Learn Uropi

This learning course is inspired by Margarita Madrigal and Language Transfer.

With very little grammatical explanation, you will begin to internalize the language. Don't try to memorize anything! Just take your time and really think through how to translate the phrases. And mistakes are ok! Each lesson will build upon what you learned before it. Think of this course like a puzzle. You are building neural pathways :)

Table of Contents

Lesson 1

The word for I is... I (pronounced like "ee" in "see")

The word for to want is volo (pronounced like "polo" with a "v")

Think of the word "volition" to remember.

.

When you want to use a verb in the present tense, you simply remove the final "o".

How would you say the following? Think about it and then click to see the answer. You won't learn if you just click right away though!

I want.

I vol. ("ee vowl")

The word for you is tu (pronounced like "too")

You want.

Tu vol.

The word for see is vizo (pronounced like "breeze-oh")

Think of words like "video" and "vizual" to remember.

I see.

I viz.

You see.

Tu viz.

To negate a verb, you place ne (pronounced like "neh") after it.

It's kind of like an old, fancy form of English. "I think not!"

I don't want. (I want not.)

I vol ne.

You don't see.

Tu viz ne.

The word for that is daz (pronounced like "dah-z")

I see that.

I viz daz.

You want that.

Tu vol daz.

Can you guess how to say the following?

I don't want that.

I vol ne daz.

You don't see that.

Tu viz ne daz.

In this lesson, you have learned:

Lesson 2

To ask a question, you place the verb before the subject.

Do you want that?

Vol tu daz?

The word for yes is aj

Yes, I want that.

Aj, i vol daz.

Take your time with the following!

You don't see that?

Viz tu ne daz?

Remember how we removed the final -o from verbs?

To say "I want to see", you need to add the -o back to "see".

I want to see.

I vol vizo.

You want to see that.

Tu vol vizo daz.

I don't want to see that.

I vol ne vizo daz.

The word for but is ba.

I see that, but I don't want to.

I viz daz ba i vol ne.

In this lesson, you have learned:

Lesson 3

The past tense is expressed by replacing the final -o on a verb with a final .

In pronunciation, this shifts the stress of the word to the final syllable. Feel free to really accent that "ee" sound!

I saw.

I vizì.

You wanted that.

Tu volì daz.

In English, we say "I" and "me". The "me" is used for something called the accusative case. The accusative case is used for pronouns when they are the objects of actions.

Any time that you say "me" in English, you say ma in Uropi.

You saw me.

Tu vizì ma.

Similar to "ma", when "you" is an object, we use the word ta.

I want you.

I volì ta.

Take your time with this one!

You wanted to see me.

Tu volì vizo ma.

Did you see that?

Vizì te daz?

The word for no is the same as verb negation. ne

No, I saw you.

Ne, i vizì ta.

I saw you, but I wanted to see that.

I vizì ta ba i volì vizo daz.

In this lesson, you have learned:

Lesson 4

You can speak in the future tense by placing the particle ve before the infinitive verb.

The future tense word for will is ve.

"Ve" is a contracted form of the verb "volo" (to want). Just like in English, if you say "I will see it", you are saying that you have the will to see it. It's a contracted version of "I want to see it".

Sometimes in English you put "to" in front of a verb ("I want to see"), but other times you don't ("I will see"). In Uropi, when you have two verbs, you always make the second verb an infinitive.

I will see you.

I ve vizo ta.

When you place the negative after ve, it shortens from "ve ne" to v'ne.

You won't see me.

Tu v'ne vizo ma.

Will you see me?

Ve tu vizo ma?

I will see you, but I don't want to.

I ve vizo ta ba i vol ne.

In this lesson, you have learned:

Lesson 5

The word for house is has

The word for a is u (pronounced like "oo")

The verb for to buy is kopo

I will buy a house.

I ve kopo u has.

If a word ends in a consonant, you make it plural by adding an -e on the end.

I bought houses.

I kopì hase.

The word for cinema is kina (pronounced "keenah")

I saw a cinema.

I vizì u kina.

Do you want to buy a cinema?

Vol tu kopo u kina?

No, I want to buy a house.

Ne, i vol kopo u has.

If a word ends in a vowel, you make it plural by adding an -s

Do you see cinemas?

Viz tu kinas?

The word for and is id (pronounced "eed")

Yes, I see houses and cinemas.

Aj, i viz hase id kinas.

In this lesson, you have learned:

Lesson 6

The word for to go is ito

You go.

Tu it.

You went.

Tu itì.

The word for to must / to need to is doʒo (ʒ is pronounced like the s in measure

You must go.

Tu doʒ ito.

You can form the conditional would by adding -ev onto the end of a present tense verb.

You would go.

Tu itev.

Would you go?

Itev tu?

To say "should" in Uropi, it's like saying "would need" or "would must".

You should!

Tu doʒev!

You should go.

Tu doʒev ito.

The word for to be able is mozo.

You can. (You are able.)

Tu moz.

You can go. (You are able to go.)

Tu moz ito.

In English, the word "could" means two different things. It can mean "were able" (referring to the past), or it can mean "are able if you want" (conditional).

You were able.

Tu mozì.

To say "could" in the conditional sense, you can just add the conditional ending onto the word for "can".

You could.

Tu mozev.

Could you go?

Mozev tu ito?

In this lesson, you have learned:


That is good. Now what does he want?

He wants to drink.

Can he drink?

He can drink.

Can you drink? Can I drink?

I can drink and you can drink.