Official Toki Pona (_^SONJA)

This creative work by Stephan Schneider is based on the official Toki Pona book and website: http://tokipona.org


Terminology
Grammar
Punctuation
Corpus
Errata

Terminology

_{^{NOUN PHRASE}}s are sometimes called _{^{NOUN GROUP}}s.

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
mije	_{^{NOUN GROUP}}	_{^{NOUN PHRASE}}

Since _^NOUNs and _^PRONOUNs are indistinguishable in Toki Pona, they are both called _^NOUNs.

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
mi	_^NOUN	_^NOUN: _^PRONOUN

Since _^ADJECTIVEs and _{^{INTRANSITIVE VERB}}s are indistinguishable in Toki Pona, they are both called _^ADJECTIVEs.

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
awen	_^ADJECTIVE	_^ADJECTIVE: _{^{INTRANSITIVE VERB}}

Since _^ADJECTIVEs and _^ADVERBs are indistinguishable in Toki Pona, they are both called _^ADJECTIVEs.

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
mute	_^ADJECTIVE	_^ADJECTIVE, _^ADVERB

Therefore, _{^{TRANSITIVE VERB}}s can be simply called _^VERBs. In the context of _^SENTENCEs though, "_^VERB" also means either _{^{MAIN VERB}} or _^PREDICATE.

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
pali	_^VERB	_^VERB: _{^{TRANSITIVE VERB}}

…	_^VERB	_^SENTENCE's _^PREDICATE
mama	_^VERB	_^SENTENCE's _{^{MAIN VERB}}

_{^INTERJECTION}s and _^NAMEs are called _^PARTICLEs.

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
mu!	_^PARTICLE	_^PARTICLE: _^ONOMATOPEIA: _{^INTERJECTION}
nanpa (wan)	_^PARTICLE	_^PARTICLE: _^ONOMATOPEIA: _^NAME

As long as _^NAMEs are single words only (like place names), they behave as _^ADJECTIVEs. Therefore, _^ONOMATOPEIAs are called _^ADJECTIVEs. But when _^NAMEs are come as multiple words (like proper names) they are used without pi (like the _^ONOMATOPEIA nanpa).

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
Papuwanijukini	_^ADJECTIVE	_^PARTICLE: _^ONOMATOPEIA: _^NAME
Epawan Linkan	_^ADJECTIVE	_^PARTICLE: _^ONOMATOPEIA: _^NAME

_^CORRELATIVEs are introduced as _^NOUNs/_^ADJECTIVEs. seme is introduced as a _^PARTICLE.

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
ale	_^NOUN/_^ADJECTIVE	_^CORRELATIVE
ni	_^NOUN/_^ADJECTIVE	_^CORRELATIVE
seme	_^PARTICLE	_^CORRELATIVE

_^MARKERs are called _^PARTICLEs.

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
pi	_^PARTICLE	_^PARTICLE: _^MARKER

_{^{SUBORDINATE CLAUSE}}s after ni: are called (subsequent) _^SENTENCEs.

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
ni: jan Melani li kama lon tomo mi	_^SENTENCE	_{^{SUBORDINATE CLAUSE}}

The _{^{CONTEXT PHRASE}} (i.e. a _{^{PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE}} before la) is also called _^FRAGMENT.

	_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
tan seme la	_^FRAGMENT	_{^{CONTEXT PHRASE}}

Grammar

PRE-VERB

Additional _^PRE-VERBs are omitted.

mi wile ~~kama~~ sona.
I have to learn. → I have to know.

When converting an _^ADJECTIVE with a _^PRE-VERB into a _^NOUN or a _^VERB, the _^PRE-VERB is omitted.

~~kama~~ ante	ona li ~~kama~~ ante e ijo.
change	She changed something.

Punctuation


Colon
Comma
Quotation Marks

Colon

A colon stands between a _^NOUN and a _^SENTENCE that the _^NOUN represents, forming a _{^{SUBORDINATE CLAUSE}}.

mi wile e ni: jan Melani li kama lon tomo mi.
I want Mélanie to visit me.

Comma

A coordinating comma between two _{^{INDICATIVE PHRASE}}s can be safely removed.

ma mama li lili, li lete. → ma mama li lili li lete.
The fatherland is small and cold.

A coordinating comma between two _{^{ACCUSATIVE PHRASE}}s can be safely removed.

ona li seli e soweli, e pan. → ona li seli e soweli e pan.
She cooks the hares and some rice.

A coordinating comma between two _{^{PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE}}s can be safely removed.

mi pana e kala tawa ona, lon tomo. → mi pana e kala tawa ona lon tomo.
I give fish to her in the home.

A coordinating comma between a _^SENTENCE followed by the _{^INTERJECTION} a! can be safely removed.

sina suli, a! → sina suli a!
You're so tall!

A coordinating comma between two _^SENTENCEs can't be safely removed.

jan Mawijo li kepeken ilo alasa, taso linja li pakala.
Mawijo uses the bow, but the string breaks.

A subordinating comma between a _{^{SUBORDINATE CLAUSE}} and la can't be safely removed.

mi pona tawa jan, la jan li pona tawa mi.
If I am good to people, people are good to me.

Quotation Marks

Quotation marks can be safely removed if the sense stays the same.

tan seme la sina pana e nimi "pona" tawa mi? → tan seme la sina pana e nimi pona tawa mi?
Why do you call me good?

Corpus


Preface
What Is Toki Pona?
Limitations
Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Toki Pona Proverbs
Famous Quotations
The Torah
The Gospel
The Qu'ran
The Ant's Chapter
Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
Short Obligatory Prayer
Phrase Book

Preface

mi open lon nimi sewi.
I begin with the name of the Divine.

toki pona li tan seme? tenpo pini la mi wile sona e kon ale kepeken nimi lili.
Toki Pona was my philosophical attempt to understand the meaning of life in 120 words.

mi lukin e kon mi. … mi pali e nasin toki lili. …
Through a process of soul-searching, … I designed a simple communication system …

mi pana e toki lili mi tawa jan ale lon ilo lipu lon tenpo pini.
I first published my micro-language on the Web in 2001.

kulupu lili li kama. ona li olin e toki pona.
A small community of Toki Pona fans emerged.

pu la mi wile pana e selo pini pi toki pona.
In this book, I hope to present the language in its completed form.

What Is Toki Pona?

kili
… turnips, kumquats, lingonberries

lipu
… printed book, postcard, clay tablet

Limitations

Lesson 1

(Letters and Sounds)

jaki
yucky

mu
moo

Lesson 2

(Words and Sentences)

ijo
… something, being

ni li kili.
This is a banana.

kili li ijo.
Blueberries are things.

ni li lipu.
This is a piece of paper.

Lesson 3

(Nouns and Adjectives)

soweli meli li pona.
The female animal is friendly.

Lesson 4

(You and I)

wawa
… dependable

ni li kili mi.
This is my kiwi.

Lesson 5

(Verbs)

toki
something that you speak, i.e. a language; the act of speaking, i.e. speech

moku
something that you eat, i.e. food; the act of eating

jan sona
a person who knows, a knowledgeable person

lipu kulupu li wawa.
The community's book is reliable.

mi kute e sina.
I will listen to you.

kili li jo e telo.
The orange contains liquid.

jan pona li moku e soweli.
The friends ate meat.

Lesson 6

(More Adjectives)

sewi
that which is divine, i.e. God

ala
nothingness

pona
… to improve

suli
… to enlarge

telo li wawa e mi.
Water strengthens me.

mama mije li pu mute.
Fathers use the Toki Pona book a lot.

Lesson 7

(Questions and Answers)

seme li sin?
what is new?

Lesson 8

(Prepositions)

lon
at, with, in; to be present

mi tawa sina.
I am moving towards you.

Lesson 9

(Proper Names)

nasin
… street

ma Apika li jo e jan mute.
Africa has many people.

jan Sulu li utala e jan ike.
Mr. Sulu fights a bad guy.

Lesson 10

(Greetings and Feelings)

a	sina suli a!	a a a!	ma Kanata li jo e kala mute a!
(emotion word)	You're so tall!	Ha ha ha!	Canada has a lot of fish, wow!

o
(call or command), (shows who is being called or addressed; command or request; wish or desire)

sewi o pana e pona tawa mi!
O God, give good to me!

pona tawa sina!
Peace be with you.

tawa pona.
Good departure!

Lesson 11

(pi)

meli lili pi sijelo pona li telo e kasi.
The healthy girl waters the plant.

pi
(divides a second _{^{NOUN PHRASE}} that describes a first _{^{NOUN PHRASE}})

mu!
Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Lesson 12

(Numbers)

ala	wan	tu	mute	luka
0	1	2	3+, 20	5

soweli
badger

ale
∞, 100

Lesson 13

(Pre-Verbs)

nasin li kama lili.
The path becomes narrow.

sijelo meli li kama pona a!
The woman's health improved, yay!

Lesson 14

(Colours and la)

la	lon → la
(separates context from main sentence)	in the context of

sina kama lon tomo mi, la mi pana e moku.
If you come to my home, I will serve food.

ilo pi laso pimeja li lon tomo walo.
The dark green tool is in the white shed.

suno li loje, la tenpo pona li lon.
When the sun is red, it is the right time.

~~lon~~ tenpo ike la jan li wile toki tawa jan pona.
During bad times, a person needs to talk to friends.

mi pilin ike tan utala suli.
I feel bad because of the large battle.

Lesson 15

(Spatial Nouns)

monsi
area behind …

noka
area below or under

poka
… area beside …

sewi
… sky

sinpin
area in front … chest

noka tomo li wawa.
The foundation of the building is stable.

jan lili li lon insa pi mama meli.
The baby is inside the mother's womb.

kala laso mute li lon noka pi telo suli.
Many green sea creatures are at the bottom of the ocean.

o awen e monsi sina.
Protect your back.

mi lukin e meli pimeja lon sinpin tomo.
I see a black lady in front of the building.

Lesson 16

(Particles and Perspective)

suwi li pona tawa mi.
I like sweets.

sina en mi li anpa tawa sewi.
You and I are lowly from the perspective of God.

Lesson 17

(Hunting Adventure)

mi wile e ni:
I want the following:

ona li wile alasa li kama jo e ilo alasa e len loje.
He wants to go hunting and gets a bow and orange vest.

… ona li kute e mu wawa.
… he hears the loud call of an animal.

lawa soweli li jo e palisa.
The moose has antlers.

jan Mawijo li kepeken ilo alasa, taso linja li pakala.
Mawijo uses the bow, but the string breaks.

soweli suli li tawa weka.
The moose runs away.

Lesson 18

(Cooking Adventure)

seli
to use fire on, to cook

jan Mawijo li jo e meli olin.
Mawijo has a beloved wife.

jan Sili li lape lili lon supa.
Sili is napping on the sofa.

… jan Sili li pona e tomo …
Sili tidied up the house.

kalama a!
A noise.

jan Sili … li uta e jan Mawijo.
Sili … kisses Mawijo.

ona li seli e soweli …
She cooks the hares …

Lesson 19

(The Frontier)

Toki Pona Proverbs

Famous Quotations

The Torah

sewi li sewi mi.
The Lord is our God.

The Gospel

Matthew 26:39

mama mi o!
"My Father!"

Luke 18:18-19

jan lawa li wile sona e ni tan jan Isa:
A certain ruler asked Jesus, …

The Qur'an

Chapter of Sincerity

sewi li wawa ale.
God is Independent of all.

ona li mama ala, li jo ala e mama. ijo ala li sama ona.
[God] doesn't give birth, wasn't born. Nothing is like [God].

The Ant's Chapter

Writings of Bahá'u'lláh

o pilin ala e ni: …
Think not that …

sewi li open e telo suwi kepeken luka wawa.
We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power.

… li wawa e ni.
To this bears witness …

jan sona o kepeken sona a!
Meditate upon this, O people of insight!

Short Obligatory Prayer

tenpo ni la mi sona e ni: mi anpa. sina wawa. …
I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Your might, …

… You, the Help in Peril, …
sina awen e ale.

Phrase Book

mi tawa	tawa pona
bye (said by the person leaving)	bye (said by the person staying)

Errata

Lessons

_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
_^NOUN something that you speak, i.e. a language	_^NOUN something that you say, i.e. a message; the way of communication, i.e. language

jan Epawam Linkan li tan ma Mewika.	jan Epawan Linkan li tan ma Mewika.

The particle pi is used to divide a second noun group that describes a first noun group.	The particle pi is used to divide a second noun phrase that describes a first noun or noun phrase.

kulupu pi toki pona li pona e ijo mute.	kulupu pi toki pona li pana e ijo mute.

mi lukin e meli pimeja lon sinpin tomo.	mi lukin e meli pimeja lon sinpin tomo.

open _^VERB open	open _^ADJECTIVE open _^VERB to open

mi wile e ni: jan Melani li kama tawa tomo mi.	mi wile e ni: jan Melani li kama lon tomo mi.

alasa _^VERB hunt, forage	alasa _^VERB to hunt, forage

lape _^VERB to sleep	lape _^ADJECTIVE sleeping

Place Names

_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
ma Sawusi	ma Sajusi

Official Toki Pona Dictionary

_^SONJA	_^TEPAN
a _^PARTICLE (emphasis, emotion or confirmation)	a _^PARTICLE (emotion word), (emphasis or confirmation)

anpa _^ADJECTIVE bowing down, downward, humble, lowly, dependent	anpa _^ADJECTIVE humble, lowly, dependent: (kama anpa) downward; bowing down

awen _^ADJECTIVE enduring, kept, protected, safe waiting, staying	awen _^ADJECTIVE enduring, kept, waiting, staying: (ken awen) protected, safe

kalama _^VERB to produce a sound; recite, utter aloud	kalama _^ADJECTIVE producing a sound _^VERB to recite, utter aloud

linja _^NOUN long and flexible thing	linja _^NOUN long flexible thing

lon _^PREPOSITION located at, present at, real, true, existing	lon _^PREPOSITION located at, present at _^ADJECTIVE existing, real, true

lukin _^PRE-VERB to seek, look for, try to	lukin _^PRE-VERB to try to; to seek to: (lukin jo) to look for

moli _^ADJECTIVE dead, dying	moli _^ADJECTIVE dead: (kama moli) dying

seli _^ADJECTIVE fire	seli _^NOUN fire

toki _^VERB to communicate, say, speak, say, talk, use language, think	toki _^VERB to communicate, say, speak; think _^ADJECTIVE talking, using language

poka _^NOUN hip, side; next to, nearby, vicinity	poka _^NOUN hip, side; next to, vicinity _^ADJECTIVE nearby

unpa _^VERB to have sexual or marital relations with	unpa _^VERB to have sex with

Files

pu.md

Latest commit

History