Lesson 21: VA Cluster
How to Use This Lesson
Every lesson is divided into five sections: Warm-Up, Grammar, Vocabulary, Exercise, and Review. Please move through these tabs in order.
Do not try to memorize! Just read through the content attentively. We will have plenty of exercises and reviews later!
How much do you remember?
Check the boxes for words you think you know. Then click Show Answers to reveal the meanings and uncheck any you got wrong.
AR / IS
Welcome to the Fluency course!
Let's start with a review of last topic.
See if you can understand these sentences. If you scroll below, you will see tips, and then answers.
Tips
-ar = completed action (optional!)
-is = yet to start action (optional!)
a...a... = is/are
a [subject] i [verb] e [direct complement] u [indirect complement/to/for]
(an)do = be able to, capacity
anelem = keep, stay, remain
anocari = leave
anifi = come, arrive
anvu = go
(ani)fou = need
(ani)dai = want
boemo = cook
bortal = enter
cali = when
eta = therefore
faibor = spouse, partner
fasuno = niece/nephew
hay = he/she/they (singular)
haye = their (singular)
litam = day
mai = but
mo = food, eat
mo bevio = restaurant
mocen = chocolate
nim = I
nima = we
nime = my
run = you
yalen = long
yaltan = big
From these sentences, we can notice three things:
Optional: AR/IS are optional, so if they are clear from context, you can skip it. For example, you can say litamar i mo or litamar i moar.
Attached to any word: AR/IS are not only for verbs, they can be used in all kinds of words. For example beviois and yalenis.
Completed actions: AR doesn't mean past, it means the action was finished relative to the moment you are describing. So in nim i moar cali run i anifi, moar means had finished eating when the other action happens.
Now try to create 3 sentences using AR/IS:
VA CLUSTER
Let's take a look at the VA Cluster!
| Oravia | English |
|---|---|
| vamio | neck, throat |
| varsi | nose |
| vavari | back |
| vanta | hand |
| varsus | ear |
| vandi | finger, toe |
| varmo | mouth |
| vardei | eye |
What do you think the VA Cluster is about?
As usual, these words also function as verbs. For example:
| Oravia | English |
|---|---|
| vamio | neck, throat, to cough |
| varsi | nose, smell, to smell |
| vanta | hand, to hold |
| varsus | ear, to hear, to listen |
| vandi | finger, toe, to touch |
| varmo | mouth, to articulate |
| vardei | eye, to see, to look, to watch |
And they could be adjectives, for example:
| Oravia | English |
|---|---|
| varsi | nose, meddlesome, prying |
| vanta | hand, manual |
| varsus | ear, attentive, receptive |
| vandi | finger, toe, skillful |
These are based on body-part associations that are common across many languages worldwide.
Now, try to answer:
1) Run i iran i varsi e mo, dou i varsus e bospupi?
2) A rune va a yasoi dou a yavuson? A falte dou a yamirli? A yalgai dou a yaltan? A yalen dou a ho yalen?
You are ready for the exercise now!
Matching Games
Time to practice! Match the Oravia words with their English meanings.
If you don't remember or make a mistake, that's totally fine! We will have plenty of opportunities to practice. Right now just give it a try.
Click one word from each column to match them. The game will check automatically when you select both words.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Matching Games
Time to practice! Match the Oravia words with their English meanings.
If you don't remember or make a mistake, that's totally fine! We will have plenty of opportunities to practice. Right now just give it a try.
Click one word from each column to match them. The game will check automatically when you select both words.
After completing the Exercises and Review, try it again to see how much you've improved.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Review Missed Words
This section shows words you got wrong during practice, and words you didn't know in the Warm-Up. If you didn't miss any, this will be empty - great job! 🎉
🎉 Lesson 21 Complete!
If you missed any words, check the Review tab to practice them again.
Come back tomorrow for Lesson 22.