Toki Pona

Toki Pona's alphabet contains the following letters:

All letters are pronounced like their symbols indicate in the IPA.

• If the subject of a sentence is mi or sina, the predicate comes immediately after.
  • The predicate is the part of speech that contains information about what the subject is or is doing.
• If the subject of a sentence is something other than mi or sina, the predicate is seperated from the subject with li
  • If you need more than one predicate, just use more than one predicate, with li before both.
    • If the subject is mi or sina, just start a new sentence.
• Adjectives follow the noun they modify.
  • The order matters; "A B" means A of type B. "A B C" means (A of type B) of type C.
• The predicate is seperated from the direct object with the word e.
  • Remember that e is only needed for direct objects. If the verb does not affect the object, e is unnecessary.
  • If you need more than one object, just use more than one object, with e before both.
• "A la B" means "B happens when A happens", or "if A, then B".
  • la can also be used for time: "tenpo [time phrase] la [sentence]."
  • Adverbs usually follow verbs, but if you want to put an adverb at the beginning of a sentence, follow it with la.
• Yes/No questions are formed by doubling the sentences verb, with the word ala in the middle.
  • To say yes, say "[Verb]."
  • To say no, say "[Verb] ala."
  • One can also say "[Sentence], anu seme?" to form yes/no questions.
• Words that are outside of the Toki Pona dictionary are capitalized, and are adjectives.
  • Words that use sounds that Toki Pona does not allow should be changed to fit Toki Pona's phonology.
    • ji, ti, wo, and wu are also not allowed.
      • ji, ti, wo, and wu become i, si, o, and u.
    • The syllables that don't start with consonants can only come at the start of a word.
    • Toki Ponized words should avoid sounding like an existing Toki Pona word.
• To form a command, replace li with o.
  • Using o to address someone before a sentence that isn't a command is allowed, but should probably be separated with a comma.

¹ Can be used as a greeting.
² Used for adjectives only.
³ Used for multiple subjects, not compound sentences.
⁴ Implies land mammal.
⁵ Replaces the part of the sentence you don't know. Implies a question.
⁶ When used between objects, a second e is not needed.
⁷ This can be an adposition.
⁸ Not an adposition, but can be combined with lon to become an adposition.
⁹ Can be used to transition from a previous sentence, but cannot combine sentences.

Please avoid using numbers in Toki Pona, for your own sake.

This numbering system is not great, since basically any number 3 or higher becomes mute. Thankfully, there is an unofficial numbering system that is slightly better.

The words here are ordered from largest to smallest. 3 becomes tu wan, 7 becomes luka tu, and 18 becomes luka luka luka tu wan.
Ordinal numbers use nanpa, followed by the number word, i.e. nanpa tu = second.

• sina jan pona mi.
  • You are my friend.
• jan ike mi li pipi.
  • My enemies are bugs.
• kili lili ni li moku.
  • This small fruit is food.
• mi moku e kili.
  • I eat fruit.
• mi jo e moku kili.
  • I have a little food.
• jan pona mi li esun e ilo kalama.
  • My friend buys an instrument.
• jan ni li lukin e kili nasa.
  • This person sees weird vegetables.
• mi wile moku.
  • I want/need food.
• ilo pi kalama suli / ilo kalama suli.
  • loud tool / big instrument.
• mama sina li lawa e kulupu lipu suli.
  • Your parent controls a big book group
  • Your parents lead the large book club.
• mana sina li lawa e kulupu pi lipu suli
  • Your parents are in charge of a collecction of large books.
• ken la
  • Maybe
• mi ken lape.
  • I can sleep.
• ken la mi lape.
  • Maybe I sleep.
• ken la mi ken lape.
  • Maybe I can sleep.
• sina lape la sina jo e sona.
  • If you sleep, you have knowledge.
• jan ni li moku la sijelo ona li pona.
  • If this person eats, their body will be good.
• tenpo ni
  • This time
  • Now
• tenpo kama
  • Arriving time
  • Later
• tenpo pini
  • Completed time
  • Earlier
• mi moku e kala e kili.
  • I eat fish and fruit.
• pipi li lape li moku.
  • Bugs sleep and eat.
• ona li moku ala moku e moku pona?
  • Do they eat good food?
• sina sona ala sona e toki pona?
  • Do you know Toki Pona?
• sina sona e seme?
  • What do you know?
• soweli suli li moli ala moli e mun?
  • Did a big animal kill the moon?
• soweli suli li moli e mun anu sona?
  • Did a big animal kill the moon or the sun?
• tenpo seme la soweli suli li moli e mun?
  • When did a big animal kill the moon?
• soweli suli li moli e mun, anu seme?
  • Didn't a big animal kill the moon?
• o moku e kili sina.
  • Eat your fruit.
• jan Wapa o moku e kili sina.
  • Eat your fruit, Robert. (Wapa = Robert)
• mama o, mi moku ala e kili mi.
  • Mom, I didn't eat my fruit.
• akesi laso o pakala ala e pan mi!
  • Hey green lizard, don't destroy my bread!
• mi kama tan ma Mewika li toki kepeken toki Inli.
  • I come from America and speak using english.
• mi pana e moku tawa soweli.
  • I give food to the animal.
• mi lon tomo tawa.
  • I'm in the car.
• soweli sina li pona tawa mi.
  • I like your dog.
  • Your dog is good to me.
• mi lon poka sina la mi pana e tomo tawa sina.
  • If I'm near you, I'll give you a house.
  • If I'm near you, I'll give your car.
    • You'll just need to have context to know if tawa is an adjective or an adposition.
• tenpo suno pi nanpa wan la mi tawa tomo nanpa tu pi jan pona mi.
  • On the first day, I went to my friend's second house.
• mi mute
  • We
• mi mute li kama sona e nimi ale.
  • We have learned 100 words.
  • We have learned all words.
• sina en mi li pali e ilo mute e ijo mute li pakala e ilo mute e ijo mute.
  • You and me make and break many tools and things.
• sina en mi li pali e ni li pakala e ni: ilo mute en ijo mute.
  • You and me make and break many tools and things.
• soweli sina li pona a tawa mi. taso, mi ken ala jo e ona.
  • I really like your animal, but I cannot have it.
• mi sona e ni: soweli mi li pona tawa sina.
  • I know this: you like my cat.
  • I know you like my cat.
• mi toki e ni: mi wile tawa.
  • I said I want to go.
• jan sama
  • sibling
• tenpo ni la mi ken toki e toki pona lili.
  • Now I can speak a little Toki Pona.
• waso ni li sona e ni: len mi li pona a.
  • This bird knows my clothes are very cool/good.
• mi pu la mi kama jo e sona pi toki pona.
  • When I interact with Toki Pona: The Language of Good, I gain knowledge of Toki Pona.