So far, we've been using fairly simple sentences—simply main clauses, or main clauses joined to each other by conjunctions such as 'ej and or 'ach but.

This unit will teach you how Klingons do the equivalent of subordinate clauses—things such as, I know that you have eaten my gagh, where the object of know is an entire clause including a verb, You have eaten my gagh.

'e'

English uses a subordinating conjunction that for this; Klingon uses a special pronoun: 'e'.

(This is a complete and separate word not to be confused with the topic suffix -'e' that can be added to nouns, such as in A is a B sentences.)

This pronoun 'e' refers to a preceding sentence, and can go into the object position of a following sentence (i.e. in front of the verb).

For example, if one person says qettaH mara Mara is running, another may reply, 'e' vIlegh I see that, referring with 'e' to the previous sentence, qettaH mara.

More commonly, however, the two clauses are spoken by the same speaker, "connected" with 'e'. Usually, no punctuation is used after the first sentence.

So you might also hear: qettaH mara 'e' vIlegh—literally, Mara is running. I see that, but equivalent to I see that Mara is running.

Note that while in English, we might say, I know that you ate my gagh, with the word "that," or, I know you have eaten my gagh, without it, the Klingon sentence must contain the 'e': qaghwIj DaSoppu' 'e' vISov.

The only exception to this is the verb neH which means to want—here, the 'e' is left out.

For example, a Klingon might say qagh vISop vIneH I want to eat gagh (literally, I eat gagh. I want that).

'e' counts as a singular object, so something like We know that the prisoners eat would be Sop qama'pu' 'e' wISov, with the prefix wI- indicating the subject is we and the object is it.

Similarly, They want us to eat would be maSop luneH (literally, We eat, they want that), with prefix lu- indicating subject they and object it, that.

Don't be misled by English grammar and use something like Sop nuneH to try to say they want us—to eat. nuneH does mean, they want us, but you can't use it to try to say they want us—to eat. In this type of sentence, we are doing the eating and so must be represented by the prefix on Sop, instead of on neH. The Klingon grammatical object of want is the entire previous sentence (which for other verbs would be represented by the pronoun 'e', but 'e' is omitted with the verb neH).

net

Another special pronoun is net.

This acts similarly to 'e', but in addition indicates that the subject of the verb is indefinite or general.

For example, 'e' Sov means he/she knows that, but net Sov means one knows that; it is known that. This is exactly equivalent to 'e' Sovlu', but when you want to use -lu' with 'e', you should use net instead. For example: val tlhInganpu' net Sov It is known that Klingons are smart; One knows that Klingons are smart.

poQ

The verb poQ does not have one good translation, so it can be confusing. It is used to indicate a strong desire or something that feels as if it necessary. It may imply a command or suggest a requirement, but it literally only expresses that the subject feels the object is very important to them. poQ is often used with 'e' to indicate what one desires to happen. Most of the time, this course will translate poQ as demand, but it is important to keep in mind that it is demand as in require or need, not as in to make a command. In English one doesn't demand someone else, so when the object is a person, poQ is more often translated need.

jal

This unit introduces the verb jal which is usually translated as imagine, envision and is very often used to express hypothetical situations: tlhIngan SoH 'e' vIjal. This sentence can be translated directly as I imagine that you are a Klingon.

In English, we often express hypothetical situations like this with a subjunctive mood conjugation, so we might instead say, I imagine that you were a Klingon. In this course we will accept either the indicative mood (regular past, present, or future) or the subjunctive mood.

Commands using 'e' with jal may sometimes translate the 'e' as if: puvlaH targh 'e' yIjal Imagine if targs could fly. In this course, we will accept either that or if in sentences like this.

Note that the verb suffix -chugh also creates a kind of hypothetical situation. The difference is that a -chugh statement is used to indicate a cause and effect and should include the result of the hypothetical. A jal command is just asking the listener to imagine if such a situation were to exist.