Answers to the excercises from the previous lesson:
toki ma to English:
soweli ali li pesoni tawa in intawo mute → All animals need room to roam (lit. All animals need to move in a lot of space)
mi ken kute e pipi → I can hear the bugs.
waso na le tawa olente → The birds go east (right now).
akesi ni le awen ala moku e soko → This reptile has stopped eating the mushrooms (lit. has not continued).
English to toki ma:
Some bugs have entered my house → pipi na le tawa in tomo mi.
I often hear the birds in my bedroom → mi onta kute e waso in intawo lape mi.
I want to hear it from you → mi wile kute e on tan si.
My sibling is trying to learn toki ma → pata mi li alasa kama sona e toki ma.
To express the name of a person, a country, a religion, a language, etc., you have several options. In any one of them, they will have their first letter capitalized. Using Spanish as an example:
You can just use it as it is in your language: Spanish.
Or better yet, you can use it in the original language: Español.
Or even better, you can tokimanize it, that is, use only toki ma letters, adapting the sounds: Epanja.
Or the best option, you can use a toki ma word (or words) describing the category of the name (jan if it is a person; toki if it is a language; ma if it is a country; pajan if it is a city; nasin [sewi] if it is an ideology [religion], etc), followed by the tokimanized name: toki Epanja.
Remember that the goal of a language is to be understood, so if a name is internationally known, it is probably better to use it instead of the tokimanized form: jan Bill Clinton instead of jan Pikinton. But of course you can have fun adapting your name! mi jan Sepeku!
There is a "semiofficial" list of countries and languages here.
A vocative is what you use to address another person. In modern English the vocative was lost, and to address another you only use its name. You have probably heard vocatives in English in poetry: "O happy dagger!", but in many other languages they are regularly used. In toki ma, the vocative is formed with the particle o, like in English, but after the name:
mama o! si lon in seme? → Mom/Dad! Where are you?
jan o! si ken ala ken kute e mi? → Hey! Can you hear me? [lit. "person!", but that can be used as a general address]
Linkon o, si jo e pan mi → Lincoln, you have my bread.
After the vocative you can add the particle a for additional emphasis, like when you haven't seen somebody in a long time. This particle is used to express emphasis in any context.
Matison o a! → Madison!!!
mi ken tawa a! → I can go, yeah!
To express a command, also the particle o is used. The command does not have subject, so the construction is o + verb + complements:
o tawa! → Go!
o lukin e ni! → Look at this!
But the command can also be combined with the vocative:
Isan o kute! → Ethan, listen!
With the second person pronouns it adds emphasis to the order (think of a mother calling their child with the full name):
si o kama! → Come!!
It can also be used in the first or third person. In the first person is usually translated with "let's":
mina o moku! → Let's eat!
Third person imperative (jussives, if you want the technical term) can also be used:
ona o moku e pan suwi! → Let them eat cake! [sweet bread]
To express wishes and hopes, the same construction can be used:
aja si o lamo! → May your life be long!
Let's see a few useful phrases for common situations:
kama pona! → Welcome!
toki! → Hello! (Yes, to say hello we literally say "speak!")
suno pona! → Good morning! (lit. good sun!)
lape pona! → Good night! (lit. sleep well!)
si seme? / si pilin seme? → How are you? How do you feel?
moku pona! → Enjoy your meal!
tawa pona! → Bon voyage!/Goodbye!
mi tawa! → Goodbye! (if you are leaving)
nimi si li seme? → What's your name?
o tawa a! → Go away!
ajuta! → Help!
seli! → Fire!
o pake! → Stop!
si sona ala sona? → Do you understand?
o toki lansan → Please, speak more slowly
mi olin e si → I love you
pona! → Yeah! Hurray!
ike! → Oh no! Alas!
pakala! → #*@$*! - pakala means accident, destruction, and things like that, but when used as an interjection is a general curse word.
mu! → The sound an animal makes.
a! → Used to add emphasis or emotion
a a a! → Laughing!
a, aja, ajuta, jo, lansan, ma, mu, nimi, o, olin, pakala, pake, pilin, and suno
Practice what you have learned with the following sentences. The answers, in the next lesson:
toki ma to English (this time it's going to be a short conversation!):
William o, kama pona! tawa si le pona anu seme?
pona a, Rosa o! mi kama in tenpo ni. Masuko li lon?
ala! on li lon in pajan on.
ike! mi wile lukin e on. si le moku ala moku?
mi moku ala, si wile ala wile tawa moku?
wile. o tawa ki tomo moku, si wile anu seme?
lon! mina o tawa!
English to toki ma:
D*mn! I broke the glass!
Hey, my love, how are you?
Ha ha ha! You are so funny!
Hello! I made you a delicious meal!