Toki Pona

Toki Pona is a constructed language with a vocabulary of just over 120 words using only 14 phonemes:

a e i j k l m n o p s t u w

Basics

Words have multiple meanings, as nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs:

telo – water / wet / to wash.

Adjectives follow nouns, modify them:

soweli suli – big animal = elephant.

jan lili – small person = child.

Sentences

[subject] li [verb] {e [object]}

soweli li moku – a cat is eating / the dog eats / pets are drinking.

mi (me) and sina (you) don't need li: mi moku; sina toki – I eat; you speak.

Use e before the object: mi moku e kili – I eat fruit.

Particles

Use la to set context: mi toki la sina moku – when I speak, you eat.

Use pi for grouping: toki pi jan pona – language of good men; but toki jan pona – good man speaks.

Use o for commands: o moku! – Eat!

Use en for "and": mi en sina – me and you.

Use anu for "or": mi moku anu toki – I eat or speak.

Prepositions

kepeken, lon, sama, tan, tawa are also verbs: mi lon tomo – I am at home.

wile, kama, sona, lukin, ken, awen act as preverbs: mi wile moku – I want to eat.

Questions

Use ala for negation: mi moku ala – I am not eating.

Use ala for yes-no questions: sina moku ala moku? – are you eating?

To say "yes" repeat the verb: moku, to say "no" use ala: moku ala.

Use seme for open questions: sina moku seme? – what are you eating?

Use anu seme for tag questions: sina moku anu seme? – you are eating, aren't you?

Numbers

wan=1, tu=2, luka=5, mute=20, ale=100. luka tu wan=7.

Phrases

toki! – Hello!

sina pilin seme? – How are you?

nimi mi li... – My name is...

sina sona ala sona? – Do you understand?

o toki kepeken tenpo mute - Say slowly.

o toki sin e ni - Please say again.

mi pakala – Sorry.

mi wile – Please.

pona – Thank you.

mi olin e sina – I love you.

tomo telo li lon seme? – Where is the bathroom?

tomo tawa supa mi pi lon sewi li jo e kala linja mute mute – My hovercraft is full of eels.

Vocabulary

a [a!] • akesi reptile • ala no • alasa hunt • ale all • anpa low • ante other • anu [or] • awen keep • e [obj] • en [and] • esun shop • ijo thing • ike bad • ilo tool • insa centre • jaki gross • jan man • jelo yellow • jo have • kala fish • kalama sound • kama come • kasi plant • ken can • kepeken use • kili fruit • kiwen hard • ko clay • kon air • kule colour • kulupu group • kute hear • la [ctx] • lape sleep • laso blue • lawa head • len cloth • lete cold • li [pred] • lili small • linja rope • lipu page • loje red • lon at • luka hand • lukin see • lupa hole • ma land • mama parent • mani money • meli woman • mi me • mije male • moku eat • moli dead • monsi back • mu [moo!] • mun moon •

musi fun • mute many • nanpa number • nasa crazy • nasin way • nena bump • ni this • nimi name • noka leg • o [o!] • olin love • ona they • open open • pakala break • pali do • palisa stick • pan bread • pana give • pi [of] • pilin heart • pimeja dark • pini end • pipi bug • poka side • poki bag • pona good • sama same • seli hot • selo layer • seme what • sewi top • sijelo body • sike round • sin new • sina you • sinpin face • sitelen image • sona know • soweli animal • suli big • suno sun • supa surface • suwi sweet • tan from • taso but • tawa go • telo water • tenpo time • toki say • tomo home • tu 2 • unpa sex • uta mouth • utala fight • walo white • wan 1 • waso bird • wawa strong • weka away • wile want

...and one last word:

kijetesantakalu

any animal from the Procyonidae family, such as raccoons, coatis, kinkajous, olingos, ringtails and cacomistles.