Goal

Join clauses and say things like “I know that…”, “I do not know when…”, or “I do not know whether…”.

New Grammar

• ki introduces non-interrogative content clauses.
• ke-* forms stay interrogative, even inside a larger sentence.
• se means “if” in conditionals and “whether” in embedded yes-no clauses.
• Simple relative clauses also use postnominal ki, but this course keeps them narrow and simple.
• In this course, the relative clause has one missing core argument understood from the head noun.
• If a meaning would need a more complex relative pattern, prefer a paraphrase instead.

Core Vocabulary

Mini-ma	English
ki	content-clause marker
se	if, whether
savi	know, understand
veni	come
make	make, do
rason	reason
ke-rason	why
momen	moment
nun	now
sige	next, following
pasa	used to, past

Model Examples

mi i savi ki tu i veni
I know that you are coming.

mi i vole ki si i make a si
I want him or her to do it.

tu i savi ki mi i no pale ke?
Do you know that I do not speak?

mi i no savi ke-tempo si i go veni
I do not know when he or she will come.

mi i no savi se si i go veni
I do not know whether he or she will come.

Guided Notes

• ki is for non-interrogative content clauses.
• ke-* forms are for questions, including embedded questions like mi i no savi ke-tempo si i go veni.
• se is for embedded yes-no meaning “whether”: mi i no savi se si i go veni.
• A simple relative clause can follow a noun with ki, as in di a buku ki mi i note.
• Keep the relative pattern narrow: one omitted core argument inside the ki clause.
• Do not try to build more elaborate relative patterns in beginner Mini-ma. If the meaning becomes hard to parse, rewrite it as two simpler clauses.

Compatibility with Mini

Older plain-Mini texts may use broader ke patterns in clause linking. This lesson teaches only the formal Mini-ma system: ki for non-interrogative content clauses, ke-* for interrogative content, and se for embedded yes-no meaning “whether”.

Practice

1. Translate into Mini-ma: “I know that she is here.”
2. Translate into Mini-ma: “We want you to come.”
3. Translate into English: mi i no savi se si i go veni
4. Write one short sentence with ki.

Mini Recap

With ki, ke-*, and se, your sentences can become longer without becoming messy.