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When two nouns, verbs, or prepositions are placed next to each other, the second word is "of or pertaining to" the first word. Examples:
PUTO TOZU
A building of or pertaining to metal (a metal building)
BIKI KATA
Focusing of or pertaining to seeing (to look at)
POPI DOPI
Toward of or pertaining to inside (into)
A situation noun is a clause enclosed by brackets. (A clause contains at least a subject and a verb.) A situation noun represents "the state, quality, action, or process of" the enclosed clause. Example:
[PEKA BIKI PAZU]
The state, quality, action, or process of a person seeing a tree.
[TOSE BUDE PUDU]
The state, quality, action, or process of a machine pushing dirt.
[KIKE GOTA PIDI]
The state, quality, action, or process of me enjoying food.
Situation nouns may be embedded in other clauses. As the name would imply, an embedded situation noun behaves as a noun.
KIKE KAPA [PEKA BIKI PAZU]
I know the state, quality, action, or process of a person seeing a tree.
I know that the person sees a tree.
[TOSE BUDE PUDU] TUKO GATE
The state, quality, action, or process of a machine pushing dirt causes a hole.
The machine pushing dirt causes a hole.
PEZU GOPA [KIKE GOTA PIDI]
The man wants the state, quality, action, or process of me enjoying food.
The man wants me to enjoy food.
Please note: There is no one-to-one translation for situation nouns to and from English. You will often need to use your best judgement.
Ellipsis is allowed when the missing word is self-evident. (Ellipsis is the removal of a word from a sentence.)
PUDO DIZA BIDO PUPU.
Water is a blue material.
PUDO DIZA BIDO.
Water is blue.
PUDO BIDO.
Water is blue.
Believe it or not, now you know ALL of Zese grammar! Good job! The rest of the lessons will describe usage of particular words.