even if you don't feel tired).
Many language courses claim that they are "literally unforgettable". They are not telling
you the truth. There is a practice section at the end of every five lessons; you can read it
from time to time to refresh your memory (which is much quicker than re-reading the
lessons). A good plan for most people is to read the practice section after a week, then again
after a month, and then again after three months.
Lesson 2
In the previous lesson, you learned that Klingon sentences and English sentences often have the
opposite word order.
For example, whereas in English you say "the pet obeys the human", in Klingon you literally say
"the human - obeys - the pet". In both languages, it is absolutely clear that the pet is the one doing
the obeying.
Human lob Saj
In Klingon, you are literally saying "the human - doesn't obey - the pet". Once again, it is clear that
the pet is the one who is disobeying.
humans
novpu'
aliens
juppu'
friends
-pu' can be used with any being which is capable of language. We'll talk about how to say "pets",
"tribbles" and "fingers" later.
Here are the names of some planets. Since they are similar in both languages, you won't need to use
images to remember them.
Earth, Terra is tera' (te-RAH')
Vulcan is vulqan (vool-KAHN)
Romulus is romuluS (roh-moo-LOOSH)
Cardassia is qarDaS (kahr-DAHSH)
You can often add -ngan to the name of a planet to get the being who lives there.
tera'
Earth, Terra
tera'ngan
a Terran
vulqan
vulqangan
a Vulcan
romuluS
romuluSngan
a Romulan
qarDaS
qarDaSngan
a Cardassian
You already know that 'ej means "and". It is used to join two sentences together.
However, when you want to make a list (for example "a Vulcan and a Terran" or "a Romulan and a
Cardassian"), there is a different word for "and" - je (pronounced je).
je comes at the end of the list.
tera'ngan vulqangan je
You have to be careful when two people are doing something together.
Sop Human
A human eats
In the first sentence you are literally saying "eats - a human", but in the second you are saying "eat
- a human and a Klingon"; or, quite literally, "eat - a human, a Klingon, and".
How do you say...
A captain eats. A captain and an officer eat.
A Terran drinks. A Terran and a Vulcan drink.
The answers are...
Sop HoD. Sop HoD yaS je.
tlhutlh tera'ngan. tlhutlh tera'ngan vulqangan je.
sees
jIlegh
I see
Qoy
hears
jIQoy
I hear
I see
jIleghbe'
I don't see
In Klingon, "I see" and "I don't see" are both single words. Sentences with only one word are easy
because you don't have to think about the word order.
you see
bIQoy
you hear
In this lesson you've learned two prefixes, but there are about thirty in total. To remember them all
we're going to use a handful of simple images.
We'll use a single image to remember "I" and "you" (and some more words, later on).
This image begins with a hermit. The hermit symbolises the fact that "I" do something or "you" do
something, and no-one else is involved.
!!! For the linguists among you, jI- and bI- are prefixes used with intransitive verbs; the hermit
symbolises the lack of an object.
So, imagine a lonely hermit living in a damp cave. The hermit lets out a loud cheer (jI- "I") when a
bee flies into the cave (bI- "you")
Lesson 3
Here are some more useful words. If you didn't already know, a tricorder is a scanning device
small enough to hold in one hand.
star, sun is Hov (khohv)
imagine a star orbited by billions of horse's hooves
planet is yuQ (yookkh)
imagine a backward planet whose residents are being entertained by the Queen on her
ukulele
moon is maS (mahsh)
imagine that the Earth's moon is now covered in marshland
ship is Duj (dooj)
imagine a ship crewed exclusively by Dutch people, all of them wearing clogs
tricorder is Hoqra' (khohk-RAH')
imagine using your tricorder to analyse an antique hockey stick that's incredibly rare
weapon is nuH (nookh)
imagine that a nuke is the only weapon you need!
You already know that -pu' means "more than one" when it is a suffix. When it is a separate word,
it is used for the weapon which humans call a "phaser" but which Klingons and Romulans call a
"disruptor".
phaser, disruptor is pu' (poo')
imagine using an enormous phaser to blast away at a rock face, hoping to reach the pure
dilithium crystal below. It's much easier than digging with sticks!
bat'leth (Klingon sword) is betleH (bet-LEKH)
imagine making a large bet that you will find a Klingon sword at the bottom of the lake
I see
qalegh
I see you
Whenever I" am doing something to you, such as "seeing you" or "understanding you", you use
the prefix qa- (kah).
qa- means "I am doing something to you". Once again, the whole English sentence is translated by
just a single Klingon word.
However, when I am doing something, and no-one else is involved, you must still use the prefix
jI-.
I buy
vIje'
I buy it
Whenever "I" am doing something to "it", such as "buying it" or "selling it", you must use the
prefix vI- (vi). vI- means "I am doing something do it".
How do you say...
I buy. I buy it.
I sell. I sell it.
I send it. I receive it.
I don't use it. I believe you.
You tell the truth. You don't lie.
The answers are...
jIje'. vIje'.
jIngev. vIngev.
vIngeH. vIHev.
vIlo'be'. qaHar.
bIvIt. bInepbe'.
jI-
bI-
qa-
vI-
When books about languages list the words "I", "you", "it" and so on, they traditionally list them in
a certain order. The first word on the list is always "I", the second is always "you" and after that
comes "it".
This order is easy to remember, because "I" am usually the most important person in the
conversation, and "you" are the most important person after that. Everything else - like "it" - is
usually less important.
When we use images to remember the Klingon prefixes, we will always use the order "I - you - it".
That's why, in our earlier hermit image, jI- I comes before bI- "you".
Let's use another image to remember the prefixes qa- and vI-.
They both mean that "I" am doing something, so this image will start with something that
symbolises yourself - your own home.
So, imagine arriving home from work in your car (qa- "I am doing something to you").
Outrageously, someone wants to charge you a large fee for parking outside your own home! (vI- "I
am doing something to it")
(jil)
Lesson 4
you see
cholegh
you see me
However, if you want to talk about "you" doing something to "it", then you must use the prefix Da(dah).
bIlegh
you see
Dalegh
you see it
jI-
bI-
qa-
vI-
cho-
Da-
"
"
"
You will practise these prefixes again and again until they become second nature. In the meantime,
when you translate a sentence into Klingon, don't forget to take your time and think carefully about
your answer.
Let's practise them all once more.
How do you say...
I travel. You don't go.
I hit you. I send it.
You hurt me. You receive it.
The answers are...
jIleng. bIjaHbe'.
qaqIp. vIngeH.
cho'oy'. DaHev.
Now it's time for some good news. The prefix vI- means "I do something to it", but it also means "I
do something to him, to her or to them.
vIlegh
I see it
vIlegh
I see him
vIlegh
I see her
vIlegh
I see them
You see it
Dalegh
Dalegh
Dalegh
I find it
You might ask, what is being found? You can be more precise and say that "the alien" is being
found, without changing the underlying meaning of the sentence.
vItu'
I find it
nov vItu'
You find it
Once again, you can be more precise and say that "the alien" is being found, without changing the
underlying meaning of the sentence.
Datu'
You find it
nov Datu'
Whenever "he", "she" or "it" is doing something to "him", "her", "it" or "them", you don't use a
prefix at all. The verb stands alone.
legh
He sees him
HoD legh
Here's another way to think about it: when "I" am doing something or when "you" are doing
something, you must use a prefix. Otherwise, you don't use one.
That isn't the complete rule, but it's good enough for the moment. (You will find a full table of
Klingon prefixes in Appendix ???, if you want it.)
How do you say...
He uses it. He uses the bat'leth.
The Klingon uses the bat'leth.
She finds him. She finds the enemy.
The neighbour finds the enemy.
The answers are...
lo'. betleH lo'.
betleH lo' tlhIngan.
tu'. jagh tu'.
jagh tu' jIl.
It might seem strange that the word tu' could translate "he finds it", as well as "she finds them" and
"it finds her". In conversational Klingon, the context usually clarifies who is being discussed. In
later lessons you will learn how to make the meaning more precise, when you need to.
How do you say...
I hurry. You relax.
I look for you. I look for it.
I look for the alien. I don't find them.
I don't find the humans. You visit me.
You insult him. You don't insult the Klingon.
I allow it but you forbid it. Success!
The father becomes a grandfather. The mother becomes a grandmother.
What do you want?
The answers are...
jImoD. bIleS.
qanej. vInej.
nov vInej. vItu'be'.
Humanpu' vItu'be'. choSuch.
DatIch. tlhIngan DatIchbe'.
vIchaw' 'ach Datuch. Qapla'.
vavnI' moj vav. SoSnI' moj SoS.
nuqneH.
Lesson 5
You already know how to talk about more than one living being.
Human
human
Humanpu'
humans
However, for everything else, you usually add the suffix -mey (meh).
nuH
weapon
nuHmey
weapons
(There are some exceptions to this rule, which we'll discuss later.)
How do you say...
The Klingons. The ships.
The stars and the planets. The planet has moons.
I visit them. I visit the space stations.
The answers are...
tlhInganpu'. Dujmey.
Hovmey yuQmey je. maSmey ghaj yuQ.
vISuch. tengchaHmey vISuch.
Actually, -pu' is only used with living beings that are capable of language. With other creatures,
such as "tribbles", you must use -mey.
Humanpu'
humans
yIHmey
tribbles
There are a few words which can't add the suffixes -pu' and -mey.
The first one is peng "torpedo". The word for "torpedoes" is not pengmey but cha.
peng vIbaH
cha vIbaH
If you want to talk about more than one "target" or more than one "soldier", again you must use a
different word.
DoS, ray'
target, targets
mang, negh
soldier, soldiers
Let's revise the images for "torpedo", "target" and "soldier" to incorporate these new words.
torpedo is peng, but torpedoes is cha (chah)
imagine converting an ordinary pen into a deadly torpedo. You charge up its battery
with a normal phone charger!
target is DoS, but targets is ray' (rai')
imagine painting a target on each of your doors. You fire a futuristic ray-gun at them all,
reducing your beautiful home to a pile of smouldering sticks
soldier is mang, but soldiers is negh (nerh)
imagine looking across a battlefield, where all that can be seen is the mangled remains of a
soldier. The other soldiers have run away and are hiding nearby
I see it
vIleghlaH
I can see it
You can add the suffix -laH (lahkh) to almost any verb. It turns "I see it" into "I can see it", "I hear
it" into "I can hear it" and "I sleep" into "I can sleep".
How do you say...
I wait. I can wait.
I hurry. I can hurry.
I attack it. I can attack it.
I kill the soldier. I can kill the soldier.
The answers are...
jIloS. jIloSlaH.
jImoD. jImoDlaH.
vIHIv. vIHIvlaH.
mang vIHoH. mang vIHoHlaH.
I see it
vIleghlaH
I can see it
vIleghlaHbe'
I can't see it
You can add -laHbe' to almost any verb. It turns "I see it" into "I can't see it" and "I sleep" into "I
can't sleep".
How do you say...
I eat it. I can eat it.
I can't eat it. You drink it.
You can drink it. You can't drink it.
The answers are...
vISop. vISoplaH.
vISoplaHbe'. Datlhutlh.
DatlhutlhlaH. DatlhutlhlaHbe'.
In Klingon, you can turn a statement into a question by adding the suffix -'a' to the verb.
-'a' converts "you see it" into "do you see it?" and it converts "you hear it" into "do you hear it?"
Dalegh
You see it
Dalegh'a'?
DaQoy
You hear it
DaQoy'a'?
DaleghlaH'a'?
Practice Section 1
After every five lessons you will find a practice section like this one. Everything taught in those
lessons appears in the practice section at least once.
You should go through this practice section now, before you move on to Lesson 6.
Although you have already learned a lot of Klingon, it won't stay fresh in your mind for ever. We
suggest that you go over each section about a week after completing the five lessons, and again a
month after completing them, and again three months after completing them.
Early in the course, you learned that there are no words for "the", a or an in Klingon.
There are also no words which correspond to "hello", "goodbye", "please" and "thank you".
How do you say...
The man. The woman.
A friend. An enemy.
What do you want? Success!
The answers are...
loD. be'.
jup. jagh.
nuqneH. Qapla'.
The word order in a Klingon sentence is often the opposite of what it would be in an English
sentence.
How do you say...
The man speaks. The woman understands.
The friend goes. The enemy comes.
The doctor helps the patient. The family wants a baby.
The officer respects the captain. The Klingon interrogates the prisoner.
The answers are...
jatlh loD. yaj be'.
jaH jup. ghoS jagh.
SID QaH Qel. ghu neH qorDu'.
HoD vuv yaS. qama' rum tlhIngan.
You know that there are two words for and. One of them is used to make a list (for example "the
man and the woman"). The other is used to join two sentences together.
How do you say...
The child eats. The pet drinks.
The child eats and the pet drinks.
A human reads. An alien writes.
A human reads but an alien writes.
The man and the woman. Earth and Vulcan.
The Terran teaches and the Vulcan learns.
The Terran and the Vulcan learn.
The Romulan and the Cardassian travel.
The answers are...
Sop puq. tlhutlh Saj.
Sop puq 'ej tlhutlh Saj.
laD Human. ghItlh nov.
laD Human 'ach ghItlh nov.
loD be' je. tera' vulqan je.
ghojmoH tera'ngan 'ej ghoj vulqangan.
ghoj tera'ngan vulqangan je.
leng romuluSngan qarDaSngan je.
Klingon words can have "prefixes" and "suffixes". Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word
and suffixes are added to the end of it.
The first suffix you learned was the one which means "don't" or "doesn't".
How do you say...
The captain speaks. The captain doesn't speak.
The officer obeys. The officer doesn't obey.
The child has a pet. The child doesn't have a pet.
The family teach the baby. The baby learns.
The alien teaches the human but the human doesn't learn.
The father and the mother don't wake up.
The grandfather and the grandmother don't sleep.
The answers are...
jatlh HoD. jatlhbe' HoD.
lob yaS. lobbe' yaS.
Saj ghaj puq. Saj ghajbe' puq.
ghu ghojmoH qorDu'. ghoj ghu.
Human ghojmoH nov 'ach ghojbe' Human.
vembe' vav SoS je.
Qongbe' vavnI' SoSnI' je.
English sometimes uses suffixes, too. When you talk about more than one thing you say "humans"
and "pets".
In Klingon, when you talk about more than one thing, you add -mey. However, when you talk
about more than one being capable of language, you add -pu'.
(There is a third suffix which is used only with body parts. You'll learn about that in a future
lesson.)
How do you say...
The neighbours. The tribbles.
The stars and the planets. Men and women.
Klingons hurry. Humans relax.
The man has friends. The planet doesn't have moons.
The doctor doesn't believe the patients. The patients lie.
The officers doubt the captain but the captain tells the truth.
The answers are...
jIlpu'. yIHmey.
Hovmey yuQmey je. loDpu' be'pu' je.
moD tlhInganpu'. leS Humanpu'.
juppu' ghaj loD. maSmey ghajbe' yuQ.
SIDpu' Harbe' Qel. nep SIDpu'.
HoD Hon yaSpu' 'ach vIt HoD.
However, there are some words which never end with -pu' or -mey.
How do you say...
I hit the soldier. I hit the soldiers.
You fire the torpedo. You fire the torpedoes.
The Bird-of-Prey looks for a target. The starship finds targets.
The answers are...
mang vIqIp. negh vIqIp.
peng DabaH. cha DabaH.
DoS nej toQDuj. ray' tu' 'ejDo'.
Now let's talk about prefixes. Although both nouns and verbs can have suffixes, only verbs can
have a prefix. The prefixes show us who is doing what to whom.
Here's a summary of the six prefixes you have learned so far.
I (do something alone)
jI-
bI-
qa-
vI-
cho-
Da-
In general, "he/him", "she/her", "it" and "they/them" all share the same prefixes. (There is one
exception to this rule, which we haven't learned yet.)
In Klingon, you use the same prefix when you want to say "I see him" or "I see the man", and when
you want to say "I see it" or "I see the weapon".
How do you say...
I look for it. I look for the phaser.
I don't find it. I don't find the bat'leth.
You buy it. You buy the tricorder.
You don't sell it. You don't sell the weapon.
I dislike it. You dislike it.
I dislike him. I dislike the man.
You trust her. You trust the woman.
I kill them. I kill the Romulans.
You kill the enemies but you don't kill the tribbles.
The answers are...
vInej. pu' vInej.
vItu'be'. betleH vItu'be'.
Daje'. Hoqra' Daje'.
Dangevbe'. nuH Dangevbe'.
vIpar. Dapar.
vIpar. loD vIpar.
Davoq. be' Davoq.
vIHoH. romuluSnganpu' vIHoH.
jaghpu' DaHoH 'ach yIHmey DaHoHbe'.
You also know that when "he", "she" or "it" does something to "him", "her", "it" or "them", you
don't use a prefix at all. The verb stands alone. (In fact, a good rule of thumb at the moment is to
use a prefix only when I am doing something or when "you" are doing something.)
How do you say...
I visit it. He visits her.
You hurt them. She hurts him.
He salutes the soldier. She salutes the army.
It becomes a target. The space station becomes a target.
The Cardassian sends a ship. The Terrans receive a tribble.
The answers are...
vISuch. Such.
Da'oy'. 'oy'.
mang van. mangghom van.
DoS moj. DoS moj tengchaH.
Duj ngeH qarDaSngan. yIH Hev tera'nganpu'.
The Klingon sentence legh is ambiguous. It could mean "he sees her", "it sees them" or " she sees
him" among other possibilities. Normally the context of the conversation makes it clear who is
being discussed. If not, you will learn how to clarify the situation in future lessons.
It's easy to ask a question in Klingon. You can change any statement into a yes/no question by
adding the verb suffix -'a'.
How do you say...
You read. Do you read?
Yes, I read. You want it.
Do you want it? No, I don't want it.
The answers are...
bIlaD. bIlaD'a'?
HIja', jIlaD. DaneH.
DaneH'a'? ghobe', vIneHbe'.
Sometimes it's possible to combine suffixes. For example, you've learned how to say "can", "can't"
and "can you?"
How do you say...
I answer. I can answer.
I use it. I can use it.
You ask the Lord. You can ask the Lord.
You don't ask the Lady. You can't ask the Lady.
You can understand me but you can't understand them.
I can see the space station. Can you see the space station?
I can't hear the battle. Can you hear the battle?
Can you visit Romulus? I can't visit Cardassia.
The Vulcan arrests the Ferengi. You can't insult me.
The answers are...
jIjang. jIjanglaH.
vIlo'. vIlo'laH.
joH Datlhob. joH DatlhoblaH.
joH Datlhobbe'. joH DatlhoblaHbe'.
choyajlaH 'ach DayajlaHbe'.
tengchaH vIleghlaH. tengchaH DaleghlaH'a'?
may' vIQoylaHbe'. may' DaQoylaH'a'?
romuluS DaSuchlaH'a'? qarDaS vISuchlaHbe'.
verengan qop vulqangan. chotIchlaHbe'.
Lesson 6
Here is a list of the suffixes you've learned so far. Some of them are added to verbs (action words
like "go" and "eat") and some of them are added to nouns (words for people, places and things).
Verb suffixes
Noun suffixes
-be'
don't, doesn't
-pu'
-'a'
(question)
-mey
-laH
can
-laHbe'
can't
-laH'a'?
can...?
You will be using these suffixes so frequently that you probably don't need images for them. From
now on, though, you'll be given an image whenever you encounter a new suffix.
Most suffixes are used with either a verb or a noun. You can't use -laH can with "chocolate" and
you can't use -mey "more than one" with "eat".
Occasionally the same suffix can be used with both verbs and nouns. Take -'a' for example - when
used with a verb, its turns a statement into a question.
qa'vIn Daghaj
qa'vIn Daghaj'a'?
However, when -'a' is used with a noun, it means bigger or more important.
may'
battle
may''a'
-'a' has a partner, -Hom. You can add -Hom to a noun to make it smaller or less important.
may'
battle
may'Hom
battle
may'Hom
skirmish
may'Hommey
skirmishes
You should never say may'meyHom - that would not be correct Klingon.
attacks, attacker
Hub, HubwI'
defends, defender
jatlh, jatlhwI'
speaks, speaker
I see
jIleghqang
I am willing to see
jIQoy
I hear
jIQoyqang
I am willing to hear
I see
jIleghqang
I am willing to see
jIleghqangbe'
In the same way, if -qang means "willing to", then -qang'a' must mean "are you willing to?", "is
she willing to?" and so on.
bIlegh
You see
bIleghqang
bIleghqang'a'?
Lesson 7
You already know how to talk about more than one thing.
Usually you just add the suffix -mey. However, for beings capable of language you add the suffix
-pu'.
nuH, nuHmey
weapon, weapons
HoD, HoDpu'
captain, captains
torpedo, torpedoes
DoS, ray'
target, targets
mang, negh
soldier, soldiers
There is just one more exception to the usual rule. Whenever you talk about more than one body
part, you add the suffix -Du'.
DeS, DeSDu'
arm, arms
qam, qamDu'
foot, feet
He obeys me
mulob
She obeys me
mulob
It obeys me
(pronounced moo-LOHB)
However, when "he", "she" or "it" is doing something to "you", you use the prefix Du-.
Dulob
He obeys you
Dulob
Dulob
It obeys you
(pronounced (doo-LOHB)
Here is an image to help you remember mu- and Du-.
To symbolise the fact that "he", "she" or "it" is doing something, let's use a fancy dress party where
there are lots of boys, lots of girls - and several people in strange costumes who might be either.
So, imagine there is a knock at the door. You open it to find some people in cow costumes who are
making a silly moo-ing noise (mu-). Before letting them in, you ask "Do you have a bottle?" (Du-)
Now let's talk about "adjectives". Adjectives, like the English words "big", "old" and "happy", are
describing words.
The Klingon language doesn't have any adjectives. Instead, it uses verbs which mean "to be big",
"to be old", "to be happy" and so on.
Let's learn some of these words now.
to be good is QaQ (kkhahkkh)
imagine the Queens of two neighbouring countries complimenting each other on how good
they look dressed in khaki!
to be bad is qab (kahb)
imagine that carbs are bad for you!
to be new is chu' (choo')
imagine that you chew on a stick that's brand new
to be old (not new) is ngo' (ng-oh')
imagine visiting a jumble sale (or a yard sale). After finding just one old stick, you
pay 'n' go!
to be big is tIn (tin)
imagine drinking from a tin that's bigger than you are
to be small is mach (mach)
imagine inventing a device that can shrink you down small enough to fit into a matchbox
to be hot is tuj (tooj)
imagine that you touch something extremely hot and burn yourself
to be cold is bIr (bir)
imagine drinking a nice, cold beer
If you want to say "I see" or "I hear", then of course you use the prefix jI-.
jIlegh
I see
jIQoy
I hear
You use the same prefix when you want to say "I am good", "I am bad" and so on.
jIQaQ
I am good
jIqab
I am bad
This is another situation in which we don't have to think about the word order, because the sentence
contains only one word.
How do you say...
I am big. I am small.
The answers are...
jItIn. jImach.
If you want to say "you are good", then you'll use a different prefix.
jIQaQ
I am good
bIQaQ
He is good
QaQ
She is good
I am good
jIQaQbe'
I am not good
The prefixes and suffixes you're learning can be used with adjective-verbs like "to be good" and "to
be bad", as well as with ordinary verbs likes "sees" and "hears".
Lesson 8
Klingons count in tens, just as most humans do. In this lesson we'll learn the numbers from one to
ten.
It would be rather difficult to remember images featuring seven things, or nine things. Instead, we'll
use rhyming words to represent each number.
one is wa' (wah')
one sounds like gun. So, imagine trying to carve a gun from an ordinary stick, while a baby
is crying in the next room - "wahhh!"
two is cha' (chah')
two sounds like shoe. So, imagine trying to dance the cha-cha-cha while wearing a pair of
clown's shoes - someone tries to trip you up with a stick!
three is wej (wej)
three sounds like tree. So, imagine trying to drive a wedge into the trunk of a tree
four is loS (lohsh)
four sounds like door. So, imagine spreading suntan lotion on yourself and then on your
front door
five is vagh (vahrh)
five sounds like hive. So, imagine an enormous beehive which can be seen from far away
six is jav (jahv)
six sounds like kicks. So, imagine a clueless athlete who, instead of throwing the javelin,
kicks it
seven is Soch (shohch)
seven sounds like heaven. So, imagine a preacher who promises to show just how to get into
heaven
eight is chorgh (chohr-rh)
eight sounds like gate. So, imagine that your daily chores include painting the garden gate
nine is Hut (khoot)
nine sounds like mine. So, imagine that the entrance to the mine has collapsed, but you can
still hear some miners inside, sounding their hooters
ten is wa'maH (wah'-MAHKH)
ten sounds like hen. So, imagine that we make the hens lay eggs every day
Here is how to talk about two captains, two heads and so on.
HoDpu'
captains
cha' HoDpu'
two captains
nachDu'
heads
cha' nachDu'
two heads
nuHmey
weapons
cha' nuHmey
two weapons
In fact, when you use a number, you can leave out -pu', -Du' and -mey altogether. Both of the
following sentences are correct.
cha' HoDpu'
two captains
cha' HoD
two captains
In this exercise, leave out -pu', -Du' and -mey, and concentrate on the numbers.
How do you say...
one body, two heads
five arms, six legs
nine hands, ten feet
three men, four women
I choose a weapon. I choose seven weapons.
The answers are...
wa' porgh, cha' nach
vagh DeS, jav 'uS
Hut ghop, wa'maH qam
wej loD, loS be'
nuH vIwIv. Soch nuH vIwIv.
For the time being, whenever you say "two captains" or "three cloaking devices" you should
probably include -pu', -Du' and -mey. The more you practise the suffixes, the easier they will
become.
How do you say...
Eight children. I can see eight children.
Two hearts. The animal has two hearts.
Ten tribbles. The Klingon kills ten tribbles.
I am good. You are bad.
I am not big. You are not small.
The answers are...
chorgh puqpu'. chorgh puqpu' vIleghlaH.
(*or chorgh puq. chorgh puq vIleghlaH.)
cha' tIqDu'. cha' tIqDu' ghaj Ha'DIbaH.
(*or cha' tIq. cha' tIq ghaj Ha'DIbaH.)
wa'maH yIHmey. wa'maH yIHmey HoH tlhIngan.
(*or wa'maH yIH. wa'maH yIH HoH tlhIngan.)
jIQaQ. bIqab.
jItInbe'. bImachbe'.
When you translate into Klingon, you normally miss out the words I, "me", "you", "he", "him",
"she" and "her". Those words aren't needed because the prefix tells us who is being discussed.
qavoq
I trust you
chovoq
You trust me
However, in some situations you will need to use the word which means I or the words which
mean "you", "he" and "she", so let's learn them now.
I is jIH (jikh)
imagine that I am very cheeky
you is SoH (shohkh)
imagine that you are in shock
Klingon has a single word which means both "he" and "she".
he, she is ghaH (rhahkh)
imagine that you have a brother and a sister. Both he and she are going on holiday to Iraq!
Although you normally miss these words out, there are a few situations where you need to include
them.
One such situation is when you want to say "I am a human" or "you are a Klingon".
Human jIH
I am a human
In this sentence, jIH translates "I am". You are literally saying "a human, I am".
Here are some other examples.
tlhIngan SoH
verengan ghaH
Here, SoH translates "you are" and ghaH translates "he is" or "she is".
However, the next sentence is a little clearer - it is "him" or "her" that I trust.
ghaH vIvoq
I trust him
ghaH vIvoq
I trust her
If it's not obvious from the context of the conversation, you can use ghaH to clarify who you trust.
How do you say...
I guide him. I meet her.
You watch her. You listen to him.
The answers are...
ghaH vIDev. ghaH vIqIH.
(*or vIDev. vIqIH.)
ghaH Dabej. ghaH Da'Ij.
(*or Dabej. Da'Ij.)
You can use jIH, SoH and ghaH to translate "I am a captain" and so on. You can also use them to
clarify who is being discussed. However, most of the time these words are used for emphasis.
In English, you raise your voice to emphasise something. Instead of saying "I trust you", you might
say "I trust you!"
In Klingon, you don't raise your voice. Instead, you add the word jIH, SoH or ghaH to the
sentence.
qavoq
I trust you
qavoq jIH
I trust you!
As always, "I" comes first in the English sentence, so it comes last in the Klingon sentence.
When you add jIH, SoH or ghaH for emphasis, the prefix doesn't change. You might find it easier
to work out the unemphasised sentence first.
How do you say...
I annoy you. I annoy you!
You introduce me. You introduce me!
I don't eat the chocolate. She eats the chocolate.
You don't drink the wine. He drinks the wine.
The answers are...
qanuQ. qanuQ jIH.
cholIH. cholIH SoH.
yuch vISopbe'. yuch Sop ghaH.
HIq Datlhutlhbe'. HIq tlhutlh ghaH.
I trust you
SoH qavoq
I trust you!
"You" comes last in the English sentence, so it comes first in the Klingon sentence.
How do you say...
I see you. I see you.
I hear you. I hear you.
The answers are...
qalegh. SoH qalegh.
qaQoy. SoH qaQoy.
jIH means I, but it also means "me". ghaH can mean him and "her", as well as "he" and
"she".
How do you say...
I carry you. I carry you.
You carry me. You carry me.
I ask him. I ask him.
He asks me. He asks me.
I wait for you. I wait for you.
The answers are...
qaqeng. qaqeng jIH.
choqeng. jIH choqeng.
vItlhob. ghaH vItlhob.
mutlhob. mutlhob ghaH.
qaloS. SoH qaloS.
I trust you
I trust you!
Even when you emphasise two words, you still need to use the qa- prefix.
How do you say...
I ask you. I ask you.
You ask her. You ask her.
She brings a pet. She brings a pet.
The answers are...
qatlhob. SoH qatlhob jIH.
Datlhob. ghaH Datlhob SoH.
Saj qem. Saj qem ghaH.
To summarise, you should use jIH, SoH and ghaH to:
emphasise someone
translate "I am a...", "you are a...", "he is a...", "she is a..." and so on
Lesson 9
You already know that jab means "serves (food)". However, there is a different Klingon word
which means "serves (a master)".
So, serves (a master) is toy' (toy')
imagine that you serve the master by bringing him toys to play with. When he gets bored, he
smashes them to bits with a big stick
Of course, since Klingon is a gender-neutral language, the same word also translates "serves (a
mistress)".
How do you say...
I serve you (implying, you are my master).
I serve you (implying, I am your waiter).
The answers are...
qatoy'.
qajab.
In both cases, the word order in Klingon is back-to-front. If you want to say "the human is weak",
you literally say "is weak - the human". If you want to say "the weak human", you literally say "the
human - weak".
pujqu' Human
If you'd like an image, you could imagine standing in a very long queue!
How do you say...
The animal is dirty. The animal is very dirty.
The restaurant is clean. The restaurant is very clean.
The answers are...
lam Ha'DIbaH. lamqu' Ha'DIbaH.
Say' Qe'. Say'qu' Qe'.
Regardless of whether you want to say "the human is very weak" or "the very weak human", -qu' is
always added to the describing word, "weak".
puj Human
pujqu' Human
Human puj
Human pujqu'
By now you'll be familiar with several verb suffixes, including -be', -'a', -laH, -qang and -qu'.
Many Klingon sentences use a single verb suffix.
pujqu' Human
Sometimes, though, you'll need to add two or even more suffixes to a single word. Which suffix
should come first?
The short answer is "it all depends". The rules are very strict, so we'll be talking a lot more about
the correct order in later lessons.
For the time being, you won't be making a mistake if you make sure that -qu' "very" comes before
all of the others.
puj Human
pujqu' Human
pujqu'be' Human
I want it
DaH vIneH
I want it now
In English there are a number of different ways to talk about the past, present and future.
I cooked it
In Klingon it's not possible to talk directly about the past, present and future. However, you can
often use time words like "now", "soon", "today", "tomorrow" and "yesterday" instead.
Take a look at this sentence.
wa'leS vIvut
When you translate from English into Klingon you can miss out the word "will" and use "today",
"tomorrow" or "soon" instead.
How do you say...
I find it. I will find it tomorrow (lit. I find it tomorrow).
I look for it. I will look for it soon (lit. I look for it soon).
The answers are...
vItu'. wa'leS vItu'.
vInej. tugh vInej.
The same applies when you say that you are going to do something.
wa'leS vIvut
wa'leS vIvut
When you translate from English into Klingon you should miss out "will", and you should also miss
out "am going to", "are going to" and "is going to". Both of the sentences above literally mean "I
cook it tomorrow".
How do you say...
I drink it. I will drink it tomorrow.
I am going to drink it tomorrow. You ask me.
You are going to ask me tomorrow. You will ask me soon.
The answers are...
vItlhutlh. wa'leS vItlhutlh.
wa'leS vItlhutlh. chotlhob.
wa'leS chotlhob. tugh chotlhob.
Now take a look at this sentence.
wa'Hu' vIvut
When you translate from English into Klingon you can say "I cook" rather than "I cooked", because
the word "yesterday" makes it clear that you are talking about the past.
How do you say...
I kill it. I killed it yesterday.
You eat it. You ate it yesterday.
The answers are..
vIHoH. wa'Hu' vIHoH.
DaSop. wa'Hu' DaSop.
To summarise, Klingon sentences are the same in the past, present and future. It is words like
"yesterday", "today" and "tomorrow" that distinguish one time from another.
How do you say...
I speak. I spoke yesterday.
I buy it now. I will buy it soon.
I am going to buy it tomorrow. You can buy it today.
The husband is happy. The happy husband.
The wife is very young. The very young wife.
I see him. I see him.
I see him. You help me.
I do not trust you!
The answers are...
jIjatlh. wa'Hu' jIjatlh.
DaH vIje'. tugh vIje'.
wa'leS vIje'. DaHjaj Daje'laH.
Quch loDnal. loDnal Quch.
Qupqu' be'nal. be'nal Qupqu'.
vIlegh. vIlegh jIH.
ghaH vIlegh. jIH choQaH.
SoH qavoqbe' jIH.
Lesson 10
Here are the words for some things found around the home.
home is juH (jookh)
imagine installing a jukebox in your home
room is pa' (pah')
imagine that your father, Pa, builds a new room using only sticks
door is lojmIt (lohj-MIT)
imagine that the members of the lodge meet in secret behind a locked door
window is Qorwagh (kkhohr-WAH-RH)
imagine that the Queen leans through a window to pass an apple core to a Klingon warrior
stairs is letlh (letl)
imagine someone refuses to let you up the stairs
table is raS (rahsh)
imagine that everyone who sits at the table gets a terrible rash
chair is quS (koosh)
imagine putting a comfortable cushion on the hard, wooden chair
bed is QongDaq (kkhohng-DAHK)
this word literally means "sleep-place". To remember the -Daq part, imagine that you can't
fall asleep in your bed because you're afraid of the dark
Here is how to say "I open the door" or "I close the window".
Let's start with the verb suffix -moH (mohkh), which means "cause something to happen". It turns
"to be open" into "to cause something to be open", and it turns "to be closed" into "to cause
something to be closed".
poS
to be open
poSmoH
SoQ
to be closed
SoQmoH
Of course, in English you wouldn't normally say "I cause it to be open". You would just say "I
open it".
vIpoSmoH
Likewise, you wouldn't normally say "I cause it to be closed". You would just say "I close it".
vISoQmoH
learns
ghojmoH
raS, raSDaq
juH, juHDaq
home, at home
The three words you've just learned are never used with -Daq. If you ever want to say "in here",
"on here" or "at here", you just say "here".
jIba'
I sit
raSDaq jIba'
naDev jIba'
Although -Daq is never used with pa' when it means "there", it can be used with pa' when it means
"room".
Therefore, whenever you hear the word pa'Daq, you will know that the speaker means "in the
room" and not "in there".
How do you say...
I sleep in the room. I sleep (in) there.
The entity is weak. The weak entity.
The captain is strong. The very strong captain.
I am young. You are old.
I am not old. I am not very old.
You are happy. Are you very happy?
The unhappy captain is not willing to wait here.
The answers are...
pa'Daq jIQong. pa' jIQong.
puj Dol. Dol puj.
HoS HoD. HoD HoSqu'.
jIQup. bIqan.
jIqanbe'. jIqanqu'be'.
bIQuch. bIQuchqu''a'?
naDev loSqangbe' HoD QuchHa'.
I speak
jIjatlhnIS
I need to speak
So, imagine that a successful business needs to find its own niche.
How do you say...
I enter. I need to enter.
You stand. You need to stand.
I need to ask you. You need to answer me.
The answers are...
jI'el. jI'elnIS.
bIQam. bIQamnIS.
qatlhobnIS. chojangnIS.
English speakers will often say something like "I need to speak", but they might also say "I have to
speak" or "I must speak".
Although the dictionary definition of -nIS is "need to", in most situations it's reasonable to use -nIS
to translate "have to" and "must".
jIjatlhnIS
jIjatlhnIS
You speak
bIjatlhvIp
Although it would not be wrong to say "I am afraid to...", no self-respecting Klingon would ever
say such a thing. In this course you will not be asked to translate "I am afraid to..."
How do you say...
You travel. You are afraid to travel.
Are you afraid to travel? The slave enters.
The slave is afraid enter. I will teach you soon.
You need to learn. You have to serve (the master).
I open the door. I close the window.
I lie on the bed. I lie (on) here.
You sit in the room. You sit (in) there.
The answers are...
bIleng. bIlengvIp.
bIlengvIp'a'? 'el toy'wI''a'.
'elvIp toy'wI''a'. tugh qaghojmoH.
bIghojnIS. bItoy'nIS.
lojmIt vIpoSmoH. Qorwagh vISoQmoH.
QongDaqDaq jIQot. naDev jIQot.
pa'Daq bIba'. pa' bIba'.
Practice Section 2
You've also learned a suffix which means "-er", as in "the attacker" or "the defender".
How do you say...
I speak. The speaker.
I kill it. The killer.
The attacker has a weapon. The defender doesn't have a weapon.
I can hide it. The ship has a cloaking device.
I can guard it. The guard listens.
I can scan it. You watch the scanner.
I can hunt the animal. The hunter carries the meat.
The captain cloaks the ship and the Klingons attack the humans.
The answers are...
jIjatlh. jatlhwI'.
vIHoH. HoHwI'.
nuH ghaj HIvwI'. nuH ghajbe' HubwI'.
vISo'laH. So'wI' ghaj Duj.
vI'avlaH. 'Ij 'avwI'.
vIHotlhlaH. HotlhwI' Dabej.
Ha'DIbaH vIwamlaH. Ha'DIbaH qeng wamwI'.
Duj So' HoD 'ej Humanpu' HIv tlhInganpu'.
Let's practice counting from one to ten.
How do you say...
one, two, three, four
five, six, seven
eight, nine, ten
The answers are...
wa', cha', wej, loS
vagh, jav, Soch
chorgh, Hut, wa'maH
When you talk about two or more things, you can use one of three different suffixes. There is a
suffix for beings capable of language, another for body parts, and a third one for everything else.
When you are counting things you can miss out the suffix altogether, if you want.
(Don't forget that there a handful of words, such as "target", which don't use a plural suffix at all.)
How do you say...
I see five arms. I see six legs.
You see nine hands. You see ten feet.
I have one body. The entity has four heads.
I choose a target. I choose two targets.
You bring a menu. You bring three menus.
I kill seven humans but you kill eight Ferengis.
The answers are...
vagh DeSDu' vIlegh. jav 'uSDu' vIlegh.
(*or vagh DeS vIlegh. jav 'uS vIlegh.)
Hut ghopDu' Dalegh. wa'maH qamDu' Dalegh.
(*or Hut ghop Dalegh. wa'maH qam Dalegh.)
wa' porgh vIghaj. loS nachDu' ghaj Dol.
(*or loS nach ghaj Dol.)
DoS vIwIv. cha' ray' vIwIv.
HIDjolev Daqem. wej HIDjolevmey Daqem.
(*or wej HIDjolev Daqem)
Soch Humanpu' vIHoH 'ach chorgh verenganpu' DaHoH.
(*or Soch Human vIHoH 'ach chorgh verengan DaHoH.)
You already knew how to say "I can" and so on, but in recent lessons you've learned how to say "I
am willing" and "you are afraid".
How do you say...
I can cook. I am willing to cook.
You can depart. You are willing to depart.
You can speak. You are afraid to speak.
I die. I am not afraid to die.
You live. Are you willing to live?
The answers are...
jIvutlaH. jIvutqang.
bItlheDlaH. bItlheDqang.
bIjatlhlaH. bIjatlhvIp.
jIHegh. jIHeghvIpbe'.
bIyIn. bIyInqang'a'?
You have learned two new verb prefixes.
How do you say...
The man asks. He asks me.
The woman answers. She answers you.
The boss sees me. The servant doesn't hear you.
I serve the Lady. The slave serves the wine.
The answers are...
tlhob loD. mutlhob.
jang be'. Dujang.
mulegh pIn. DuQoybe' toy'wI'.
joH vItoy'. HIq jab toy'wI''a'.
We have refined the rule about using verb prefixes. You must use a prefix unless "he", "she" or "it"
is doing something to "him", "her", "it" or "them".
How do you say...
He annoys me. The husband annoys me.
The husband annoys the wife. She introduces me.
The daughter introduces me. The daughter introduces the son.
The Klingons arrive. The captain meets them.
The answers are...
munuQ. munuQ loDnal.
be'nal nuQ loDnal. mulIH.
mulIH puqbe'. puqloD lIH puqbe'.
paw tlhInganpu'. qIH HoD.
Most of the time you don't use the Klingon words for "I", "you", "he" and "she". Verb prefixes such
as qa- and vI- normally make it clear who is doing what to whom.
However, there are three situations in which you will need to use those words. The first such
situation is when you want to say "I am a...", "you are a...", he is a..." or "she is a...".
How do you say...
I am a Terran. You are a Vulcan.
He is the captain. She is an officer.
The answers are...
tera'ngan jIH. vulqangan SoH.
HoD ghaH. yaS ghaH.
The second situation is when you want to clarify who is being discussed.
How do you say...
I follow. I follow him.
You chase. You chase her.
Do you see an alien? No, I see him.
Do you hear a tribble? No, I hear her.
The answers are...
jItlha'. ghaH vItlha'.
bItlha'. ghaH Datlha'.
nov Dalegh'a'? ghobe', ghaH vIlegh.
yIH DaQoy'a'? ghobe', ghaH vIQoy.
The third situation is when you want to emphasise someone.
How do you say...
I ask you. I ask you.
You answer me. You answer me.
I don't trust you. I trust her.
I can't understand him. You guide me.
The answers are...
qatlhob. qatlhob jIH.
chojang. chojang SoH.
qavoqbe'. ghaH vIvoq.
ghaH vIyajlaHbe'. jIH choDev.
Words which are adjectives in English - such as "big" and "small" - are verbs in Klingon.
Adjective-verbs like "to be big" and "to be small" can use the same prefixes and suffixes that
normal verbs use.
How do you say...
I am good. You are bad.
He is big. She is small.
The food is hot. The food is not hot.
The beer is cold. Is the beer cold?
I am happy. Are you unhappy?
The answers are...
jIQaQ. bIqab.
tIn. mach.
(*or tIn ghaH. mach ghaH.)
tuj Soj. tujbe' Soj.
bIr HIq. bIr'a' HIq?
jIQuch. bIQuchHa''a'?
If you want to say "the ship is big", you will literally say "is big - the ship". However, if you want
to talk about "the big ship", you will literally say "the ship - big".
How do you say...
The Klingon is strong. The strong Klingon.
The heart is weak. The weak heart.
The old servant. The very old servant.
The boss is young. The boss is very young.
The clean child arrives. The very dirty child arrives.
The answers are...
HoS tlhIngan. tlhIngan HoS.
puj tIq. tIq puj.
toy'wI' qan. toy'wI' qanqu'.
Qup pIn. Qupqu' pIn.
paw puq Say'. paw puq lamqu'.
Sometimes you have to use two suffixes together. If you make sure that -qu' comes first, you won't
be making a mistake.
How do you say...
The chocolate is very new. The chocolate is not very new.
The blood is very old. Is the blood very old?
The answers are...
chu'qu' yuch. chu'qu'be' yuch.
ngo'qu' 'Iw. ngo'qu''a' 'Iw?
The Klingon language doesn't have tenses as such - you don't say "I will do it" or "I did it" - but
there are a number of time words you can use to make the meaning clear.
These words can come almost anywhere in an English sentence, but in Klingon they usually come
right at the beginning, before everything else.
How do you say...
I buy it now. I will buy it tomorrow.
I sell it today. I am going to sell it soon.
I looked for it yesterday. You found it yesterday.
You eat it. Will you eat it tomorrow?
You help me. Are you going to help me tomorrow?
You drank it yesterday. Did you drink it yesterday?
I saw it yesterday but I can't see it now.
The answers are...
DaH vIje'. wa'leS vIje'.
DaHjaj vIngev. tugh vIngev.
wa'Hu' vInej. wa'Hu' Datu'.
DaSop. wa'leS DaSop'a'?
choQaH. wa'leS choQaH'a'?
wa'Hu' Datlhutlh. wa'Hu' Datlhutlh'a'?
wa'Hu' vIlegh 'ach DaH vIleghlaHbe'.
You've learned that the English words "in", "on" and "at" are translated by a single noun suffix.
How do you say...
on the table, on the chair
in the bed, in the room
at home, at the restaurant
I sit on the stairs. I don't stand in the room.
You lie on the bed. You don't read on the chair.
The doctor waits at the restaurant. The doctor waits (at) here.
You wait in the room. You wait (in) there.
Humans travel everywhere. I am afraid to enter.
The answers are...
raSDaq, quSDaq
QongDaqDaq, pa'Daq
juHDaq, Qe'Daq
letlhDaq jIba'. pa'Daq jIQambe'.
QongDaqDaq bIQot. quSDaq bIlaDbe'.
Qe'Daq loS Qel. naDev loS Qel.
pa'Daq bIloS. pa' bIloS.
Dat leng Humanpu'. jI'elvIp.
You learned that the verb suffix -moH means "cause something to happen".
How do you say...
The window is open. I cause it to be open.
I open the window. The door is closed.
You cause it to be closed. You close the door.
The pet learns. I teach the pet.
The answers are...
poS Qorwagh. vIpoSmoH.
Qorwagh vIpoSmoH. SoQ lojmIt.
DaSoQmoH. lojmIt DaSoQmoH.
ghoj Saj. Saj vIghojmoH.
Finally, you learned a verb suffix which means "need to", but can also be used to translate "have to"
and "must".
How do you say...
I need to speak. I have to cook.
I must wait. I must wait at the restaurant.
You can drink coffee. You don't have to drink tea.
The answers are...
jIjatlhnIS. jIvutnIS.
jIloSnIS. Qe'Daq jIloSnIS.
qa'vIn DatlhutlhlaH. Dargh DatlhutlhnISbe'.
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