First 50 gismu (by popularity)

I'm learning Lojban, and using memory techniques to quickly learn the vocabulary. I learned 250 words over the weekend. Since people were interested in the techniques I used, I thought I'd post them.

I'm not trying to tell you that these are the only way to learn, or even the best way to learn. I'm just telling you that this is a technique that I used. Take it or leave it.

In order for this to work, you have to read the instructions! First, the objective of this blog post is to help you to quickly cram 50 English gloss words, and 50 Lojban words into your head. It is NOT a substitute for practice. It's just to get you over that initial "hump" of memorization.

Second, I use some images that are gross, sexual, offensive, and even personal. I've found that the more vivid the image is, the more likely you are to remember it. And vividness means tapping emotion and senses. It often means adding action or motion or destruction to the image. If the image isn't working, try blowing something up! Have it explode and make a mess. That often helps.

Third, YOUR visualizations will be better than borrowing my visualizations. If something comes to mind when you see the word "express" (and it comes to mind every time), by all means, use it. For me, "express" is a pretty abstract concept, but "Polar Express" is absolutely visual in my mind's eye. I've read the book to my children, and I have seen the Tom Hanks movie. So for Express, I think of a snowy train! But I know in this context it means something else.

Fourth, the idea is to link gloss words together. Obviously cusku does not mean "snowy train", but it is associated with the gloss word "express". Don't expect this system to be perfect. Recognize that the purpose is just to get you to be able to get 100% correct on a flashcard test. Then you can improve your times, and the images will go away, and you'll just "know" the words, without the intermediate step of all this visualization.

Fifth, I tried to use phonetic Lojban, not visual lojban. That means in order to use this list effectively, you need to know the sounds of the letters. It's tempting to take a word like "carmi" and think of a car. But I tried to use the sounds, so for "carmi", I'd use "Shar - Me" (or "Charlene - Me", since I call my good friend Charlene "Char", pronounced "Shar").

Last, the Lojban often does not work out to be easy words in English, and so they take some creativity. "djika" is "Did Yee Call", for example, with "djika" representing the middle part of that phrase (di D-YEE-CA ll). It's not perfect, but often you'll find that the "exceptions" are more memorable than the obvious ones. For example, "liste" for "list" is a challenge for me because it's almost too easy. I'd mistakenly guess the final vowel, until I pictured that hot Tea spilling on my precious list.

Feel free to leave comments. Especially if I have mistakes, or you have better suggestions!


The way this works is that the Lojban word comes first, and then a brief description of what picture pops in my head when I see that word. Then the English word. Then a description of the picture that pops in my head when I see the English. Finally, I link those two images together. The objective (which is not perfectly achieved) is to be able to go English to Lojban or Lojban to English relatively quickly.

This is no substitute for practice. To use this list, cover up my visualization. Don't use my visualization. Try to come up with your own visualization. Look at the word, and try to visualize it yourself. (The visualization should be the first PICTURE that consistently pops in your head when you hear that word. For instance, what PICTURE do YOU think of when you visualize "use"? You'll see later what I picture, but what do YOU picture?? Or what do you picture in your "mind's eye" when you see or hear the word "pilno" (assuming that you don't know what the word means, use the phonetics, and come up with a picture of PIL NO. What would that be?

Once you have a visualization of the Lojban word, create a visualization of the English word. Then link the two visualizations together in a silly or action filled or sensual way. Exaggeration is good. Motion is good. Sex is real good.

Once you have run through the list, and cemented the images in your head, test yourself with Quizlet. Click here to access the Quizlet flash cards for the first 50 gismu (by one frequency count).



Have fun, and let me know what you think! I'll post the complete list in Excel once I am done. Trust me, it took me A LOT longer to type this list than to commit it to memory!

cusku	Shoe-School. Traditional school house with shoes marching in to class	express	Polar Express (kids book/movie) - long train going through the snow	Train smashes through school, scattering shoes everywhere
mutce	Mute-Shed. You are forcibly gagged (tape over mouth) and tied to a shed door, strugling to shout for help.	much	An abundance of something - I used mud (much mud)	Police come to help, untie you from the shed, and unexpectedly push your face into much-mud, and pour much-mud over you.
zvati	Zzz-Vat-Tea. I can picture myself laying (sleeping, zzz-ing) on an inflatable raft in a giant vat of boiling substance. I am sipping a tea (a cup and saucer, not an iced tea)	at	The place where I am at; my city.	I picked a landmark in my city, and imagine a large vat in that spot, and floating in that vat, z'ing and sipping my hot tea. I'm more concerned abou the tea than the vat of boiling liquid.
gunka	Gun-Cap. A thousand people wearing hunters caps and carrying cap guns	work	My place of business.	Open my office door and 1000 hunters fire cap guns at me.
tavla	tavern-lava. Local bar has lava spewing out of bottles like a volcano	talk	A heavy talker that you know who won't shut up	The talker is at the bar, won't shut up, and lava is spewing out, but you can't interrupt him/her
klama	Kill-Llama. A violent act of slaughtering the animal, stabbing it thousands of times.	come	A particular old friend or lover is approaching you from a distance. You're excited to see her.	Old friend approaches, seeing you slaughtering the animal and you feel ashamed (feel it!)
nelci	Nell-She. Actress Nell Carter, visibly a "she" - female (naked). Of if you prefer, singer Nelly as a female.	fond	I tilt my head, star-eyed, infatuated, as I am fond of something.	I get a boyhood crush on naked Nell Carter.
djica	"Did yee call?". I run into an old amish house, and yell to the owner, "Did Yee Call?"	desire	The feeling of seeing a beautiful new 2010 Jeep, and wanting it so bad. (Or whatever you want.)	At the "Annual Amish Raffle", they are giving away a new 2010 Jeep to whomever they call, if you come and claim it. You rush in to claim it.
djuno	"Did you know?" Shouting this right into my son's face.	know	A fact that I know intrinsically - the Earth is Round.	Reviewing my son's test papers, I can see got the simplest question wrong ("is the earth round?"), and yelling at him.. "did you know????"
pilno	Pill-No. Offer someone a pill, and they say no.	use	What do people use? Drugs. A strung-out drug user sitting on the street, with needles all around him.	I see a drug user, and I offer him pills. He emphatically says NO to pills, grabs them, crams them into a hypodermic needle and injects the pills.
cliva	"She leave-a". I ask the old, fat Pizzaria owner where the cute waitress went. He says "she leave-a" in an italian accent.	leave	I'm so upset at the service in a restaurant that get up and leave, storming out, loudly, without paying the bill.	Setting: pizzaria. Being served by the old fat owner, instead of the cute waitress. She-leave-a, and so do I!
prenu	Preg. New. Picture someone close to you (your mother? Better yet, your father) with a pregnant big belly.	person	A person that is close to you. I think of my father.	I picture my father carrying (in his belly) a new person - he's pregnant with a new person.
jimpe	chimp-pen/jump-pen. I think of a chimpanzee jumping around it's pen/cage and making a ruckus.	understand	I'm trying to explain a simple concept to someone, shouting "do you understand?" I picture pointing to my temple as I am shouting it.	The "person" I am trying to explain to is a chimp. He's jumping all around his cage, and climbing all over me (I'm in the pen), and pulling my hand away from my temple.
cmene	"-ish-men-net" I picture a "man catcher" walking around with a giant net, catching all men with the last name that ends with -ish (-ich, -itch, etc). See movie "Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang" for evil man catcher with net.	name	Think of long, unpronouncable names. You are introduced to a group of people named "Stanovitch Kaminocopivitch" and the like; ridiculous names that you'd never remember.) You shake each person's hand.	As you are meeting these people, the "ish-men-net" people-catcher comes running in, capturing 3 people at a time ("men", not "man"). Pain, screaming, fighting, etc.
viska	V-scatter. Think of a V-pattern of birds or ducks flying through the air. One gunshot and they scatter.	see	You see something on the horizon, flying toward you. You can't make it out. It's coming closer. You are anxious, not sure if it's something good, or something bad.	You see the V-formation, coming closer. You pull out your rifle and shoot at it. One duck falls to the ground (it was Donald Duck!) and the others scatter
pensi	Pen-see. (also Pensive / Penis). I think of a shrink setting down a pen, and it makes a big spot, and he says "what do you see?". I see a penis.	think	I'm thinking so hard, my head explodes.	I'm thinking so hard, my head explodes, with ink spewing out of it. Some lands on my pants near my penis, and the doctor asks me "what do you see?"
drata	"Drat a". I tend to say "drat" as a substitute for a cuss word, especially in front of kids. So I might say "Drat. A mistake!"	other	I know twin 10 year olds. I know their names, but I often call one name, when I mean the "other".	Call the twins by name, getting them wrong, and then say "Drat a mistake". Then both kids laugh and make fun of me.
catlu	"shat lu". I think of the past tense of the word "shit" and "lu" as a british toilet.	look	I run around and tell people "Look! Look at what I did!"	I picture shitting in a posh British establishment (Queen's castle?)…not in the toilet, but ALL Over the sink, floor, etc., and running out and telling everyone "Look! Look what I did!"
xamgu	Ham-Goo. The greasy goo that surrounds a canned ham.	good	I'm rubbing my belly after eating something delicious, and saying "Mmmm gooooood!".	I'm sitting back after eating something, and rubbing my belly, saying "mmmm good!". My face and hands are dripping with greasy Ham Goo from the canned ham. This is really gross to me.
cmalu	Shhh Mall Lu. I walk in to a British Mall's "lu" (bathroom), and there's a lot of chatter of people with british accents. I can't pee until I yell "SHhhhh!"	small	I picture small people. Not "little people" in the traditional sense, but friends and co-workers, all one foot tall.	I'm walking in a shopping mall, with my very small friends. I have to pee. I go into the "lu" which is very noisy. I'm frustrated because I can't pee… so I finally yell "Shhhhhh!"
citka	Shit-Call. (really more like Sheet-Call) I am trying to call on the phone, but my mouth is full of sheets of feces. But I continue to call, tasting the foulness and texture.	eat	Facny restaurant, I am eating.	Surprise! I am eating shit, and trying to make a call. I swallow so I can talk on the call.
zdani	Zzz Donny. Sleeping Donny Osmond (in his 70's dance outfit). He's in a dentist's chair, and I also picture a dentist standing there, saying "say ahh" (so I don't forget it's an "a" in "Dani's" name).	nest	I picture a bird's nest. It's high in a tree. It falls out of the tree, and where does it land?	The nest falls from a tree and lands in the open mouth of sleeping Donny Osmond. He gags, coughs, gets up and starts singing "I'm a little bit country, I'm a little bit rock and roll"
tsali	It's Sally. I have a friend named Sally. She's not very strong. This could be any famous Sally (Sally Field). You shout out "it's sally!"	strong	A very strong person lifts a heavy common object. I picture a strong person lifting a car over their head, and throwing it. (Maybe a kid is trapped under the car.)	I rush over to help, and to see who lifted and threw the car. Who is it? "It's Sally!"
skami	It's Commie (Communist). Something is wrong… you are not sure what. When you finally figure out that it's a communist plot against you, you shout out "It's Commie!"	computer	I am typing on my keyboard, and some goop from the keys is sticky and gross and scummy, and Red, sticking to my fingers.	I am grossed out working at my computer. Ewww.. What it the sticky stuff? Who put it there? "It's Commie!"
valsi	Vowel-See. You see two letters, one is a vowel, and the other is the letter "c" (pronounced {"si"}).	word	Looking at a printed page, I see a collection of letters that make up a word. I can't make them out. It's hazy. I try to read the word. It finally comes into focus. It's a four letter word. The middle two letters become clear.	The 4-letter word finally comes into focus - the middle first. The middle two letters that come into focus…. It's a vowel, and a "C" (pronounced{"si"}). It's -uc-.
jundi	Shun-Deep. A scuba diver is refusing to jump in the water, cuz it's too deep.	attentive	The most attentitive thing I can imagine is a row of Marine Privates standing at attention listening to their sergeant bark at them.	The Marines are on a ship, at attention, and Sarge is screaming at them. He screams so loud that one of the marines falls overboard. They order a scuba diver to jump in to save him, and he refuses - shunning the deep water.
drani	I see this, and immediately see "drain". But you could use hydra-knee if you prefer	correct	I have to choose between two items… which is correct?	I have physical pain, because I have to pee so badly. But there are two drains to pee into. One will shock me. Which is correct? Better choose the correct one!
lojbo	Loge-Boat. Loge seats in a theater or at a ballpark, but each seat is in a canoe.	Lojbanic	I picture the #lojban IRC room, but it could be people speaking gibberish and screwing in "broken-light" bulbs (based on the old lojban joke).
tcidu	"Itchy-dew". I think of dew as a person's sweat (particularly a woman's natural genital lubrication). You may choose to think of an itchy-hair-do (dandruff), although an itchy dewey pussy is more fun to think about for me.	read	I picture a baby-sitter/daycare worker reading Dr. Suess (or some kids book) to a young child. The kid is enthralled, as the animated baby-sitter reads the book with all its ryhmes and kids language.	The whole time the hot baby-sitter is reading the book, I'm undressing her with my eyes. She catches me, and wiggles in her seat a bit, as she feels a twinge of sexual excitement. Then she starts scratching her "itchy dew" violently.
troci	'Tro-She. Metro-She. I picture a male "metro-sexual". Perhaps somebody who is trying hard to stand out, socially and sexually.	try	I think of something that I try, but can't get right. I can't ever picture myself succeeding at wearing women's makeup, but I try, and remove it, and try again, and again.	I try and try again to be a Metro-she, but can't get it right. This evokes strong emotions of failure.
xabju	'Hab-Jew. I walk up to a re-hab house, an old beat-up house that is being fixed up, and who walks out? Moses.	dwell	I picture a house that's lived in. I knock on the door to see who lives there.	I always picture motion. Knocking on the door. Maybe Moses coming out and throwing the ten commandments down, smashing them to pieces.
xruti	Hi Root Team. "Rudy", a football movie reminds me of this, I want to say hi and root for my team (that Rudy was on - Notre Dame)	return	I think of returning to a store, to return an item. In this case, I remember that it's a video store, and I am returning a DVD.	The movie I rented is "Rudy". I'm returning it. A football game is on in the store, and the clerk is babbling. I finally say "Hi, Root Team!" to the clerk.
bacru	Bash-room. I picture running around a room with a baseball bat, bashing vases and walls.	utter	My teen son mumbles. I have no idea what he is uttering, but it drives me nuts. Something about milking a cow's udders.. Who knows what he's talking about… I can't understand him!	I go nuts because I can't understand my son! "If you mumble again, I am going to bash this room!" Then I proceed to bash every item in the room.
ponse	Pond-Set. This is a set of seven ponds in the back yard of my mythical home that I own.	possess	I think of my possessions. My belongings, my house, my yard. My seven ponds.	I own seven ponds. In my fantasy world.
sipna	Seep-nah. I'm looking at my wife who has fluid seeping from her ears, and flooding the room. I'm panicked, and try to alert her. "Aren't you scared?" She says "naaaah". (not an emphatic "no", but a nonchalant "naaah".)	sleep	I picture my wife sleeping. She's the person I am most familiar watching sleep. I can picture her position, her breathing, etc.	My wife is sleeping, and her ears are seeping fluid. It's even occasionally spraying (action!), but mostly just seeping. She awakes and says "naaah."
cevni	Chev'-Knee. I think of the classic late 50's Chevvy cars, with a lot of horse power and lots of knee space. But I slam it into a building and my knees crunch against the dashboard, shattering my knees. I can imagine the pain!	god	I picture an old traditional church (house of God), and people walking in on Sunday morning. I rev my engine, and crash through the crowd, smashing my car into the church building.	Don't forget to picture the knees smashing, and people yelling "Oh God!" as your Chevy smashes through the crowd and into the building. And as your knees shatter, you tell "Oh God!" too!
zbasu	zzz Bass-ewww. I picture a gross Sea Bass, Sleeping (z-ing), in my bed. It smells like bad fish, and is gross. But I have to climb in bed with it.	make	The one thing I make every day is my bed. Or I should. As I make my bed, I discover the smelly sea bass.	The Sea Bass (or Z-Bass, because it was sleeping) rises up and smacks me in my face. I can taste it's scaley sliming grossness. Ewww. Better Make the bed faster next time. (or, if you're so inclined, feel free to "make it" with the fish.)
tirna	Tear-Naah. (Tear, meaning water coming from my eye). I am crying profusely (spurting tears!). Tears are streaming out. Mom asks if I am hurt. At first I can't hear her. I say "naaaah." My eyes are just leaking.	hear	Someone is asking me something, and I am struggling to hear them. I can't quite make it out. It's Mom. She is asking me if I am hurt. Now I see why she is asking me. Because my tears are spraying all over the place. "naaah I'm fine."	I make sure to differentiate between the "naaah" and an emphatic "no". The tears need to create a visual image. Perhaps you squirted Mom with your tears.
dukse	Duke-Set. I think of the old movie "Trading Places" where Dan Akroyd is strangling Eddie Murphy, and Murphy is struggling to say "It was the Dukes, it was the Dukes". Dukes were a set of brothers.	excess	People having excess money - the Dukes in Trading Places. Had an excess, and lost it all.	Ya had to be there.
ciska	"She's Coming" - I picture cheating on a test, writing furiously, copying the paper of my classmate. He alerts me that the teacher is coming.	write	I am writing. At a desk. In school. Writing furiously on the test, trying to write as much as possible before the female teacher grabs the paper.	You need to visualize the rush and excitement and threat of potentially getting caught cheating, as you are writing furiously. Or the challenge of writing as much as you can before the paper is snatched. Need emotion.
lisri	Lease Reek. I am signing a lease for an apartment, and the rental office smells so bad. Like an old smelly apartment building.	story	I picture reading my son a bedtime story (or making one up).	As I am enjoying a moment with my young son, the landlord barges into my son's bedroom, with the lease in his hand, and reeking of bad smells. My son cries!
cizra	She's Ram. Picture a Ram slamming into someone's "she" parts (e.g. boobs).	strange	I think of the strangest person I know (that I see on a regular basis.) I picture her face.	I am talking to the strange lady, when 1000 rams come running through and ram into her "she" parts. I yell "geeeez" (have to make sure I see a "Z"). I'm startled.
barda	Bar Dad. I picture bars slamming in front of my Dad, as the jail cell closes.	big	I think of big breasts.	Why is my dad in jail? For squeezing some woman's big breasts.
preti	Pretty (not to be confused with the hillbilly "purdy" pronunciation associated with another word). This is a very proper pretty woman.	question	If I have a question, I will ALWAYS ask the prettiest woman - the prettiest clerk or the prettiest girl in a restaurant.	I see a very pretty girl. I ask her a question. "Do you want to ----?" She smacks me. Hard. And again. And then she does me. ;)
stedu	Steady-Dew. For Dew, I usually think of vaginal juices. Steady dew is trying to balance or "steady" a girl while she is wiggling - perhaps we are having sex on a high, dangerous platform, and I am trying to steady her, while she wiggles.	head	I think of my head, and giving head, and burying my head. Gotta taste it in your imagination!	I make this an exciting, dangerous sex scene. On a scaffold, high off the ground. I'm giving head, but I can't keep her ass from wiggling and her body steady, and we come crashing to the ground. Think of the excitement. Then think of the impact!
tadni	Tad-Knee. I know a guy named Tad (actually it's Todd, but that's a tad like Tad), and I picture conversing with him, but my attention keeps being drawn to his knee.	study	I study, pouring over a book, highlighting and memorizing. My total focus is on my book, when suddenly I get "knee-ed" in the face. By Tad!	When I'm picturing Tad's knee (converting from Lojban to English), I picture books and highlighters flying out of his knee. From English to Lojban, I picture him kicking me with his knee and interrupting my studying.
sutra	Sue-Trap. (or if you prefer, Kama Sutra). A lawsuit trap might be a patch of ice that people slip on, in front of your house.	fast	I picture a very fast animal - a cheetah- running quickly past.	The cheetah slips on the ice, and tumbles dangerously, and injures himself badly. Next thing you know, you're in a court room, being sued by a cheetah. And the judge rules in the cheetah's favor and a giant mouse-trap shuts on you.
ractu	Rash-Two. I picture a rash, like poison ivy, on my arm and on my chest.	rabbit	Rabbits multiply quickly.	Either the multiplying rabbit has two bad rashes (I can see them scratching, while multiplying), or they are making me break out in rashes. And the rash-bubbles on my skin are causing rabbits to come out of my skin.
cilre	She'll Wreck. Think of a mighty ship, the Titanic, wrecking and sinking.	learn	I picture me sitting in a desk in 5th grade, with the prototypical school-marm teacher in front of the class, talking about the Titanic.	I have to picture "active learning". A ship simulation or a ship that we blow up, or something. Can't just be a static image of a teacher in front of the class.
melbi	Mel-Bee. I think of Mel Gibson (actor) in Lethal Weapon, in a critical scene, and a bee stinging him (unplanned, and he reacts violently).	beautiful	Picture the most beautiful woman you can imagine. You're alone with her. Next thing you know, Mel Gibson's with her, acting out a scene from Lethal Weapon (talking her down from commiting suicide). WTF!	Important to tie the beautiful woman with Mel and the bee. Add in some emotion, some sex and some action, and it'll be memorable.