Overview
Learn the basics in 5 minutes
Audio Version (alphabet only):
Dasopya uses 5 vowels and 13 consonants, all of which can be pronounced like their English counterparts:
A E I O U ~ B D G H K L M N P S T W Y
These sounds are consistent with their letters and never change.
A like in "father"
E like in "let"
I like in "ski"
O like in "more"
U like in "flu"
B like in "boy"
D like in "dip"
G like in "Good"
H like in "hole"
K like in "kite"
L like in "log"
M like in "map"
N like in "nine"
P like in "peace"
S like in "sit"
T like in "time"
W like in "win"
Y like in "yes"
W and Y are primarily used for diphthongs, and should not be emphasized when used as a glide.
"kaw" is pronounced exactly like "cow"
"pey" is pronounced exactly like "pay"
"swi" is pronounced exactly like the beginning of "sweet"
"kyu" is pronounced exactly like the beginning of "cute"
All root words are 2 syllables or less, and never change. Most words can be used as any part of speech:
syo = life / alive / to live
Nouns do not have articles or plurality by default, but can be indicated with supporting words.
pila = a bird / birds / the bird / the birds / etc.
man pila = one bird ≈ a bird
moy pila = multiple bird = birds
pin/san pila = this/that bird ≈ the bird
Sentences are Subject-Verb-Object by default, but can be modified with the sentence particles. The subject marker is only required if the subject isn't at the beginning of the sentence.
bay i dani e sapa. = I like fish.
e sapa a bay i dani. = Fish, I like.
Verbs can be interpreted as any tense based on context, but can be indicated with supporting words.
swe i plu = They go / They're going / They went / They will go
dyu a swe i plu. = After, they (will) go.
swe i mye plu. = They already went.
Adjectives and adverbs have no distinction, and come before what they describe.
lase luso = fast car
lase plu = quickly go
Compound words can be freely formed as long as the base word is at the end.
panatina = pana-tina = hand-digit = finger
kwepagi = kwe-pagi = opposite-open = close
musumodyokebo = musu-modyo-kebo = sleep-furniture-cover = bedsheet
Dasopya is pro-drop, meaning words can be dropped if obvious from context.
kay, i dani e kupa? = Do (you) like fruit?
san e sapye! = That (is) cool!
bay i lusi. = I know (that).
Questions do not affect word order, only requiring a question marker for yes-no questions.
kay a kyu e domay? = Are you a friend?
kay a san e kya? = What is that?
Words like names and universal loanwords that are not part of the base vocabulary are marked with the letter "o."
oMehiko = Mexico
oKowala = koala
Here's some basic words to get you started.
Tip: the second vowel in 2-vowel words will usually correspond to what they're related to!
A - Life and Body, E - Attributes, I - Actions, O - Objects and Places, U - Concepts
bay - I / me / first person pronoun
kyu - you / second person pronoun
swe - them / it / third person pronoun
daw - person / human
domay - friend
komya - family
bamu - hello / hi / bye / greeting
pumi - please / request / ask
gadu - thank you / gratitude
bya - male
maw - female
mya - parent
suka - sibling
swa - to be
syu - to do / make
pyo - to use
tey - can / able to
plu - to move / go
hay - to have / carry
day - to give
pya - to talk / speech
dani - to like / favor
boti - to want
sahi - to need
lusi - to know / knowledge
kami - to buy / purchase
milu - love / to love
syo - life
dey - animal / creature
toga - body
paka - head / leader
hisa - reptile
sapa - fish
pila - bird
loy - eye / see / watch
deka - ear / hear
piha - arm
moga - leg
bey - related / -ly
lase - fast / speed
dome - old / age
doy - big / size
lake - red
bote - blue
pome - soft
sote - hot / heat / temperature
bade - strong / powerful / strength
tamye - fun / amusing
sapye - excellent / epic / cool
lon - time / when
mye - before / already
may - now
dyu - after / shall
han - day /date
masu - morning
metu - night
man swi tya pelo tila - 1 2 3 4 5
seli peke tepyo miko ley - 6 7 8 9 10
sehu - 100
siku - 1000
tay - many / very / really
pene - some / somewhat
moy - multiple
polu - everything / all / every
soy - zero / nothing / without
gwi - good
gen - idea / concept / -ness
kwe - (inversion prefix)
benu - truth / real / correct
kay - (question marker) / question
sun - similar / like / -like
taw - different / other / change
buki - compare / as / than
taku - cause / because / origin
lenu - art
segu - music
homu - calm / peace
hagu - story / fiction
goy - thing / object
pin - this
san - that
kya - what
mabo - food / eat / consume
lano - bread
kupa - fruit
tago - picture / image
toso - sound / noise / noisy
pimo - pen / pencil / stylus
tako - container
galo - bag / sack
kopo - book
doso - machine / device
melo - money
din - place / where
pihe - left
tede - right
pay - up / above / over
gyu - in front / front
sye - side / adjacent
law - in / inside
kyo - center/middle
koy - far / tele-
mite - between / inter-
say - direction / towards
gwa - building / house
gan - room
haso - village
dago - store
kuto - school
sya - and / also
bemyu - but / however
lodu - or
doke - from / off (of) / (out) of
kile - still / yet / even
teso - who / that / which (relative clause marker)
hoy - (possessive marker) / of
myu - (conditional marker) / would
baw - more
byu - most