Sentence Confusion
Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:08 am
I am wondering how i would break down this line to say it in toki pona.
"Can she, eight states away, knock at my door?"
(i apologize for the strangeness of the line, it's from a poem of mine)
Would i first change the wording to, "She is eight states away. Can she knock at my door?"
But then i run into another problem ( i just started learning this language today) the only verb in my first sentence here is "is", but i can't find is in the language of toki pona.
so i wondered if i would just say "She's away eight states" or "Ona li weka ma luka tu wan".
I wanted to use commas (like in english) and say the line "Ona li ken ala ken, ma luka tu wan weka, kalama e mi lupa." but i get the feeling this is very wrong even without the commas which i am pretty sure are a definite no no to begin with.
so i am wondering if i should say it the way i had changed it in english to begin with, as this: "Ona li weka ma luka tu wan. Ona li ken ala ken kalama e mi lupa."
But, do i repeat ken or kalama? Should it read instead as "Ona li ken kalama ala kalama e mi lupa." Does it make a difference? I personally like saying ken twice to stress the importance of me asking whether or not she is actually able to do such a thing at all and not just whether or not she can knock (make noise), but i guess it doesn't really alter the meaning either way so what is the correct way if there is one?
am i overthinking what is supposed to be a simple language or am i actually way off and do, in fact, need guidance?
"Can she, eight states away, knock at my door?"
(i apologize for the strangeness of the line, it's from a poem of mine)
Would i first change the wording to, "She is eight states away. Can she knock at my door?"
But then i run into another problem ( i just started learning this language today) the only verb in my first sentence here is "is", but i can't find is in the language of toki pona.
so i wondered if i would just say "She's away eight states" or "Ona li weka ma luka tu wan".
I wanted to use commas (like in english) and say the line "Ona li ken ala ken, ma luka tu wan weka, kalama e mi lupa." but i get the feeling this is very wrong even without the commas which i am pretty sure are a definite no no to begin with.
so i am wondering if i should say it the way i had changed it in english to begin with, as this: "Ona li weka ma luka tu wan. Ona li ken ala ken kalama e mi lupa."
But, do i repeat ken or kalama? Should it read instead as "Ona li ken kalama ala kalama e mi lupa." Does it make a difference? I personally like saying ken twice to stress the importance of me asking whether or not she is actually able to do such a thing at all and not just whether or not she can knock (make noise), but i guess it doesn't really alter the meaning either way so what is the correct way if there is one?
am i overthinking what is supposed to be a simple language or am i actually way off and do, in fact, need guidance?