Master Yoda's English

Do you know the Star Wars movie series?

Whether you’re from an older or a younger generation, it doesn’t matter. Because the famous director George Lucas made the first part of the series from 1999 to 2005. These movies were Episodes 1, 2 and 3.   

Copyright: 1999 20th Century Fox

                             

                                            

Anyway, there’s one interesting character in the Star Wars series that most people know somehow – whether or not they are a Star Wars fan.

I’m talking about Master Yoda.

Master Yoda is a short, green alien. He looks really old (actually he’s between 800 to 900 years old! ;-D But don’t let his appearance fool you because he’s one of the strongest and most powerful Jedi masters! In fact, he taught the main character Luke Skywalker.

In 2008, one magazine chose Master Yoda as the 25^th greatest movie character of all time.

Like I said, Master Yoda is well-known because of his Jedi power and sword-fighting skill. But there’s one more thing that he’s famous for: He follows a different, alien form of grammar.

Most people who have watched Master Yoda in the movies  might have noticed that Yoda follows this word order: Object + Subject + Verb, or sometimes Adjective + Subject + Verb.

As many of us already know, the normal word order that English follows is: Subject + Verb + Object. Other languages in the world might follow a different pattern (perhaps even similar to Yoda’s English), but S + V + O is the normal way for real English.

Yoda’s English is quite understandable and interesting for a movie character. But it isn’t a good idea to copy this if you’re a student trying to learn English.

Here are some examples of Yoda English compared to real English. Yoda English is in green font while real and correct English is in blue:

1.       The Dark Side of the Force are they.

They are the Dark Side of the Force.

2.       Impossible to see the future is.

It is impossible to see the future.

3.       Strong is Vader.

Vader is strong.

4.       Save you it can.

It can save you.

5.       On this all depends.

All depends on this.

6.       Judge me by size, do you?

Do you judge me by size?

7.       This one a long time I have watched.

I have watched this one a long time.

8.       When gone am I, the last of the Jedi you will be.

When I am gone, you will be the last of the Jedi.

9.       Powerful you have become.

You have become powerful.

10.   Not if anything to say about it I have.

I have nothing to say about it.

11.   Soon will I rest.

I will rest soon.

12.   Good relations with the Wookies, I have.

I have good relations with the Wookies.

13.   Happens to every guy sometimes this does.

This sometimes happens to every guy.

14.   Pain I feel.

I feel pain.

15.   Find him you will.

You will find him.

Hope you learned something!