tomo tawa kalama

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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aikidave
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Location: Boston, MA
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tomo tawa kalama

Post by aikidave »

tenpo suno pini la meli mi li toki tawa mi kepeken ilo toki.
tomo tawa pi meli mi li kalama.
tenpo pimeja pini la mi lawa e tomo tawa kalama tawa tomo pi pona pi tomo tawa.
meli mi li lawa e tomo tawa ante pi mi mute tawa tomo ni.
tenpo suno ni la jan pi pona pi tomo tawa li toki tawa mi kepeken ilo toki.
sike pi tomo tawa li pakala.
sike li kalama.
ilo pi tawa pini pi tomo tawa li pakala.
jan pona li pana e ilo ni sin lon sike pi tomo tawa.
tenpo ni la tomo tawa pi meli mi li kalama ala.
tenpo lili la tomo tawa ni li ken pini.
mi pana e mani tawa jan.

Comments / corrections / suggestions please. English translation below.

Yesterday my wife called me on the phone.
Her car was making noise.
Last night I drove the noisy car to the repair shop.
My wife drove another of our cars to the shop.
Today the car repair man talked to me on the phone.
The wheel of the car is damaged.
The wheel is noisy.
The brake is broken.
The mechanic put new brakes on the wheel.
Now my wife's car is not noisy.
This car can now stop quickly.
I gave money to the mechanic.

I used the following for the word 'brake' - ilo pi tawa pini pi tomo tawa - tool of stopping movement of the car. Does this make sense? Or should it be 'ilo pi tomo tawa pi tawa pini' ?
Kuti
Posts: 358
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 3:48 pm

Re: tomo tawa kalama

Post by Kuti »

I understood the whole thing except for the brakes
janMato
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Re: tomo tawa kalama

Post by janMato »

I didn't understand the phrase for breaks on first read. I would have to memorize the given as a set phrase.

The problem with breaks is that they're a device whose salient characteristic has to do with an action. If the salient feature of wheels was that they rotated, I think there would be a similar problem in describing wheels.

tomo tawa mi li jo e ilo. ilo ni li tan e ni: tomo li tawa li kama tawa ala. ilo ni li pakala.
janKipo
Posts: 3064
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2009 2:20 pm

Re: tomo tawa kalama

Post by janKipo »

I would have said 'ilo pi pini tawa' but I am not sure I would have understood it faster than I did yours.
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