kai

unit 2 / lesson 2

Story Unit 02: Past, Remembered Past, Before, After, While, and Since

Learn to control story time in Common Kai with ordinary past, remembered past, and clear before, after, while, and since clauses.

learner boundary

Common Kai first

Story and Kaiven pages may invite mythic or inner readings. Read the scene as Common Kai first: who is present, what happens, what changes, and what grammar carries the action.

  • State the plain scene before symbolic meaning.
  • Mark particles and clause order before register notes.
  • Treat inner reading as commentary, not as the basic translation.

spaced review

grammar return practice

9 patterns due

Start here before the new lesson work. These earlier patterns are deliberately returning in a later lesson.

next lesson / from unit 1 / lesson 1

Story Unit 01: Narration, Sequence, Scene-Setting, and Simple Memory

Before new material, explain the older pattern aloud and write one fresh Kai sentence with it.

  • Common Kai narration before poetic compression
  • completed events with or
  • first and afterward sequence with rina and rinor
  • remembered events with um
  • repeated names for clarity
  • scene-setting with en na li al te
  • simple memory frame
  • story clause order
  • time anchoring with rinum rine rinan

vocabulary

lesson vocabulary

79 items
  • a
  • ma
  • sai
  • sha
  • ya
  • yano
  • yava
  • yari
  • mi
  • ti
  • si
  • nai
  • tio
  • sio
  • e
  • el
  • an
  • or
  • um
  • li
  • na
  • en
  • al
  • te
  • va
  • ri
  • liri
  • rine
  • rinum
  • rinan
  • rina
  • rinor
  • rinel
  • rinsha
  • rinna
  • rinve
  • rin
  • noa
  • sannoa
  • kamnoa
  • vennoa
  • yaro
  • vao
  • lumo
  • silu
  • heni
  • mali
  • risi
  • elen
  • ela
  • aeli
  • teeli
  • milo
  • luno
  • lune
  • lunu
  • reme
  • remi
  • remu
  • lunrem
  • rinrem
  • korlao
  • komtao
  • yare
  • mire
  • sile
  • name
  • hune
  • vae
  • ore
  • kale
  • hile
  • hole
  • kame
  • some
  • niva
  • nive
  • miri
  • yelo

grammar

lesson patterns

8 patterns
  • ordinary past with or
  • remembered past with um
  • broad past time with rinum
  • future story time with rinan
  • time-gate clauses with rinum va rinor va rinel va rinna va
  • contrast between sequence adverbs and temporal clauses
  • comma after fronted time gates
  • avoiding ra for ordinary story past

pronunciation

pronunciation practice

10 cues

sound focus

  • a ah open vowel; keep it clear
  • e eh clear e; do not reduce it

say these words

  1. ma mah /ˈma/
  2. sai seye /ˈsai̯/
  3. sha shah /ˈʃa/
  4. ya yah /ˈja/
  5. yano yah-noh /ˈja.no/
  6. yava yah-vah /ˈja.ʋa/
  7. yari yah-ree /ˈja.ɾi/
  8. mi mee /ˈmi/

speaking routine

  1. Say each form once slowly, keeping every written vowel audible.
  2. Repeat the list at normal speed without changing the vowel quality.
  3. Use two words in a short sentence and keep first-syllable stress stable.

translation

translation drill

8 prompts
  1. English to Kai Maria saw light before / in the past.
  2. English to Kai Maria remembered seeing light before.
  3. English to Kai Before Maria went to the door, Aleso was on the road.
  4. English to Kai After Aleso called Maria, Maria heard Aleso.
  5. English to Kai While Maria was writing a text, Aleso called Maria.
  6. English to Kai While we were working, they listened.
  7. English to Kai Since I saw you, I understand.
  8. English to Kai Since we went home, quiet is in us.

listening

listening practice

1 audio source

Intermediate dialogue audio

Longer Common Kai turns for everyday and story-level listening.

source text connected speech
  1. Listen once without the source text and follow the speaker turns.
  2. Replay and shadow three short Kai lines aloud.
  3. Write two lines from dictation, then check the source text.

listening comprehension

  1. 01
    In ID001, what full question does speaker A ask? follow an extended yes-no question
    answer

    Mi el yale va ti an yare li noa ya.

  2. 02
    What phrase does speaker B use to show a possible future action? hear an-vai as possible intention
    answer

    Mi an-vai yare.

  3. 03
    In ID001, what does speaker B say they are becoming more of? identify the changing complement after nive
    answer

    namo.

  4. 04
    What follow-up line does speaker A use after hearing speaker B's answer? track the response that mirrors the keyword
    answer

    An va namo en tio, nai an teyare.

  5. 05
    Across ID001-ID005, which five words follow nive in speaker B's second clause? track the rotating intermediate keyword
    answer

    namo, huno, alo, luno, telteno.

answers

structured answer key

6 sections / 36 answers
Reading and Recognition 10 answers
  • 1 Maria saw light before / in the past.
  • 2 Maria remembered seeing light before / in the past.
  • 3 Before / in the past, Aleso was on the road.
  • 4 Afterward, Maria went to the door.
  • 5 Before Maria went to the door, Aleso was drinking water.
  • 6 After Maria saw light, Maria went to the door.
  • 7 While Maria was writing the text, Aleso called Maria.
  • 8 Since Maria saw light, Maria understands.
  • 9 While we were going by the road, light was at the door.
  • 10 After I remembered going home, I wrote the text.
Choose the Time Form 6 answers
  • 11 or
  • 12 um
  • 13 Rinum va
  • 14 Rinor va
  • 15 Rinel va
  • 16 Rinna va
Sentence Combining 6 answers
  • 17 Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso en yaro.
  • 18 Rinor va Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare li vao.
  • 19 Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria.
  • 20 Rinna va Aleso or hile Maria, Maria e niva.
  • 21 Rinor va mi um yare li noa, mi or kale luno.
  • 22 Rinel va nai el yare al yaro, lumo en vao.
English to Kai 10 answers
  • 23 Maria or mire lumo rinum.
  • 24 Maria um mire lumo rinum.
  • 25 Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso en yaro.
  • 26 Rinor va Aleso or hile Maria, Maria or sile Aleso.
  • 27 Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria.
  • 28 Rinel va nai el kame, si el sile.
  • 29 Rinna va mi or mire ti, mi e miri.
  • 30 Rinna va nai or yare li noa, silu en nai.
  • 31 Rinor va mi um yare li noa, mi or kale luno.
  • 32 Rinum va nai or yare li sannoa, nai or name namo.
Timeline Practice 1 answer
  • sample Sample answer:
    Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso en yaro.
    Maria el kale luno.
    Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria.
    Maria or sile Aleso.
    Rinor va Maria or sile Aleso, Maria or yare li vao.
Guided Story Writing 3 answers
  • 38 Sample answer:
    Rinum, Maria en noa.
    Maria or mire lumo.
    Maria um sile lune na aeli.
    Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso en yaro.
    Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria.
    Rinor va Aleso or hile Maria, Maria or sile Aleso.
    Rinna va Maria or mire lumo, Maria e miri.
    Maria or yare li vao.
  • 39 Sample rewrite:
    Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Maria um mire lumo.
    Aleso en yaro.
    Rinel va Aleso en yaro, Aleso or hile Maria.
    Maria or yare li vao.
  • 40 Maria or yare li yaro says Maria went to the road as a completed story event. Maria um yare li yaro says the going is framed as memory, recollection, dream, or inward past.

Objectives

  • Distinguish ordinary completed past with or from remembered or dream-framed past with um.
  • Use rinum as a broad past-time word.
  • Use rinum va, rinor va, rinel va, and rinna va as temporal clause gates.
  • Sequence story events with clear time logic.
  • Combine two clauses without losing Common Kai recoverability.
  • Avoid using timeless ra for ordinary story past.
  • Write a short scene with before, after, while, and since relationships.

Core Idea

Story Unit 01 used line order and simple time words:

Rinum, Maria en noa. Maria or mire lumo. Rinor, Maria or yare li vao.

Before, Maria was at home. Maria saw light. Afterward, Maria went to the door.

Story Unit 02 adds time-gate clauses:

Rinor va Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare li vao.

After Maria saw light, Maria went to the door.

A time gate uses a time connector plus va, then a full clause.

time connector + va + clause, main clause

Ordinary Past with or

Use or when an event is completed or manifest in the story.

Kai English
Maria or mire lumo. Maria saw light.
Aleso or hile Maria. Aleso called Maria.
Maria or yare li vao. Maria went to the door.
Aleso or vae huno li Maria. Aleso gave water to Maria.
Maria or kale luno. Maria wrote the text.

or is the normal Story Kai marker for completed plot events.

Remembered Past with um

Use um when the narrator frames the action as memory, recollection, dream, or inward past.

Kai English
Maria um mire lumo. Maria remembered seeing light.
Aleso um hile Maria. Aleso remembered calling Maria.
Maria um yare li vao. Maria remembered going to the door.
Mi um kale luno rinum. I remember writing the text before.
Remu en Maria. Dream-memory was in Maria.

Do not use um merely because English uses past tense.

Plain event:

Maria or yare li yaro.

Maria went to the road.

Memory frame:

Maria um yare li yaro.

Maria remembered going to the road.

Broad Time Words

Use time words to anchor a scene without building a full clause.

Kai English Use
rine now present story moment
rinum before / past time broad past setting
rinan later / future time planned or future story time
rina first time / beginning first stage
rinor afterward / after completion sequence marker

Examples:

Kai English
Rinum, Maria en noa. Before / in the past, Maria was at home.
Rina, Aleso en yaro. First, Aleso was on the road.
Rinor, nai or yare li noa. Afterward, we went home.
Maria an yare li sannoa rinan. Maria will go to the clinic later.

This kind of time word anchors a sentence. It does not create a dependent clause by itself.

Time-Gate Clauses

A time-gate clause gives a time relationship between two full clauses.

Gate Meaning Pattern
rinum va before Rinum va clause, main clause.
rinor va after Rinor va clause, main clause.
rinel va while / during Rinel va clause, main clause.
rinna va since / from the time that Rinna va clause, main clause.

The clause after va keeps ordinary Common Kai word order.

Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso el hune huno.

Before Maria went to the door, Aleso was drinking water.

Before with rinum va

Use rinum va when one event is before another event.

Kai English
Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso el hune huno. Before Maria went to the door, Aleso was drinking water.
Rinum va Aleso or hile Maria, Maria en noa. Before Aleso called Maria, Maria was at home.
Rinum va nai or yare li sannoa, nai or name namo. Before we went to the clinic, we ate food.
Rinum va mi or kale luno, mi um mire lumo. Before I wrote the text, I remembered seeing light.

The event inside the rinum va clause is the reference point. The main clause happens before that reference point.

After with rinor va

Use rinor va when one event follows another completed event.

Kai English
Rinor va Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare li vao. After Maria saw light, Maria went to the door.
Rinor va Aleso or hile Maria, Maria or sile Aleso. After Aleso called Maria, Maria heard Aleso.
Rinor va nai or name namo, nai or yare li yaro. After we ate food, we went to the road.
Rinor va mi um yare li noa, mi or kale luno. After I remembered going home, I wrote the text.

Use rinor va when the first event is complete enough to become the time reference.

While with rinel va

Use rinel va when one event happens during an ongoing event.

Kai English
Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria. While Maria was writing the text, Aleso called Maria.
Rinel va nai el yare al yaro, lumo en vao. While we were going by the road, light was at the door.
Rinel va Aleso el kame, Maria el sile. While Aleso was working, Maria was listening.
Rinel va ela el some, aeli or lune shal. While the child was sleeping, the elder spoke gently.

The clause after rinel va usually uses el, because it describes an unfolding process.

Since with rinna va

Use rinna va for "since / from the time that." It links a past event to a later state, result, or continuing meaning.

Kai English
Rinna va Maria or mire lumo, Maria e miri. Since Maria saw light, Maria understands.
Rinna va Aleso or hile Maria, Maria e niva. Since Aleso called Maria, Maria is safe.
Rinna va nai or yare li noa, silu en nai. Since we went home, quiet is in us.
Rinna va mi um sile lune na aeli, mi el kale luno. Since I remembered hearing the elder's speech, I am writing the text.

The main clause often uses present e or el, because the result continues into the narrative now.

Sequence Marker or Time Gate?

Do not confuse a sequence marker with a time-gate clause.

Form Use Example
rinum broad past time Rinum, Maria en noa.
rinum va before another clause Rinum va Maria or yare, Aleso el hune.
rinor afterward Rinor, Maria or yare.
rinor va after another clause Rinor va Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare.

If there is a full clause after the time word, use va.

Punctuation in Roman Learning Text

Use a comma after a fronted time-gate clause.

Rinor va Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare li vao.

This comma is not decorative. It helps the reader see where the time frame ends and the main clause begins.

Mini-Scene 1: Before and After

Kai English
Rinum, Maria en noa. Before / in the past, Maria was at home.
Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso en yaro. Before Maria went to the door, Aleso was on the road.
Maria or mire lumo. Maria saw light.
Rinor va Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare li vao. After Maria saw light, Maria went to the door.
Rinor, Aleso or hile Maria. Afterward, Aleso called Maria.

Mini-Scene 2: While

Kai English
Rina, Maria el kale luno. First, Maria was writing a text.
Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria. While Maria was writing the text, Aleso called Maria.
Maria or sile Aleso. Maria heard Aleso.
Maria or hole en noa. Maria stayed at home.
Aleso or yare li noa. Aleso went home / to the place.

Mini-Scene 3: Since and Memory

Kai English
Mi en noa rine. I am at home now.
Lunrem te mi. I have a journal.
Mi um yare li yaro rinum. I remember going to the road before.
Rinna va mi um yare li yaro, mi el kale luno. Since I remembered going to the road, I am writing a text.
Mi e miri rine. I understand now.

Watch Out

Risk Better Story Kai
Using um for every past event Use or for completed events and um for memory-framed events.
Writing Rinum Maria or yare without va Use Rinum va Maria or yare, ... when a full clause follows.
Using rinor va as plain "afterward" Use Rinor, ... for afterward; use Rinor va clause, ... for after a specific event.
Using rinel va with only completed events Use el in the while-clause for ongoing action.
Using ra for story past Use or, um, and time words; save ra for timeless statements.

Guided Practice

Choose the best Kai sentence.

Maria or yare li yaro. / Maria um yare li yaro.

Maria um yare li yaro. / Maria or yare li yaro.

Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso el hune huno. / Rinum Maria or yare li vao, Aleso el hune huno.

Rinor va Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare li vao. / Rinor Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare li vao.

Rinel va Maria el kale, Aleso or hile. / Rinel va Maria or kale, Aleso or hile.

Rinna va Maria or mire lumo, Maria e miri. / Rinum va Maria or mire lumo, Maria e miri.

  1. Maria went to the road.
  2. Maria remembered going to the road.
  3. Before Maria went to the door, Aleso was drinking water.
  4. After Maria saw light, Maria went to the door.
  5. While Maria was writing, Aleso called.
  6. Since Maria saw light, Maria understands.

Practice

A. Reading and Recognition

Translate into English.

  1. Maria or mire lumo rinum.
  2. Maria um mire lumo rinum.
  3. Rinum, Aleso en yaro.
  4. Rinor, Maria or yare li vao.
  5. Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso el hune huno.
  6. Rinor va Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare li vao.
  7. Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria.
  8. Rinna va Maria or mire lumo, Maria e miri.
  9. Rinel va nai el yare al yaro, lumo en vao.
  10. Rinor va mi um yare li noa, mi or kale luno.

B. Choose the Time Form

Fill the blank with or, um, rinum va, rinor va, rinel va, or rinna va.

  1. Maria ___ yare li yaro. = Maria went to the road.
  2. Maria ___ yare li yaro. = Maria remembered going to the road.
  3. ___ Maria or yare li vao, Aleso el hune huno. = Before Maria went to the door, Aleso was drinking water.
  4. ___ Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare li vao. = After Maria saw light, Maria went to the door.
  5. ___ Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria. = While Maria was writing the text, Aleso called Maria.
  6. ___ Maria or mire lumo, Maria e miri. = Since Maria saw light, Maria understands.

C. Sentence Combining

Combine the two Kai sentences using the requested time gate.

  1. Use rinum va: Maria or yare li vao. + Aleso en yaro.
  2. Use rinor va: Maria or mire lumo. + Maria or yare li vao.
  3. Use rinel va: Maria el kale luno. + Aleso or hile Maria.
  4. Use rinna va: Aleso or hile Maria. + Maria e niva.
  5. Use rinor va: Mi um yare li noa. + Mi or kale luno.
  6. Use rinel va: Nai el yare al yaro. + Lumo en vao.

D. English to Kai

Write each sentence in Kai.

  1. Maria saw light before / in the past.
  2. Maria remembered seeing light before.
  3. Before Maria went to the door, Aleso was on the road.
  4. After Aleso called Maria, Maria heard Aleso.
  5. While Maria was writing a text, Aleso called Maria.
  6. While we were working, they listened.
  7. Since I saw you, I understand.
  8. Since we went home, quiet is in us.
  9. After I remembered going home, I wrote the text.
  10. Before we went to the clinic, we ate food.

E. Timeline Practice

Put these events into a clear Kai timeline. Use at least one rinum va, one rinor va, and one rinel va.

  1. Maria was writing a text.
  2. Aleso called Maria.
  3. Maria heard Aleso.
  4. Maria went to the door.
  5. Aleso was on the road before Maria went to the door.

F. Guided Story Writing

  1. Write an eight-line Kai scene. Include:
  • one broad past-time sentence with rinum
  • one ordinary completed event with or
  • one remembered event with um
  • one before clause with rinum va
  • one after clause with rinor va
  • one while clause with rinel va
  • one since clause with rinna va
  • one clear repeated name instead of an ambiguous si
  1. Rewrite this overloaded English-style sentence as three or four short Kai sentences:

Before Maria went to the door, she remembered seeing the light, and while Aleso was on the road, he called her.

  1. Explain in English why Maria um yare li yaro is different from Maria or yare li yaro.

Answer Key

A. Reading and Recognition

  1. Maria saw light before / in the past.
  2. Maria remembered seeing light before / in the past.
  3. Before / in the past, Aleso was on the road.
  4. Afterward, Maria went to the door.
  5. Before Maria went to the door, Aleso was drinking water.
  6. After Maria saw light, Maria went to the door.
  7. While Maria was writing the text, Aleso called Maria.
  8. Since Maria saw light, Maria understands.
  9. While we were going by the road, light was at the door.
  10. After I remembered going home, I wrote the text.

B. Choose the Time Form

  1. or
  2. um
  3. Rinum va
  4. Rinor va
  5. Rinel va
  6. Rinna va

C. Sentence Combining

  1. Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso en yaro.
  2. Rinor va Maria or mire lumo, Maria or yare li vao.
  3. Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria.
  4. Rinna va Aleso or hile Maria, Maria e niva.
  5. Rinor va mi um yare li noa, mi or kale luno.
  6. Rinel va nai el yare al yaro, lumo en vao.

D. English to Kai

  1. Maria or mire lumo rinum.
  2. Maria um mire lumo rinum.
  3. Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso en yaro.
  4. Rinor va Aleso or hile Maria, Maria or sile Aleso.
  5. Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria.
  6. Rinel va nai el kame, si el sile.
  7. Rinna va mi or mire ti, mi e miri.
  8. Rinna va nai or yare li noa, silu en nai.
  9. Rinor va mi um yare li noa, mi or kale luno.
  10. Rinum va nai or yare li sannoa, nai or name namo.

E. Timeline Practice

Sample answer:

Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso en yaro.

Maria el kale luno.

Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria.

Maria or sile Aleso.

Rinor va Maria or sile Aleso, Maria or yare li vao.

F. Guided Story Writing

  1. Sample answer:

Rinum, Maria en noa.

Maria or mire lumo.

Maria um sile lune na aeli.

Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Aleso en yaro.

Rinel va Maria el kale luno, Aleso or hile Maria.

Rinor va Aleso or hile Maria, Maria or sile Aleso.

Rinna va Maria or mire lumo, Maria e miri.

Maria or yare li vao.

  1. Sample rewrite:

Rinum va Maria or yare li vao, Maria um mire lumo.

Aleso en yaro.

Rinel va Aleso en yaro, Aleso or hile Maria.

Maria or yare li vao.

  1. Maria or yare li yaro says Maria went to the road as a completed story event. Maria um yare li yaro says the going is framed as memory, recollection, dream, or inward past.