Klingon expresses the idea of doing one thing instead of another with the idiomatic construction 'e' qa', which literally means "it replaces that." The pronoun 'e' refers to the earlier action being replaced, and qa' means "replace."

• 'awje' vItlhutlh; HIq vItlhutlh 'e' qa'
  I drink root beer instead of liquor.
  (Literally: "I drink root beer; it replaces that I drink liquor.")
• jIQam; jIba' 'e' qa'
  I stand rather than sit. / I'll stand instead of sitting.
  (Literally: "I stand; it replaces that I sit.")

Shortened Constructions

In casual or conversational Klingon, speakers often drop the verb in the second sentence and refer only to the noun being replaced. The 'e' pronoun is grammatically optional in these shortened forms but is sometimes included anyway out of habit.

• 'awje' vItlhutlh; HIq ('e') qa'
  I drink root beer instead of liquor.
  (Literally: "I drink root beer; it replaces liquor.")
• 'awje'; HIq ('e') qa'
  Root beer instead of liquor.
  (Used as a response. Literally: "Root beer; it replaces liquor.")

This construction is especially common when responding to a question or offering a choice. For example, if someone asks:

• HIq Datlhutlh DaneH'a'? – Do you want to drink liquor?
  A natural response might be: 'awje'; HIq qa' – Root beer instead of liquor.

This idiomatic use of qa' is a practical way to express preference or substitution in Klingon.