Have you ever wanted to outwit those phaser-wielding Trekkies at their own language? Always dreamed of being able to indimidate your goldfish and conquer and pillage its aquarium in the language of warriors with funny ridges glued onto their foreheads? How many times have you found yourself stuck in an elevator again, trying to converse with a native speaker of Klingon who doesn't know a word of English?
Here is a collection of essential phrases to use (and not to use!) while mingling with the restless natives during your travels to the imaginary planet of Qo'noS and to Star Trek conventions!
I must also dearly thank [ghor], {_SaraH_} and LRC on the #klingon IRC channel on IRCnet for their generous help in fine-tuning some of the translations.
| What do you want? (a Klingon greeting) |
 nuqneH |
| Success! |  Qapla' |
| My name is ... | ...  ... 'oH pongwIj'e' |
| I like beans. |  qurgh vIparHa' |
| I'm really only an Earthling, but that's a long story. |  tera'nganbej neH jIH 'ach 'e' vIQIjlaH |
|
How come you guys never had those groovy forehead bumps back in the old Star Trek series? |
 qatlh Quch Hab ghaj no'ra' |
| So, do you have bumps like that on your genitals too? | vaj HabHa''a' je 'uSDu'lIj joj |
| I think that "rgh" sound in your language is cute. | mubelmoH Holraj *rgh* wab |
| So what are your Empire's views on gay rights? |  ngaghchuqbogh loDpu' be'pu' ghap DIbvaD wo'lIj vuD nuq |
| What colour is the sky on your planet? | chay' nguv yuQrajDaq chal |
|
to which the reply is: "Blue/green/yellow, dammit!" (Klingon colour terms are somewhat less specific than ours) |
SuD jay' |
| Come on, everyone knows that Klingons don't exist! | yIchId tlhInganpu' tu'lu'be' 'e' luSov SenwI' rIlwI' je |
| May I borrow your funky, exotic-looking sword thingy for a second? | betleHlIj HInoj |
| Well you look like a trekkie to me! | toH Hov leng ngotlhwI' Darur 'e' vIQub |
| We're expecting the cargo of dictionaries this afternoon. | povvam paw mu'ghom tep 'e' wIpIH |
| She is bleeding profusely. | pe'vIl regh |
| Ooooh, that flower arrangement is soooo fabulous! |  maj chongqu' tI nguv bey'vetlh |
| Does the chef know that my wife is lactose intolerant? | nIm Soj SoplaHbe' be'nalwI' 'e' Sov'a' vutwI' |
| Fondle my forehead! |  QuchwIj yIyach |
| Death to the infidels! | Heghjaj Harbe'wI'pu' |
| Give me all your Star Trek comics or die! | jIHvaD Hov leng lut cha'bogh paqmeylIj Hoch Danobbe'chugh vaj bIHegh |
| Stop gnawing at my arm! | DeSwIj choptaH 'e' bomev |
| Kill the one who looks like a trekkie! | Hov leng ngotlhwI'Hey yIHoH |
Back to Sonja's Linguistic Surrealscape
[ Ads: ]