Help me translate some words please

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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janKapije
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Help me translate some words please

Post by janKapije »

Help me to translate these words into toki pona.

Playground = ma pi tawa musi pi jan lili?
Rainbow = sika pi kule mute?
Politician = jan lawa?
Government = tomo pi jan lawa mute?
Police = ???

o pana e sona sina tawa mi : )
janKipo
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Re: Help me translate some words please

Post by janKipo »

Always remembering that these expressions are not fixed but created as needed to express what you have in mind, the items you offer look like they would serve your purpose in some not-yet-specified situation.

Playground = ma pi tawa musi pi jan lili? 'musi' is probably enough ('tawa musi' tends to be used for "dance") and, indeed, 'mapi jan lili' would often work.

Rainbow = sika pi kule mute? 'sike'

Politician = jan lawa? This is strictly a leader/ruler, a successful politician, I suppose. The rest are wannabes, so maybe 'jan pi wile lawa' or some such

Government = tomo pi jan lawa mute? less a house (though there are usually building involved) and more a group (or several) 'kulupu pi jan lawa' (only the successful ones are involved).

Police are a problem: They are there to serve and protect (they say) and also to enforce the law with power, so both 'jan selo' and 'jan wawa' seem apt. The old list offers 'jan suli pi nasin lawa' "the big man of the law" which fits, too. What roles is the cop going to play in the narrative may be significant.
ffuentes
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Re: Help me translate some words please

Post by ffuentes »

janKipo wrote:
Police are a problem: They are there to serve and protect (they say) and also to enforce the law with power, so both 'jan selo' and 'jan wawa' seem apt. The old list offers 'jan suli pi nasin lawa' "the big man of the law" which fits, too. What roles is the cop going to play in the narrative may be significant.
jan utala pi kulupu/lawa?
o sina pilin e ni: ale li pona.
o lukin e ni.
janKipo
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Re: Help me translate some words please

Post by janKipo »

Yeah, that's around, too, but is pejorative. 'utala' is inherently aggressive and, whatever the reality, the standard is for aggression to be a last resort. To be sure, standards differ in different countries and even in different regions within countries, but even the most oppressive police forces keep the "Serve and protect" line -- or something like it -- on the official papers. So, as always, it depends on what fits the situation (and what you can get away with).
Of course, 'jan utala' is more appropriate if the police are literally branch of the army.
'jan utala pi kulupu' (or 'pi lawa') won't work because 'pi' has to be followed by at least two words. 'nasin lawa' "The Law" works fine, though.
JanKanle
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Re: Help me translate some words please

Post by JanKanle »

How about drugs?

Marijuana: kasi nasa
shrooms: kili nasa
alcohol: telo nasa
LSD: lipu nasa
cocaine: kasi wawa

How about political views?

liberal: sona sin
conservative: sona sama
communist: sona kulupu
capitalist: sona mani
anarchist: sona lawa ala
feminist: sona meli

just a couple thoughts.
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