Emoji Language Beginner Lessons

This lesson is part of a series that teaches the basics of the Emoji Language.

Lesson Three: Your interests

Talking about what you like; past and future tense.

Text

Bob: 😍 👇 ❔

Ann: 👩‍🎓 👆 😀💬

Ann: 😍 👆 🧆🌯🌯

Bob: 😃

Bob: 🛒⬅️ 👆 🧆🧆 📍🏪 ⏪📆

Ann: 😍➡️ 👇 👉👉

Interlinear Translation

Bob:

😍

like[PRS]

👇

2SG[NOM]

❔

what[ACC]

What do you like?

Ann:

👩‍🎓

learn[PRS]

👆

1SG[NOM]

😀💬

emoji-language[ACC]

I [like to] learn Emoji Language.

Ann:

😍

like[PRS]

👆

1SG[NOM]

🧆🌯🌯

falafel-wrap-PL[ACC]

I like falafel wraps.

Bob:

😃

be.very.happy[PRS]

That's great!

Bob:

🛒⬅️

buy-PST

👆

1SG[NOM]

🧆🧆

falafel-PL[ACC]

📍🏪

at-store

⏪📆

previous-day

I bought falafels at the store yesterday.

Ann:

😍➡️

love-FUT

👇

2SG[NOM]

👉👉

3PL[ACC]

You'll love them!

New Vocabulary

😍	v.	to like sth./so., to love sth./so.
🧑‍🎓	v.	to learn sth.
😀	n.	emoji (also: smile)
💬	n.	language
🧆	n.	falafel
🌯	n.	wrap (also: to wrap sth.)
🛒	v.	to buy, to purchase (also: shopping cart)
🏪	n.	store, shop
⏪📆	adv.	yesterday
👉	pp.	he/she/it, his/her/its
👉👉	pp.	they, them
⬅️	suff.	past tense suffix
➡️	suff.	future tense suffix

Explanation

The interrogative emoji (❔) can not only be used as a prefix, but also in place of noun phrases. By putting it in the position of the nominative or accusative phrase of a sentence, you can ask for what would take its place, in this case: What is it that you like?

Multiple noun emoji can be combined into compound nouns, for example 🧆🌯 denotes a special kind of wrap, namely a falafel wrap. When it comes to compound nouns, the emoji to the left always narrows the meaning of the emoji to the right.

To indicate the plural form of a noun, it is simply repeated: one wrap (🌯) – many wraps (🌯🌯) or one falafel (🧆) – many falafels (🧆🧆). This rule also applies to personal pronouns: Reduplication turns the singular third person pronoun "it" (👉) into the plural form "they" (👉👉).

By default, statements are implied to be in present tense. To switch to a different tense, the past (⬅️) or future (➡️) suffix can be appended to the verb. If a specific timeframe – such as "yesterday" (⏪📆) – is given in a sentence, the tense indicated by the verb must match that timeframe.

Exercise

Find a hobby, meal etc. that you enjoy and tell your partner about it. If necessary, use noun compounding to express the concept.
Find an activity that you did yesterday and tell your partner about it using the past tense marker and the "yesterday" emoji.

View the solutions to the exercises or continue with the ⏩ next lesson.