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Resources

Learning Lojban can be challenging, but the right resources make all the difference. This list brings together tools, courses, communities, and more to support you on your journey. Explore the sections below and dive in wherever feels right!

Online Communities

Engaging with fluent speakers and fellow learners is one of the best ways to improve. This section lists forums, social media groups, and other online spaces where you can ask questions, practice, and find support.

  • roljbogu'e
    The most active group chat for Lojban. Home to most of the active Lojbanists, and where most discussions and activities about the language take place.
  • Lojban live chat
    An older group chat, now much less active than roljbogu'e.
  • r/Lojban
    Discussions about Lojban on Reddit.
  • Lojban Google Group
    Discussions about Lojban on Google Group.
  • Lojban Facebook Group
    Discussions about Lojban on Facebook.

Courses

Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, structured courses can provide guidance and practice. Here, you'll find courses that cover different aspects of the language. Note that all current courses teach grammar only, and you will need to learn the vocabulary separately.

General Information

This section contains things you might want to look at before jumping into one of the courses. Some discuss possible pitfalls in the courses that you should be aware of, and some are comparisons between the courses so you can figure out which one is best for you.

  • A Note on Terminators by la .samflir.
    Some courses introduce terminators (words like ku, kei etc.) in a way that is not consistent with natural usage, which can hinder future progress. This article highlights them and provides guidance to help learners develop a more authentic and accurate understanding of the language.
  • A large table showing which grammar points appear where in each course. Good for cross-referencing.

Individual Courses

These are the courses that will guide a complete beginner through the grammar of Lojban. After completing one of these courses, you should have a firm grasp of Lojban grammar.

  • Lojban for Beginners by Nick Nicholas and Robin Turner
    An old course that teaches CLL Lojban. Although very old, it's not really outdated since most of what it teaches is still valid today, and it contains many insights into the language.
  • The Wave Lessons by la klaku
    A popular text for learning Lojban. Covers newer grammatical innovations (such as xorlo and dotside) not covered in Lojban for Beginners.
  • Learn Lojban by la gleki
    A newer course that is actively maintained. Features AI-generated illustrations.
  • My First Lojban by la .cogas.
    A Lojban course in Japanese. Has a partial English translation.
  • A modern, gentle introductory course based on The Wave Lessons. Includes Duolingo-style interactive exercises.
  • la karda by ldlework
    A distilled, fast-paced overview of the grammar of the Lojban language.

Video Lectures

Some Lojbanists have made video lectures on Lojban to appeal to a wider audience. While less comprehensive than the courses listed above, they can serve as an introduction to the language.

Grammar

Understanding grammar is key to mastering any language. This section includes references, explanations, and tools to help you grasp the rules and structures of the language.

Base Grammar

These are the grammars that pretty much every Lojbanist agrees on. Stick to these if you want your Lojban work to be understood by everyone.

  • The Complete Lojban Language
    Often abbreviated as "the CLL". Widely regarded as the go-to reference for the language, this book has shaped how many people learn and understand it. While some parts may now be a bit outdated (see the next resource), it remains an essential resource.
  • BPFK Sections
    These sections, grouped by cmavo classes, expand on the CLL, explaining it more fully and resolving unclear and contradictory parts. Widely accepted by the community, they're considered as part of the base grammar. The most important of these is the gadri section, which supersedes the relevant sections in the CLL.

Proposals and Variations

Over time, various Lojban experts have proposed changes to make the grammar more consistent, more expressive, or both. Some of these changes have caught on in the community and are widely used. If you see a Lojban text that seems ungrammatical, check to see if it incorporates some of the changes below!

Roughly ordered from most to least common.
  • A Simpler Connective System
    Go here if you see je cu or je followed by a sumti. One of the most common variations of the base grammar.
  • A Simpler Quantifier Logic
    A proposal to incorporate plural logic into Lojban, as opposed to the singular logic used by the base grammar.
    This is quite an advanced topic so it's safe to skip this for now if you're a beginner.
  • cmevla-brivla Merger (CBM)
    Use cmevla more freely by treating them like brivlas.
  • zantufa
    A rework of the Lojban grammar, aiming to make it more concise and elegant. Has a parser.
  • tcekitau
    A "tcekitau" dialect swaps some of the more-used two-syllbale cmavo with lesser-used one-syllable cmavo to save syllables in sentences. Once ubiquitous, it sees much less use now, but is important to keep in mind when reading older texts.
  • jboponei
    Have you ever seen a po or peu that appears out of place? Maybe it's a substitute for lo su'u!
  • zipcpi: Yet another gadri article
    Part of the gadganzu proposal, which aims to make the gadri system in Lojban more organized. Incompatible with the base grammar, however.
  • New Sentence Links (.ajbo)
    "A Simpler Connective System" frees up the cmavo .a, .e, .o, and .u... Why not use them like .i?

Individual Styles

Fluent Lojbanists talk about the Lojban grammar they use. Good for seeing how various proposals and base grammar syncretize into one.

Parsers

Lojban prides itself on syntactic unambiguity and computer parsability. The tools below will help you check the grammatical structure of your Lojban so that it is parsable by both humans and computers. You can also use them to understand other people's Lojban.

  • jboski/jbofihe
    An old parser that parses text according to the CLL grammar. Although old, many still like to use it because its output is easy to understand and includes glosses for sumti places.
  • ilmentufa
    A more modern parser that has many different modes for parsing text in standard and various experimental grammars.
  • ilmentufa with glosser
    A parser based on "Camxes: standard" of the above parser, but with syntax highlighting and glosses to make the output more understandable.
  • Visual camxes
    Another parser based on "Camxes: standard" of ilmentufa which displays the output graphically.
  • zantufa parser
    A parser for zantufa, a rework of the Lojban grammar.

Vocabulary

Expanding your vocabulary makes communication easier and more natural. Here are resources for learning new words, including dictionaries, flashcards, and thematic word lists.

Dictionaries

Quick, accessible, and often packed with extra features, online dictionaries are useful tools for looking up words, checking usage, and exploring meanings. This section lists some of the most reliable ones available for the language.

  • la xlasisku
    A word search engine that supports searching by regex and rhymes, and also finding gismu conflicts.
  • la lidysisku
    A faster alternative to la sutysisku.
  • la sutysisku
    A popular Lojban word search engine. Has a sentence database so you can search for example sentences too. Works offline.
  • la vlasisku
    Another popular Lojban word search engine.
  • la jbovlaste
    Where all the other dictionaries get their data from. You can register an account there, add words, and vote for words you think are good or bad.

Flashcards

Flashcards are a handy way to build and reinforce vocabulary. This section includes curated decks that help you practice words and phrases.

Cheatsheets

Various cheatsheets for quick references. Most of them are pretty self-explanatory.

Works

Exposure to real-world content in the language is crucial for immersion. This section contains books, articles, music, and other media to help you engage with the language in context.

Texts

Reading content written in the language is one of the best ways to see how it's used in practice. This section collects stories, articles, and other texts that offer exposure to natural language and a deeper feel for its rhythm and style.

Roughly ordered from most to least recent.

Songs

Music is a powerful way to connect with a language. This section features songs written in the language - great for getting used to its sounds, rhythms, and cultural context while enjoying something memorable.

Other Media

Videos, recordings, any Lojban content that is neither text or songs go here.

Others

Some useful resources don't fit neatly into the previous categories. This section includes various tools, tips, and references that can enhance your learning experience.

Alternative Orthographies

Various Lojbanists have proposed native scripts to Lojban. This section lists the most commonly used ones.

  • la zbalermorna
    The de facto native script of Lojban. You don't need to learn it (most Lojban texts are written in Latin script anyway), but it shows up quite often in Lojban artworks.

Archives

Lojban has a rich history - one of the richest among conlangs, actually. This section lists archives of past discussions in or about the Lojban language. Dive in to feel its history and get insights and tips from people of the past!

  • Lojban wiki
    Once the central hub for discussion of Lojban, this site now serves primarily as an archive. It preserves years of conversations about the language - covering grammar questions, vocabulary debates, usage notes, and more. It's a valuable resource for deeper insights and historical context.

Languages don't stand still - they grow through the people who use them, explore them, and create with them. This list is just one part of that ongoing story. If you discover or create a resource that helps others learn, please share it with us so we can add it here. Every contribution helps the language - and its community - move forward.

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