• Coordinating conjunctions
• Other function words
  • Place
  • Movement
  • Time
  • Others

In mundeze, tool-words (conjunctions, adpositions, etc.) most often correspond to a word without a grammatical ending. Therefore, they often end with a consonant. Consequently, it can be difficult to pronounce a sequence of words: rest me (on my right); lif voy (on my left); upersat detaye (too many details); med vage (by train); dank tu (thanks to you); sop pede (on the foot)…

In this case, we use the grammatical ending –u:
restu me; lifu voy; upersatu detaye; medu vage; danku tu; sopu pede

Coordinating conjunctions

may = but, whereas, while

• lo dealti may forti = She’s small, but strong.
• tidey jo iti en obare, may kalose jo esi = The children went into the forest but it got dark.

u = or, either…or

• saneye u piskeye? = Meat or fish?
• u lo gogi, u lo rifobi = Either he’s crazy or he’s brave.

ni = and

• amelia ni oliver guo koami = Emma and William love each other very much.
• lo si amibla ni mentcesiva = He is friendly and understanding.

nio ne = nor, neither

• lo nio ne arabiezi, nio ne parsezi = He speaks neither Arabic nor Persian.
• nio ne were, nio ne dewere = Neither war nor peace.

sa = so, then, thus, so that, therefore

• me meni, sa me si = I think, so I am.
• fridi, sa me warmo icesi = It’s cold, so I dress warm.

as = because, for

• me warmo icesi as fridi = I dress warm because it’s cold.
• me meni lo pati as me nudio ne wi lo = I think she’s sick because I haven’t seen her today.
• danke as tua ayde = Thanks for your help.

Other function words

Place

en = at, in (in the place of)

dom = at (at somebody’s house)

in = in, within, inside

ek, eku = out of, outside of

sop, sopu = on, above

sub, subu = under, beneath, below

mes = between, among

preen = in front of, before

posen = behind

tuk, tuku = against (physically)

• me so sedi tuk mure = I’m sitting against the wall

ru = around, about

• vivunde ruiti ru swele = The Earth revolves around the Sun
• me eni ru tua dome = I am in the vicinity of your home

ner = near

• me domi ner tien = I live nearby (I live near there)

laten = beside, alongside, next to

• pedití laten me = Walk beside me

tel = far from

Movement

da = from, since
na = to, toward(s)

• me iti na kongike = I’m going to the Congo

per = through, by

nal = across, over, to the other side of

uper = beyond, past

Time

os = when, at the time when, as

• me itesi os tu riiti = I’ll leave when you come back
• me itesi os bia hore = I’ll leave at two o’clock
• me itesi os bi hore = I’ll leave in two hours

da, esda = as soon as, since, from

hata = until, till, up to, unto, for, in (completion time)

samos = while, whereas, as

duros = during, as long as

preos = before, in less than, within

• me itesi preos bia hore = I’ll leave before two o’clock
• me itesi preos bi hore = I’ll leave in less than two hours

preoso = ago, before, previously

• me itesi bi hore preoso = I left two hours ago
• guoso preoso… = A long time ago…

posos = after

• me itesi posos bia hore = I’ll leave after two o’clock
• me itesi posos bi hore = I’ll leave in over two hours

pososo = later, after

• me itesi bi hore pososo = I left two hours later
• guoso pososo… = In the far future…

ru = around, about

• me itesi ru bia hore = I’ll leave around two o’clock / I left around two o’clock
• me itesi ru bi hore = I left about two hours ago / I will leave in about two hours

Others

ki = if, whether

• me tsivoli ki lo postempo tiiti = I wonder if she’ll come
• me ne tsi ki veri = I don’t know if that’s true

sis = if, in case, provided that, in the event, in so far as…

• sis me multavi, me sa pravesi eve = If I were rich, I’d buy a house
• sis me tsi! = If I had known!

hata sis, dedas = despite, in spite of, notwithstanding

sen sis = unless, except

a = of

o = like, as, such as

• í, o tu voli = Do what you want / Do as you like

sam = like, following the example of

so = as

• kie tu meni, so pe? = What is your opinion as a parent?

sim = as if, as though

med, medu = by means of, by

• lo tiiti medu vage = He comes by train

per = by, from (agent / passive)

• lo jo tsesi lo per loa nerdomane = He learned it from his neighbour.

lu = according to, along, by, following, in accordance with

• í tie lu mea pele = Do that as I tell you
• lu ebley = According to the possibilities

dan = than, with regard to, compared with

om = in (quantity), per (distribution)

• ley jo tiiti om ter = They cam in threes / Three of them came
• tisi un buke om lerane = Here is one book per student

ko = between (reciprocity, relation)

• si gua konfele ko ley = There is a strong complicity between them
• kopele ko dostey = A conversation between friends

kon = with (comitatifve)

hata = including, moreover, in addition…

sen = without, except, other than, apart from, besides…

da = from, of, made up of

• sopice da katune = A pullover made of cotton
• vine da franse guboni = The wine from France is excellent

tem = about, concerning, over, regarding, as to, as for…

• noy no peli tem tu! = We were just talking about you!
• me zorgi tem tua sune = I’m worried about your health.

por = for, towards, to, as regards, in favour of…

• me i tie por tu = I’m doing this for you
• tia daveye (si) por tua ide = This gift is for your child

dank, danku = thanks to

ri = against (opposition), opposed to

vis = instead of

das = because, given that, since

nas = to, in order to, so as