translation / working method
Kai Translation Compass
Use this when English invites a word-for-word answer that Kai cannot recover clearly.
Start with the situation
Identify participants, action or relation, time/aspect, urgency, register, and what the speaker is trying to do before choosing Kai words.
Build a plain line
Prefer a short recoverable Common Kai sentence. Add a second clause only when the first one remains clear on its own.
Check the return route
Read the Kai line back into plain English. If the meaning has shifted, revise the Kai rather than defending an elegant-looking error.