Oravia Core Grammar

Learn the basics in 10 simple points and start making sentences right away. If you'd like to learn it with more detail, please see the course Learn Oravia.

Grammar at a Glance

4 core markers: a (subject), i (verb), e (direct object), u (indirect object)
Flexible word order — markers show role
Simple negation — add -um to any word
Optional aspect — add -ar (completed action), -is (yet to start action)

Overview

Oravia is a simple, flexible language. Meaning is carried by short function markers and a compact vocabulary. Word order is flexible: you can use the order that feels natural to you.

Pronunciation

Consonants:

B C D F G H J L M N P R S T V W Y

All pronounced as you would expect in English or IPA, with the details of:

C pronounced as in kite
H pronounced as in house
J pronounced as in jello
R pronounced as 'tt' in butter (IPA ɾ, also r)

Vowels:

A E I O U:

A as in father
E as in cedar
I as in machine
O as in door
U as in flu

If you pronounce E and O closed like in Spanish, that's fine too!

Stress: On the penultimate syllable, and if the word ends in consonant, on the last syllable.

Examples:

iLIru
iliRAN

1. Pronouns and Possession

Pronouns:

Singular	Plural
nim (I)	nima (we)
run (you)	runa (you, pl)
hay (he/she/they)	haya (they, pl)

Possessive: Add -e to the pronoun (nime = my, hayae = their, etc.)

2. The Four Core Markers

Markers go before the word or phrase they mark:

Core Markers

a = subject (doer/experiencer)
i = verb (main action)
e = direct object (what the verb acts on)
u = indirect object (recipient, often English "to/for")

Pattern:

a [subject] i [verb] e [direct complement] u [indirect complement]

Example:

a nim i anona e mocen u run
    ↓     ↓      ↓        ↓
    I    give chocolate to you

3. Word Order (Use Your Own)

Because roles are marked (a/e/u), word order is flexible. Beginners can copy the natural order of their own language. If a sentence feels unclear, add missing markers or move phrases closer to the words they modify.

Since this website is in English, I will follow English word order in the core grammar examples.

4. Describing Words (Modifiers)

A modifier goes right before the word it describes.

Examples:

mocen mouje  =  "chocolate drink"
pohem mocen mouje  =  "hot chocolate drink"

5. Two Core Connectors

Use these instead of a large set of prepositions:

Connectors

en = location/time ("in, on, at")
de = source/topic ("of, from, about")

Examples:

a nim i vanvu en boegor
    ↓     ↓         ↓         
    I   walk to the house

a nim i ilian de run
    ↓     ↓        ↓         
    I   know about you

a nim i anefe e sever en bontame
  ↓       ↓      ↓         ↓ 
  I   place the keys on the table

6. Coordination and Contrast

Coordinators

su = and/with
mai = but
dou = or

Example:

a nim i vanvu su run
    ↓     ↓        ↓         
    I   walk  with  you

7. Negation

Negate by adding -um to the word you want to negate.

Examples:

a nim i dairan e mocen
    ↓     ↓       ↓         
    I   like   chocolate

a nim i dairanum e mocen
   ↓      ↓         ↓         
   I  don't like   chocolate

Rule: -um negates the word it attaches to.

8. Aspect (Optional)

If context is clear, you can leave aspect unmarked. This tends to be preferred.

Aspect Markers

-ar = completed action
-is = yet to start action

Note: If your language uses past and future tenses, ar may feel past-like and is may feel future-like. That intuition will serve you well most of the time! There are a few cases in which they don't correspond exactly, but we will cover this later.

Examples:

a nim i anefear e sever en bontame
  ↓       ↓        ↓          ↓ 
  I   placed the keys on the table

a nim i anefeis e sever en bontame
  ↓        ↓        ↓         ↓ 
  I will place the keys on the table

9. Questions and "What/That" Clauses

ce = what / general question

ca = what / that / which (clause link)

Examples:

ce i moar?
 ↓     ↓        
what finished eating? ("what did you eat?")

a nim i ilian ca a run i dairan
  ↓       ↓         ↓       ↓ 
  I     know  what you     like

10. Semantic Clusters (Vocabulary Note)

Oravia vocabulary is organized into semantic clusters. Typically, the first letter signals a broader domain (e.g., m for biology), the first syllable a cluster (e.g., mo for food), and the next letter a subcluster (e.g., moa for fruit). This structure helps learning and recall. For more information, head over to L0 in the course page.

You've Got the Essentials!

You now know:

The 4 core markers (a/i/e/u)
How to negate with -um
How to mark aspect (optional)
Basic word order flexibility
Core connectors (en/de) and coordinators (su/mai/dou)

Next steps:

Start the Course →
Explore Advanced Grammar →