I wish to complain.
ni li ike. mi wile toki tawa jan lawa.

It's better in the States.
ni li pona lili lon ma ni. ona li pona mute lon ma Mewika.

How much is that in real money?
sina wile e mani pi mute seme? mi kepeken e mani pi ma mi. mani sina li nasa.

Don't you speak English?
sina toki e toki Inli anu seme?

At the hotel

Do all your maids smoke?
jan pali ali li kepeken ala kepeken e palisa kasi jaki?

I'm coming, you silly runt!
jan nasa o, mi kama!

How do I get Letterman?
mi wile lukin e sitelen tawa pi jan Letterman.

If you go to the USA, you'll find that a dime is a lot of money.
mani ni li lili. taso sina tawa ma Mewika la sina ken kama jo e ijo mute kepeken ona.

There's a corpse on the bed. Please change the sheets.
jan moli li lon supa lape mi. o pana e len sin.

The bellboy won't score me any coke.
jan pali li pana ala e ko wawa tawa mi.

Making friends

Just a small glass, please
mi wile e telo lili.

My God, I didn't mean microscopic.
a! sina pana e telo lili lili lili!

I understand your language perfectly.
mi toki e toki pona sama jan Lojban nasa.

Has your nose always been that way?
nena sina li pakala. tenpo ali la ona li sama ala sama ni?

I may be drunk, but tomorrow morning I shall be sober, and you will still be ugly.
mi nasa. taso tenpo suno kama la mi pona. sina ike lukin kin.

So you've been to _____? You must know my Aunt Meredith.
sina tawa ma _____. a. sina sona e jan Mewete. ona li jan sama pi mama mi.

Stupid uncultured lout.
sina jan nasa li kama tan ma nasa.

Did your face get that way in the war?
tenpo utala la jan li pakala ala pakala e sinpin sina?

Don't "imperialist pig" me, my good man.
o toki ala e ni: "sina jan Mewika ike."

I would very much like to meet you again when you are sober.
sina nasa. sina pona la mi wile toki tawa sina.

No, I've always enjoyed simple-minded ethnic humor.
toki musi ike nasa li pona tawa mi.

That's not all! I have two more photo albums!
mi pini ala! mi jo e sitelen sin mute!

Did you hear the one about the Polish guy who called the travel agency and asked, "I want to know how long it takes to fly from here to Warsaw," and the receptionist says, "Just a minute", and the Polish guy says, "Thanks, goodbye."?
jan Lojban li wile tawa ma ante. ona li toki e ni: "mi wile tawa ma Kanata tan ma ni. tenpo pi mute seme la mi awen lon tomo tawa kon?" jan li toki e ni tawa jan Lojban: "tenpo lili la o awen." jan Lojban li toki e ni: "a. pona. mi tawa."

Do you have highways in your country?
nasin suli li lon ala lon ma sina?

A little romance

I love you, will you marry me?
mi olin e sina. mi mute o wan.

Girls with big mazongas usually can't rhumba so well.
meli li jo e nena sike suli la ona li ken ala tawa musi.

You're very pretty for a foreigner.
jan mute pi ma ante li ike lukin. taso sina pona lukin.

Kiss me, my fool.
jan nasa mi o pilin e uta mi kepeken uta sina.

All right, all right, let's meet your parents.
pona. pona. mi ken tawa mama sina.

Your mascara is peeling.
ko sina pi pona lukin li tawa weka.

That's got to be silicon.
jan li suli ala suli e nena sike?

I've never thought that 'impotent' means you can't have a good time.
mi wawa ala. taso mi ken musi kin.

I admire you above all for your purity of spirit and your appreciation of the arts.
sina wile moku lili e palisa mi la ni li pona.

Sightseeing

What a stench.
jaki!

Is this the way to Red Square?
mi wile tawa ma pi jan Lenin. mi ken ala ken tawa lon nasin ni?

Where can I find the dissidents?
jan li toki e ni: nasin pi ma ni li ike. jan ni li lon seme?

Is that Notre Dame or the Louvre?
ni li tomo Notre Dame anu tomo Louvre?

Back home we'd call this a village.
jan pi ma mi li toki e ni: ma tomo sina li lili.

Your country has such lovely dirt.
jaki pi ma sina li pona lukin.

I don't suppose there's anything but churches here.
tomo taso pi nasin sewi li lon.

I bet those machine guns are fake.
ilo moli sina li ken ala moli e ijo.

Are all of your jails this filthy?
tomo awen ali li jaki ala jaki?

Yessir, you folks certainly have made a mess of this country.
jan pi ma ni li pakala e ma ni.

You wouldn't have these ghettos if you people were willing to work.
jan pi ma ni li pali la ona li jo ala e tomo ike.

Could I see some merchandise that the rats haven't found?
soweli li moku e ijo ni. sina jo ala jo e ijo sin?

It's nothing compared to our shopping centers.
ni li lili.

Travel

Follow that car.
tomo tawa ni li tawa weka. o tawa ona!

Slow down, you cretin!
a! tenpo lili la sina tawa mute! mi wile ala e ni.

My wife fell overboard about ten miles back.
meli mi li tawa anpa tan tomo tawa telo ni.

Make sure my seat isn't next to any Lojban-speakers.
mi wile ala e ni: mi lon poka pi jan Lojban.

Is this tin can insured?
jan li ken pakala e poki lili ni. sina ken ala ken pona e ona?

Where can I rent a camel?
mi wile jo e soweli tawa. mi wile tawa seme?

Officer, this is an outrage.
ni li ike!

How about a little contribution for the Policemen's Ball?
mi ken pana e mani tawa sina.

I'm a personal friend of the Ambassador.
mi sona e jan suli pi ma ante. mi jan pona ona.

Oh, sure, you're going to shoot me, right?
sina wile moli e mi!?! a a a!

Understanding directions

Yonder. Hither and thither.
o tawa weka.

Down the street. Around the block. Past the river.
sina tawa weka la mi moli e sina!

Across the bridge. Two blocks down. Go that way.
o tawa kepeken tomo tawa.

Where is the Cathedral?
tomo unpa li lon seme?

I know I'm naked, could you just tell me how to get back to the hotel?
mi sona e ni: mi jo ala e len. tomo mi li lon seme?

I must compliment you on your understanding of our language.
jan nasa pi ma ante o, sina sona e toki mi anu seme?

This is the third time I've told you, so listen up this time.
tenpo pini la mi toki e ni tawa sina. o kute!

At the restaurant

One order of fermé le mercredi, please.
mi wile e "tenpo pimeja la tomo ni li open ala".

Two beers, please. -- Two beers for me too.
o pana e telo nasa tu. -- mi wile kin e telo nasa tu.

I'm sorry, we don't serve tourists here.
mi mute li pana ala e ijo tawa jan pi ma ante.

Could I have some clean water?
telo ni li jaki. mi wile e telo pona.

Can I have fries with that?
mi wile e moku sin.

Waiter, there's a fly in my soup.
pipi li lon moku mi.

You call this beer?
sina toki ala toki e ni?: ni li telo nasa.

Stop laughing and bring me the bill.
o pana ala e kon pi pilin pona. sina wile e mani pi mute seme?

I know I ate it, but I didn't order it.
mi moku e ona. taso mi toki ala e ni: mi wile e ona.

Intellectual exchanges

Impressed as I am with the New Wave in cinematography, I must say that this particular film seemed both pretentious and unsatisfying, and that the director's imagery, though compelling, is no substitute for a true cinematic message.
sitelen tawa ni li ike.

Well, you see, we thought at the time that a limited engagement in Vietnam was necessary to prevent the rise of Soviet Communism.
jan lawa pi ma Mewika li wile ala e ni: jan Sowije li tawa ma mute. mi mute li utala lon ma Wije tan ni.

I just don't know what Charles saw in that horse-faced girl.
meli li lukin sama soweli. jan Sawa li wile e ona tan seme?

Have you ever considered that we might be insulted because you haven't learned English?
sina sona ala e toki Inli. ni li ike tawa mi mute.

If I died tonight I'd be saved, but you would burn in hell.
mi moli la mi tawa ma sewi pona. taso sina moli la sina tawa ma ike.

Has there been any real intellectual life in your country since    (person's name)   ?
jan ____ li sona e ijo mute. taso jan ante ali pi ma sina li nasa.