"near", "far", "fast", "slow" in toki pona

Language learning: How to speak Toki Pona, translation problems, advice, memory aids, tools and methods to learn Toki Pona and other languages faster
Lingva lernado: Kiel paroli Tokiponon, tradukproblemoj, konsiloj, memoraj helpiloj, iloj kaj metodoj por pli rapide lerni Tokiponon kaj aliajn lingvojn
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Ason
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Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 7:50 am

"near", "far", "fast", "slow" in toki pona

Post by Ason »

i think the concept "near" can be expressed by 'poka lili', extracted from analogy by 'sama lili'.
but so far i couldn't made out myself the toki pona expressions for "far", "fast", "slow".
maybe i can use 'poka lili ala' for "far" as a makeshift until someone teaches me how to say it exactly in toki pona, though poka lili ala seems to be quite different from "far", but there is no way.
for "slow" and "fast", once i invented 'tawa lon tenpo mute' and 'tawa lon tenpo lili' from physical idea, but i wish i can say them in more simple, intuitive and unambiguous way.
(oh, i've just read it again. maybe 'tawa lon tenpo mute' can be used for 'far' in some situations.)
how do you express these qualities in toki pona?
janMato
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Re: "near", "far", "fast", "slow" in toki pona

Post by janMato »

Gimmie some full sentences and I have more ideas. Here is some stuff that comes to mind.

My house is near to the store.
tomo mi li lon poka tomo mani.

I have far to travel before I rest.
mi tawa mute kin la mi ken lape.

All the actresses were vamping in the movie "The Fast and the Furious"
meli ale li jo e nena suli e len lili lon sitelen tawa ni: "jan lawa pi tomo tawa li wawa tawa li pilin utala."

If your car is slow stay out of the fast lane.
tomo tawa sina li tawa pi wawa ala la o awen lon linja pi tomo tawa pi wawa lili.

It might take a variety of strategies to translate any single word depending on the context it is found.
janSilipu
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Re: "near", "far", "fast", "slow" in toki pona

Post by janSilipu »

'poka' seems to be the stock word for"near", though the exact usage is not settled: 'lon poka', 'poka tawa' are both used for "near to". Similarly, 'weka' seems to be used for "far", with 'tan' for "from". But that is unsettled, too. "fast" is usually ,'wawa' with the appropriate verb, but for "slow" we have only 'wawa ala'. As Mato says, ingenuity can find beter devices in particular cases.
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iulius
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Re: "near", "far", "fast", "slow" in toki pona

Post by iulius »

so... you may not use the word "weka" for "far"??
janSilipu
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Re: "near", "far", "fast", "slow" in toki pona

Post by janSilipu »

'weka' is the usual word for "far", others may be better in particular cases
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iulius
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Re: "near", "far", "fast", "slow" in toki pona

Post by iulius »

a! thank you :)
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