Help with a few sentences

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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janAnela
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 7:57 pm

Help with a few sentences

Post by janAnela »

Hello! I've recently begun learning TP, and I have come across a few sentences for which I cannot find an explanation. I'd appreciate anyone's insight.

TP: mi mute li lukin lili e ona.
Eng: We barely saw it.

Q: Why is there a "li" in this sentence? If it was "I barely saw it," the sentence would be "mi lukin lili e ona," correct? Does "mi mute" require the use of "li" and "mi" doesn't?

TP: ona li kama tawa tomo mi.
Eng: He came to my house.

Q: Why is the sentence not "ona li kama tawa e tomo mi"?

TP: ni li tawa jan pona mi.
Eng: This is for my friend.

Q: Same as above. Why isn't the sentence, "ni li tawa e jan pona mi"?

Thank you so much for your help!
janAnela
janKipo
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Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 2:20 pm

Re: Help with a few sentences

Post by janKipo »

1. Yes, 'li' is omitted exactly when preceded by 'mi' or 'sina' standing alone (and 'o', but that is later). If you add something to 'mi', either before or after, the omission does not occur (skipping technical explanation).

2.'tawa' is a preposition, the characteristic of which is that the "object" follows immediately after, without 'e'. This is true even when the preposition is doing a verb's job, as here (at least partly). cf. 'mi lon ma tomo Sanluwi" "I am in St. Louis.", etc.

3. Same answer.

kama pona tawa toki pona! (a different construction, but still a prep with object immediately after).
janAnela
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 7:57 pm

Re: Help with a few sentences

Post by janAnela »

Awesome, thank you! I find that as long as I know the rule or the reason for something, I can remember it better. :) Thank you!

- janAnela
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jan_Lope
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Location: mi lon ma tomo Pelin.
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Re: Help with a few sentences

Post by jan_Lope »

jan Anela o, toki.

Maybe these lessons can help you.

http://rowa.giso.de/languages/toki-pona ... essons.php
pona!
jan Lope
https://jan-lope.github.io
(Lessons and the Toki Pona Parser - A tool for spelling, grammar check and ambiguity check of Toki Pona)

On my foe list are the sockpuppets janKipo and janSilipu because of permanent spamming.
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