lipu Kemeka, a context-aware dictionary

Welcome to lipu Kemeka, a free English to Toki Pona dictionary made by the Toki Pona community. See how translating to Toki Pona depends on what English words mean in context.

Showing 758 words

abandon

1. leave (someone) behind, forsake — weka (tan)
- tenpo ala la mi weka tan olin mi.
  I would never abandon my partner.
2. stop working on — kama pali ala
- mi kama pali ala e ilo mi. wile pali mi li weka.
  I abandoned my coding project because I lost motivation.

able

having the capability, skill, strength, or power to do something — ken
- mi wile ken toki Nijon.
  I want to be able to speak Japanese.

about

1. on the topic of — toki e, toki lon, lon
- lipu ni li toki e kala.
  This is a book about fish.
- mi toki lon kili lon nasin moku ona.
  I'm presenting about fruits and vegetables and their consumption methods.
- mi pilin ike tawa kama ni.
  I'm mad about this occurrence.
2. or so, nearly, approximately — anu poka, sama (lili)
- mi kute e ona tan sike nanpa 2006 anu poka.
  I've been listening to it since about 2006.
- lete pi tenpo lon en lete pi tenpo sike pini li sama lili.
  It’s about as cold as it was last winter.

across

through to the other side of — tawa poka ante
- nasin telo ni li suli a la ni li wile e wawa mute: jan li tawa poka ante ona.
  Because this river is so wide, it's very difficult for people to go across.

actually

in reality — lon (la)
- toki ona li sama ala pali ona lon.
  What he said is different from what he actually did.

add

to put a thing with another, increasing the amount, or improving the whole — pana e
- o pana e telo mama tawa pan.
  Add milk to the cereal.

advice

instructions, recommendations — toki, nasin, sona
- toki ona la mi o kute ala e jan ike.
  Her advice was to ignore the haters.
- mi alasa pali e lipu suwi li pakala e pali lon sike. o pana e nasin tawa mi.
  I'm trying to make origami, but I keep failing. Could you give me advice?

affect

1. to alter or make a difference to something — ante
- ni li ante e kulupu kala.
  This will affect the trout population.
2. to move someone emotionally — ike e pilin, ante e pilin
- moli pi mama ona li ike suli e pilin pi jan Maki.
  The death of his parents greatly affected Makil.

after

1. occurring at a point of time following a reference — ni li pini la, pini ni la
- mi moku e kili. ni li pini, la sijelo li pilin pona.
  I ate some fruit. After, I was full.
- mi tawa kulupu sona nanpa. pini ni la mi ken weka tan ma sona ni.
  I'm going to math class. After that I'll be able to leave this school.
2. coming next — kama (la)

afternoon

part of the day after morning but before evening — (insa pi) tenpo suno
- mi la insa pi tenpo suno li pona tawa telo suwi. open suno en tenpo pi kama pimeja la, tenpo pi pona ala.
  In my opinion, the afternoon is a good time to take sweet drinks. Mornings and evenings, not so much.

again

anew, once more, back — sin
- mi weka lili li kama sin.
  I went away for a little bit and came back again.
- sin la mi wile toki e ni: mi utala ala. mi wile sona taso.
  Once again, I'd like to make it clear I'm not picking a fight, I just want to understand.

agree

share the same opinion — pilin sama
- mi ale li pilin sama. pini li pini.
  I think we agree: the past is over.

air

1. gas of the atmosphere — kon
- tenpo mute la mi pilin ala e ni lon insa: kon en telo li jaki ala lon ma mi.
  We often take for granted the clean air and water in our city.
- kulupu waso li open e tawa kon ona.
  The flock of birds took to the air.
2. feeling, sense — pilin
- pilin la ona li wawa tan sijelo suli ona.
  His broad shoulders gave him an air of strength and reliability.

all

all — ale
- ilo ale li wile e wawa.
  All implements require some kind of energy.
- mi ale li pilin pona tan sitelen musi.
  We all enjoyed the movie.

Be careful with the meanings of "entire" vs "every", which are often distinct but both expressed through ale:

ale pi tenpo suno la mi lon tomo. I have been home all day. (= the entire day)
tenpo suno ale la mi lon tomo. I have been home every day. (= for all of the days)

almost

close to, but not quite — poka
- tenpo poka kama la, ona tu li awen olin lon sike tu wan.
  They've been together for almost three years.
- jan mute la tomo li poka tawa ni: jan sin ala li ken kama.
  The stadium was almost full.

One may choose to express it as two statements, contrasted by taso:

jan mute a li tawa ni, taso jan pi mute lili li awen. Almost all people went there.

alone

without others — (wan) taso
- mi taso lon ma lete.
  I'm alone in the cold.
- pini pi tenpo musi la jan Isote li pilin pi wan taso.
  At the end of the party, Isolde felt all alone.

already

1. having happened in the past, perhaps unexpectedly — lon tenpo pini
- nasa la mi pilin e ni: ni li kama lon tenpo pini.
  It's strange but I feel like this has already happened.
2. having changed — kama
- sina awen pali e tomo sina. lon la ona li kama pona a tawa lukin.
  You're still renovating your house, but it's already looking great.

also

1. as well, too — kin
- mi kin li tawa.
  I'm also leaving.
2. and in addition — kin la, namako la, sama la
- ona li pona tawa lukin mi. kin la soweli ona li suwi.
  I find him handsome, and also his cat is adorable.

among

mingling with — lon (kulupu)
- sike li lon kulupu pi lipu kasi.
  The ball was among the leaves.

amount

1. a total (of a mass noun) — suli
- suli pi jaki ma li pakala e sijelo jan.
  The amount of pollution in te world threatens people's health.
2. a quantity — mute
- mi sona ala e mute soweli.
  I'm not sure about the amount of cows.

and

1. particle; connecting two noun phrases — en, ∅
- mi en sina o weka tan ma ni.
  You and I should run away.
- telo suli la telo li kama li weka.
  Ocean tides come and go.
- o pali e lipu sina o lape.
  Do your homework and go to bed.
- mi wan e pan e ko e kasi.
  I make a sandwich out of bread, cheese, and salad.
- len ni li pona lon seli lon lete kin.
  This outfit is suitable both for hot and cold weather.
2. particle; connecting two sentences — ∅
- mi kama la mi wile moku e ko li wile anpa e sina ale. ko mi li pini.
  I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum.

angry

in a hostile mood — pilin utala
- poki telo olin pi jan poka mi li weka la ona li pilin utala lili.
  My friend's favorite mug is gone, so they're a bit angry.

animal

a member of the Animalia kingdom — soweli
- kijetesantakalu li soweli.
  Raccoons are animals.

answer

1. information given upon a question — sona (kama), toki
- mi wile e sona tan mama: jan sin li kama tan seme? sona kama ona li nasa tawa mi.
  I asked my parents: Where to babies come from? Their answer surprised me.
2. to give requested information — toki (e sona)
3. to accept an incoming telephone call — ken e toki, kute e wile toki

any

of a set, all possibilities are acceptable — ale
- jan ale li ken ni.
  Anyone can do that.

anything

of a set of objects, all possibilities are acceptable — ijo ale
- ijo ale li moku pona tawa mi.
  I'll eat anything.

apple

a very sweet, crisp, and crunchy fruit with a berry-like aroma — kili
- jan Saja li jo e kili tu wan. jan Awan li jo e kili luka tu. ona li wan e kili ale, la kili pi mute seme li lon?
  Sarai has three apples. Abram has seven apples. If they combine all their **apples, how many apples are there?

argue

to debate in disagreement — utala (toki)

arm

an appendage attatched to the shoulders — luka
- mi pana luka e telo tawa uta sina.
  I shall pour water into your mouth by means of my arms.

as

1. in comparison to — la
- tomo mi la ona li suli ala.
  It's not as large as my house.
2. from the position of — ∅
- mi sona mama e toki Inli li pilin e ni: nasin toki ni li nasa.
  As a native English speaker, I find that an odd way to say it.
3. in the manner of, in the way of — sama
- mi ken e weka pi jan awen, sama wile sina.
  I will release the prisoners, as you wish.

ask

1. to request something, especially information — wile (sona)
- jan lawa li wile sona e ni: jan seme li pilin ike li pali ala?
  The manager asked who was out sick.
- jan pakala li wile e telo.
  The injured person asked for a glass of water.
2. to express a need — toki e wile
- sina toki e wile la mi pana.
  Ask and you shall receive.
3. a polite command — o
- o weka.
  I kindly ask you to leave.

at

1. in or near a place or time — lon
- mi lon tomo awen pi ilo tawa.
  I'm at the bus stop.
2. in the direction of — tawa
- o pana ala wawa e kiwen tawa jan.
  Don't throw rocks at people.

atmosphere

1. the gas above the ground surrounding a planet — kon sewi
- kon sewi li sama len mute poka.
  The atmosphere is like many layers of cloth.
2. mood, vibe, energy — pilin
- mi kama lon kulupu musi, li pilin e nasa lon ona, li weka.
  I felt a strange atmosphere when I arrived at the party, so I decided to skedaddle.

attack

to take a violent or aggressive action against another being or entity — (kama) utala
- suno ni la ma Juwese li kama utala e ma Kanata.
  The United States attacked Canada today.
- jan li toki ike e tonsi la mi utala e ona.
  If someone says something transphobic, I'll attack them.

authority

ability or permission to be in command — ken, lawa
- sitelen li suno la wawa li tawa lon insa sina. sina ken.
  As the symbol glows, power courses through you. Authority.
- open la ona li toki utala e ni: ona a li lawa e kulupu.
  He asserted his authority over the team right from the start.

autism

a type of neurodivergency characterized by divergence in social situations, among many other symptoms — ante lawa, lawa (li) ante, nasa lawa, lawa (li) nasa
- lawa mi li ante.
  I am autistic.

the word "nasa" used to mean "stupid," and in light of that it used to be offensive to use the term to describe autism. But that meaning of nasa has been redacted and disavowed by the community as a commitment to combat ableism. because of this, it's no longer offensive to use "nasa" to describe autism. However, there exist speakers who believe that in an environment where most people are autistic, autism becomes the new normal and can no longer be a type of "nasa." Others respond by saying that autism is always "nasa" when compared with the societal expectations of what is "normal."

awake

not sleeping or in a coma, conscious — (li) lape ala
- sewi li pimeja. taso ona li lape ala.
  It is nighttime, but she is awake.

away

1. to a remote destination — (tawa) weka
- o weka! weka ala la mi toki utala sin e sina.
  Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time.
2. at a remote location — lon weka
- ilo tawa li wile e telo wawa la tomo telo li lon weka ike.
  If we need to refuel, the nearest gas station is miles away.

baby

a very young animal, before being a child — (jan) lili
- jan lili li musi kepeken leko.
  The baby is playing with blocks.

back

1. the side opposite to the front — monsi
- sitelen musi li lon monsi pi tomo ni.
  There's a mural on the back of that building.
1a. the back part of the body — monsi (sijelo)
- a, monsi mi li pilin pakala.
  Ugh, my back hurts.

bad

1. not good, negative, evil, unpleasant — ike
- tenpo ale la jan ike li kama lawa e ma.
  It is always bad people who get to rule.
2. spoiled, rotten, foul — jaki
- tenpo li weka la moku li kama jaki.
  Given enough time food goes bad.
3. as an intensifier — wawa, a
- ona li wile a utala lon poka.
  He badly wanted to join the fight.

bagpipe

a large instrument composed of a skin that is filled with air and squeezed into usually four pipes: three drones and one chanter — selo palisa kon, ilo kalama kon, etc.
- "a, lipamanka li sona e nasin pi selo palisa kon"
  "Oh lipamanka knows how to play bagpipes."
- selo pi palisa luka li kalama ike tawa mi.
  I hate the way the bagpipes sound.
- ilo kalama kon selo li kama pakala, la mi mu musi pi pilin pona.
  When bagpipes break, I laugh of joy.

ball

a spherical object small enough to be held in hand — sike, sike musi
- musi la jan li noka e sike tawa poki ni sinpin.
  In the game, you kick the ball to that goal in front of us.

bamboo

a long segmented plant indigenous to Asia — kasi palisa
- sina sona ala sona e ni: kasi palisa li lili, la jan li ken moku e ona a!
  Did you know that very young bamboo is edible?

banana

a long, yellow-skinned fruit — kili palisa jelo
- tomo soweli pi pona sijelo li pana e kili palisa jelo pi mani ala la jan Sojana li kama jo e kili ni luka tu.
  The vet was giving out free bananas, so Johanna took seven.
- mi esun e kili palisa sin laso li weka e ona.
  I bought green bananas, then forgot about them.
- sona sina la, moku pi kili palisa pimeja li ken ala ken pakala e jan?
  Do you know whether black bananas are safe to eat?

base

1. the bottom, supporting edge of something — anpa
- anpa pi sitelen jan kiwen li pakala la ona li ken ala awen sinpin li tawa anpa taso.
  The mannequin's base is broken so it just falls over.
2. a strategically-located structure that holds resources — tomo
- lon anpa pi nena Somolama la jan Masa li lape lon tomo.
  Marshall slept at the base located at the bottom of Mount Everest.
- ma Mewika li wile len e sona ni: tomo ona li lon ma Akensina.
  The United States wants to hide that they have a base operating in Argentina.

base (on)

to design with something as a prototype (based "on") — tan, pali tan
- mi pali e ilo ni tan sitelen pi jan Pensiman.
  I based this tool on Benjamin's designs.

based

politically aligned with the speaker (originally from 4chan) — pona

bat

1. a flying mammal — waso
- waso li mu, la ona li ken lukin kute.
  When bats make noises, they can see with their ears.
2. a large stick used for baseball and as a weapon — palisa
- mi utala palisa e sina lon tenpo ni: sina toki jaki e mije mi.
  I'll hit you with my bat the moment you talk shit about my husband.
2. (of an eye) to close (often repeatedly) — pini (sike) e lukin
- meli lili li pini sike e lukin ona la o sona e ni: ona li ken ala pali ike.
  When a young girl bats her eyes at you, you know that she can do no wrong.

bat (away)

to push something away with the hand in quick motions — luka
- mi luka e sina tan ni: mi wile weka e sina.
  I'm batting you away because I want you to go away.

bath

a receptacle for cleaning one's body, typically while reclined — poki telo
- mi lon poki telo la mi ken ala toki uta tan nasa.
  I'm in the bath, so I won't join voice chat because that would be weird.

bathe

to clean one's body while reclined — telo e
- mi telo e mi la kon mi li pona tawa nena.
  When I bathe, I smell good.

bathroom

a room deticated to removal of waste from inside one's body and grime from the flesh — tomo jaki, tomo telo
- suno ni la mi tawa tomo jaki lon tenpo mute ale tu tu, taso sina ken ala sona e tan.
  Today I went to the bathroom two thousand and four times, but you're not allowed to know why.

be

1. linking verb (copula) — ∅
- mi wile moku.
  I am hungry.
- sina o sina.
  Just be yourself.
2. exist (at a location) — lon
- mi pilin la mi lon.
  I think, therefore I am.
- mi wile lon supa pi jan majuna.
  I want to be at the grown up's table.

bear

1. a large mammal with shaggy fur, a small tail, and flat feet — soweli, soweli suli
- mi kama alasa e soweli.
  We're going on a bear hunt.
- o luka ala e soweli suli.
  Don't touch the bear.
1a. An American black bear — soweli pimeja (pi ma Amelika lete)
- lon ma Amelika lete la soweli pimeja li moku e kasi e soweli kin.
  In North America, black bears are omnivores.
1b. A panda bear — soweli pimeja walo (pi ma Asija)
- soweli pimeja walo ni li moku ala e kasi palisa ona tan seme?
  Why is the panda not eating its bamboo?
1c. A polar bear — soweli walo pi ma lete
- mi pilin monsuta mute tan soweli walo pi ma lete.
  I have a fear of polar bears.
1d. Koala bear, a tree-dwelling mammal native to Australia — soweli lape (pi ma Oselija)
- jan Minsen li jo e luka mi sama soweli lape pi ma Oselija.
  Minsin clasped my arm like a koala.
2. A large, hairy, gay man — mije suli pi linja sijelo mute
- mi mije suli pi linja sijelo mute li wile unpa pi tenpo lili e mije ante mute.
  I'm a bear seeking hook-ups.
1. To carry or withstand, literally — jo, lon, awen
- jan Santa li jo e ilo musi mute.
  Santa bears many presents.
- jan lili tu wan li lon insa pi jan mama.
  The expecting parent is bearing triplets.
2. To carry or withstand, figuratively — jo, lon, awen
- noka ona li awen e linja kipisi pi tenpo ike pakala ona.
  Her legs bear the scars of her trauma.

beautiful

1. pleasant, specifically visually — pona, suwi, (tawa) lukin
- nasin linja la mi kama lon ma kasi pi pona lukin.
  The bending road led us through a beautiful valley of flowers.
2. pleasant (including in nonvisual ways) — pona, suwi (tawa) {kute, pilin, ...}
- mi kute e kalama pi jan Petopen. ona li pona a tawa kute mi.
  I listened to Beethoven's most beautiful sonata.
3. aesthetically exciting — wawa
- a, ilo sina li pali kepeken tenpo lili. pali wawa a!
  Wow, your code is so efficient. Beautiful work!

because

for the reason that — tan ni, ni la
- mi o esun e ilo telo sin tan ni: ike la ilo mi li pana lili e telo lon tenpo ale.
  I need to purchase a new kitchen tap, because mine leaks constantly.

because of

on account of, for the purpose of — tan
- mi tawa tomo mama mi tan moku.
  I'm visiting my parents because of food.

bed

a surface to sleep on — supa lape
- soweli li pakala e len pi supa lape kepeken luka ona.
  The cat rips up the bed's blankets using its claws.

before

occuring when something else hasn't happened yet — … la (ijo) li (awen) kama ala
- mi kama la jan li awen pali ala.
  I arrived before people started working.
- o weka lon tenpo ni: sewi li pimeja ala.
  Leave before it gets dark.

begin

1. to make ongoing — open
- tenpo moku o open.
  Let the feast begin.
2. to take the first step of an activity — kama
- ilo li pana e suno laso la ilo tu li kama tawa.
  As the light turned green, the two cars began to race.

believe

1. to opine, think, reckon, accept as true — pilin
- jan mute li pilin e ni: kulupu la ante nasin li kama.
  Many believe the tide of change in society is coming.
- mi kute ala e jan ante. pilin mi a la ken mi li wawa.
  No matter what others say, I believe in my abilities.
2. in the opinion of — la
- mi la jan moli li tawa ala ma sewi.
  I believe dead people don't go to heaven.
- nasin sewi Momon la jan sewi mama en jan sewi lili li toki tawa jan Sosa Si.
  Mormonism believes that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ spoke to Joseph Smith.

bell

an percussive instrument that makes a high pitched sound — ilo mu, ilo kalama
- ma la tomo sewi suli la jan li tawa e ilo mu.
  Somewhere, in some cathedral, someone's ringing bells.

bellow

to speak with force — mu wawa, toki wawa
- jan suli li toki wawa. "mi wile e telo loje pi jan pi ma Inli a!"
  The giant bellowed, "I want the blood of an Englishman!"

berbere

a red Ethiopian spice blend made from whole dried chilis and a variety of Ethiopian spices — ko loje pi ma Isijopija
- jan pi ma Isijopija ala li sona ala pali e ko loje. ona li pilin e ni: ko loje ni li sama ko loje pi ma ante. ni li lon ala.
  Non-Ethiopians don't know how to make berbere. They think that this red spice blend is like any other country's red spice blend. This is not true.

best

of the highest quality — nanpa wan, sewi
- ni li nasin nanpa wan pi pali tomo.
  This is the best way to build a house.
- sona sina li sewi.
  You know best.

between

in the middle of — lon insa
- mi lon insa pi kasi walo pi kasi loje.
  I'm between the white bush and the pink bush.

bird

warm-blooded animal, usually having wings and feathers — waso
- mi tawa lon ma kasi la mi kama lukin e waso nasa.
  I witnessed a rare bird today while walking in the park.

birthday

date and celebration centered on the birth of a particular person — tenpo (suli) {mi, sina, pi jan ...}, sike sin
- ♪ tenpo sina li lon, tenpo sina li lon! ♪
  ♪ Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! ♪
- tenpo poka la mi kama e kulupu musi suli tawa mi! sina wile ala wile kama?
  Soon, I'm throwing a big party for my birthday! Do you want to come?
- sina sike sin e suno lon tenpo seme?
  When is your birthday?
- o sike pona! sike sin sina o pona a.
  Happy birthday! Have a great birthday.

bit

1. slightly — lili
- "musi li pona ala pona tawa sina?" "lili."
  "Did you enjoy the show?" "A bit."
2. unit of information — wan (sona), wan nanpa
- ilo nanpa li sona e nanpa kepeken kulupu pi wan luka tu wan.
  Computers store data in groups of 8 bits.

black

a dark color/shade — pimeja
- sina luka e mun lon open pi lipu ni la lipu li kama pimeja.
  If you click the moon at the top of this page, it becomes black.

bland

lacking flavor — ala tawa uta
- moku ni li ala tawa uta mi.
  This food is bland to me.

blood

a liquid flowing in the bodies of many types of animals, typically red — telo, telo loje, telo sijelo
- mi tu e kili kepeken ilo la ilo li pakala a e selo mi, la telo loje li kama.
  I was cutting a fruit with a knife when the knife cut through my skin and made blood come out.
- ilo utala pi jan Ka li pakala e selo pi luka ona la telo sijelo li kama lon ale pi supa anpa tomo.
  When Kai's sword sliced through the skin on her hand, blood covered the floor of the room.

blue

1a. a shade of turquoise/grue; the color of the sky and of most water — laso
- luka mi li kama laso tan lete.
  My hands are turning blue from the cold.
1b. a shade of turquoise/grue as opposed to green — laso sewi, laso telo
- nasa la kasi ni li laso sewi.
  Strangely, this plant has a blue tint.
2. melancholic, sad — pilin ike
- sina pilin ike tawa seme?
  What's the point of feeling blue?

blues

a style of music originating in black communities in the South of the United States that has inherited qualities from spirituals, work songs, etc. (often called "the blues") — nasin kalama Pu; nasin kalama pi pilin ike
- sina wawa nanpa wan lon nasin kalama Pu.
  You're the best blues player ever.

board

a tall, wide, but thin piece of material, often wood — sinpin
- o sitelen e toki sina lon sinpin.
  Write your answer up on the board.

boat

water vehicle — ilo (tawa) telo, poki (tawa) telo, tomo (tawa) telo
- mi wile toki e wawa pi linja wan ni la mi tu e ilo telo ni!
  To show you the power of this tape, I sawed this boat in half!

body

1. the physical structure of a living organism or inanimate object — sijelo
- taso kon toki pi jan Jesu li ni: tomo sewi li sijelo ona.
  But Jesus was speaking of the temple of his body.
2. something's main or most important part — insa
- insa sitelen li toki e pilin ona pi suli nanpa wan.
  The text's body states its most important ideas.
3. a collection or group — kulupu
- kulupu jan pi kama sona li pali e tenpo pi utala musi.
  The student body organizes sports events.

bomb

1. an explosive — ilo pakala
- jan li pali e nasin wan pi ma Pukin, la ona li kepeken ilo pakala.
  While building the Brooklyn Bridge, workers used bombs.
2. something really cool — pona, epiku
- len sina li epiku.
  Your fit is bomb!
3. to mess up (often on an exam) — pakala (lon)
- a, mi pakala lon utala mi nanpa.
  Ugh, I bombed my math quiz.

bone

rigid things inside the body, often elongated — kiwen, palisa, insa
- ma seli la mi lukin e palisa insa pi soweli moli a!
  In the desert, I saw the bones of a dead coyote!

book

1. a collection of sheets of paper bound at an edge — lipu
- lipu ni li pana e sona nanpa.
  This book is about math.
2. to make a reservation — kama e
- mi kama e tenpo kulupu lon tomo kala.
  I'm booking a reservation at the sushi place.

bored

a need for mental stimulation — wile musi, pilin pi musi ala
- ona li wile musi la ona li open e musi Manka.
  They were bored, so they decided to play Minecraft.

born, be

(be born) to be given birth to — kama, open, tan mama
- mi open tan mama la mi toki e ni: "mi wile toki pona a!"
  When I was born, I said "I want to learn toki pona!"

bosseyomp

the time period from 1 AM to 5 AM — tenpo pimeja, tenpo lape
- mi ken ala lape lon tenpo pimeja la mi kama ilo e moku tawa tomo.
  When I can't sleep during the bosseyomp, I order takeout.

both

every one of two options — ale
- kili loje en kili jelo la sina wile e seme? — ale li pona.
  Do you want the apple or the pear? — Both are good.

box

a unit of storage, especially of the shape of a cube or a rectangular prism. — poki
- wan, tu, tu wan, tu tu... poki wan li weka!
  One, two, three, four... We lost a box!

boy

a masculine person, especially a younger one — (jan) mije
- tenpo pini la ona li mije.
  They used to be a *boy.

brain

the control center of an animal's mind in the skull — insa lawa
- insa pi lawa jan la kipisi tu li lon li pali lon ijo ante.
  A person's brain is comprised of two halves that perform different functions.

bread

a food made from flour and a leavening agent, usually yeast, mixed with water — pan
- jan Ena li lukin e pan mute lon tomo esun.
  Anna was looking at a lot of bread in the store.

break

1. to (cause to) separate into many pieces, to interrupt — pakala
- soweli li pakala e poki!
  The cat broke the vase!
- jan li pakala e sama.
  Humans break the cycle.
2. a pause from work or another activity — pini (pali), awen ((tan/e) pali), lape
- n mi pilin lape a. mi o awen tan lape.
  Ugh, i'm so exhausted... I'm going to take a break from work.

breathe

to pull air into and push air out of the lungs repeatedly — esun e kon
- sina tawa e sijelo, la sina o esun mute e kon.
  When you move your body, you should breathe a lot.

breathe in

to pull air into the lungs — kama (insa) e kon
- sina pilin ike, la o kama insa e kon. ni li pona e pilin sina.
  If you're stressed out, breathe in. It'll make you feel better.

breathe out

to push air out of the lungs — pana e kon tawa
- ona li pana e kon tawa seli la seli li tawa musi.
  When she breathed out onto the fire, the fire danced.

brother

a masculine person with whom one shares at least one parent — jan (mije pi mama) sama
- jan sama sina o pana sin e mani tawa mama mi.
  Your brother ought to repay my father.
- mama pi jan Ilon Masu li pana e mani tawa ona tawa jan sama mije ona tawa jan sama meli ona.
  Elon Musk's parents gave money to him, to his brother, and to his sister.

brown

1a. a dark color — pimeja
1b. a dark shade of orange — jelo pimeja, pimeja jelo

building

a man-made, constructed structured — tomo
- tomo ni la lawa ma li kama wan.
  The gouvernment comes together in this building.

bury

to put something in the ground. — pana ma e, pana e ... tawa ma
- soweli li pana ma e kiwen pi jan moli.
  The dog buried a human bone.

but

however, apart from, only — taso
- pali li wile e mi. taso mi wile ala pali.
  My work needs me, but I don't want to work.
- ale li pona tawa mi. ni taso li pona ala.
  I like everything but that.

by

1. near — lon poka
- mi toki tawa ona lon poka pi tomo lipu.
  I spoke with him by the bookstore.
2. indicates authorship — tan, ∅, (ijo) li pali e ona
- mi lukin e sitelen sin pi jan K Klein.
  I'm watching the new video by K Klein.
- o lukin e lipu ale ni: jan tonsi li pali e ona.
  Check out all these books by nonbinary authors.
3. using — kepeken
- mi tawa tomo pali kepeken ilo.
  I go to school by bus.
- mi nasin e lipu mi kepeken kule ona.
  I sorted my books by color.

bye

short for 'goodbye' — see goodbye

call

1. use a name for — nimi
- kasi ni li nimi seme lon toki Inli?
  What's this plant called in English?
- mi nimi lili Kate e mama mi Katenawa.
  I call my dad Katenawa by the nickname Kate.
2. talk using a telephone — toki (kepeken) ilo
- mi alasa toki ilo tawa ona, taso ona li lukin ala e ilo.
  I tried to call him, but he didn't pick up.

car

1a. vehicle — ilo tawa, tomo tawa
- ilo tawa la pali jan en lape jan li ken lon weka a.
  Because of cars, your work can be quite far away from your residence.
1b. personal vehicle, as opposed to buses, trains — ilo tawa pi kulupu lili
- ilo li ken tawa e kulupu lili taso la ni li ike tawa ma.
  Cars are worse for the environment compared to buses.
2. a unit of a railroad train — tomo
- linja tawa ni la jan li ken ala lon tomo nanpa pini.
  In this train, people aren't allowed in the last car.

card

A small, flat, and usually rectangular piece of paper or plastic. — lipu
- mi esun kepeken lipu mi.
  I'll pay by card.

care

1. to be concerned or interested — (ijo) li suli tawa...
- kalama sina ike en len sina li kama suli ala tawa mi.
  I don't care about your shitty music or your dresses anymore.
- ko seme o lon pan sina? — suli ala.
  What spread do you want on your bread? — Don't care.
2. to feel affection for, to consider important — olin, (ijo) li suli tawa...
- mi alasa pona e sina pi pilin pakala tan olin mi.
  I try to comfort you when you are down because I care about you.
3. to look after — mama
- o mama e soweli mi lon weka mi.
  Please care for my cat while I'm gone.

carry

1. to hold — jo
- mi jo e poki suli lon monsi.
  I'm carrying a big backpack on my back.
2. to transport something to another place, especially by lifting — pana
- mi pana e poki suli tu wan tawa tomo anpa.
  I've carried three of the big boxes to the basement.

cat

1. a domesticated house pet — soweli, soweli tomo
- soweli mi li musi kepeken linja.
  My cat plays with string.
- kulupu mama mi li jo e soweli tomo tu.
  My family has two cats.
2. carnivorous predator animal — soweli alasa
- jan pi ma Sonko li wile lukin e soweli alasa.
  The Chinese person wants to observe a predator cat.
- soweli suli li alasa e kulupu pi soweli lili.
  The predator cat hunts a group of smaller animals.

To differentiate from other house pets, cats may be described by their linja pi poka uta (near-mouth hair) whiskers, by their palisa luka kipisi (sharp fingers) claws, by their sijelo ko (semi-solid body) physical malleability, and ken alasa (hunting ability) hunting prowess, in addition to other characteristics.

To differentiate from other large predatory animals, large cats may described in relation to their domestic counterparts, or with reference to their characteristics such as tawa wawa (energetic movement) speed, palisa luka kipisi li ken open li ken pini (cutting fingers can open and close) retractable claws, ken lukin pona pi tenpo pimeja (good vision ability of night-time) night vision, and linja pi poka uta (near-mouth hair) whiskers, among others.

cause

1. a reason for something's existence or occurence — tan
- tan ala li lon tawa pilin monsuta!
  There's no cause for alarm!
2. a principle, aim, or goal — wile
- tenpo ni la mi o kama sona e lon pi wile pona mi.
  It is time we recognized that ours was, in truth, a noble cause.
3. to bring about — kama e
- wawa sewi li kama e kalama suli.
  Lightning causes thunder.
4. a shortening of "because" — tan
- ale li tan ona a!
  It's all 'cause of him!

celebrate

to enjoy one's self due to a positive event — musi
- jan ale li musi lon tenpo ni: jan lawa ike pi lon ala li moli.
  The people celebrated the death of the false king.

certain

knowing something without doubt — sona wawa, sona pona
- jan Api li sona wawa e ni: jan Mutakin li pali e moku pona.
  Abdi is certain that Mustaqiin makes fantastic food.

chair

1. a seat, a piece of furniture used for sitting — supa
- mi lon supa.
  I'm sitting in a chair.
2. short for chairperson, one who has control — jan lawa
- kulupu li toki mute. taso jan lawa li pali e wile ona.
  The committee members discussed extensively, but only the chair will have the final say.

chance

1. an opportunity or possibility for something to happen or be done — ken
- ken li kama la mi tawa.
  If I get a chance, I'll go.
2. random, happenstance, or lucky occurrence — sona ala
- jan li sona ala e pini.
  The result is up to chance.

change

1. to make something different — ante e
- jan pini pi sona sona li pilin taso e ale kepeken nasin mute. mi o alasa ante e ona.
  The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it.
2. to become different — kama (ante)
- tenpo li kama ante.
  Times have changed.
- tenpo suno wan la jan Keko Sansa li kama tan lape pi pilin ike la ona li kama sona e ni: supa lape la ona li kama pipi jaki monsuta.
  One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in bed he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug.
1. the process through which a thing becomes different — kama ante
- kama ante taso li awen.
  Nothing endures but change.
2. small denomations of money (usually in the form of coins) — mani lili
- sina jo e mani lili anu seme? mi wile e ona tawa ilo toki.
  Do you have any change? I need it for the telephone.

cheese

1. a dairy product made from mammals' milk, often sold as a block or wheel, or sliced or shredded. — ko (soweli); see below
- mi pali e pan la mi wile pana e ko pi telo walo soweli lon ona.
  Whenever I make bread, I want to put cheese in it.
1a. hard cheese — kiwen
- mama mi li tan ma Kanse li pana e kiwen mute ni tawa mi: ona li kama tan telo soweli.
  My French grandfather gives me a lot of hard cheeses.
1b. soft cheese — ko
- ko walo li pona mute lon pan.
  Soft cheese is really good on bread.
1c. shredded cheese — ko, palisa mute lili
1d. sliced cheese — lipu, lipu ko
1e. blue cheese — ko walo pimeja; ko soko
- ko li walo li jo e pimeja lon insa la mi pilin e ni: mi moku e ona, la mi moli.
  Blue cheese makes me feel like I'll die if I eat it.

chess

a board game with two players — musi supa pi jan tu
- musi supa pi jan tu la sona pi jan Alesanta li suli tawa sona mi.
  In chess, Alexandra's knowledge is greater than mine.

To differentiate from other board games, the general set-up and win condition may be described.

For example:

kulupu pimeja en kulupu walo li utala e sama. The black group and the white group fight each other.
sitelen leko mute li lon supa. Many squares are on the surface.
sitelen leko wan li jo e jan wan. One square can contain one person.
jan luka luka luka wan li lon kulupu wan. Sixteen people are in one group.
jan lawa li moli la kulupu li anpa. When the king dies, the group is defeated.

chest

1. upper front part of the torso — (sewi) sijelo, sinpin
- pilin pakala li kama lon sinpin pi sijelo ona.
  Her chest started aching.
2. breasts — nena (sijelo)
3. container — poki

chicken

1a. bird — waso
- waso li pana e sike; sike ni li ken moku
  Chickens lay eggs that can be eaten.
1b. meat from a chicken — waso, moku waso
- suno ni la mi moku e waso.
  Today we're having chicken.
- ijo ale la moku waso li pona nanpa wan tawa mi.
  Chicken is my favorite thing of all.

child

1. a young person, often only up to 12 years old, often including up to 17 years old — jan lili, jan sin, jan kili
- jan sin mute li tawa li musi lon ma kasi.
  Many children are running around and playing in the park.
- jan lili tu li lon tomo mi.
  There are two children in my house.
2. the offspring of another person — jan lili (mi), jan kili
- jan kili mi li kama suli li kama kin e jan kili.
  My child grew up and also had a child.
- jan lili mi li jaki e sinpin ona lon tenpo sin.
  My child got their face dirty again.

choose

to designate one option of many as the desired option, to know which option is best — toki e wile, pana e wile, sona e pona, sona e wile, wile, etc.
- mi toki e wile mi a!
  I've made my choice!
- mi sona ala e ni: nasin seme li pona?
  I don't know which path to choose.
- mi wile e suwi loje.
  I choose the red candy.

By listing the options, you can imply the act of choosing without dedicating a verb to it:
jan lili li lukin e kili loje e kili laso li moku e kili loje.
The child looked at the red apple and the green apple and chose to eat the red one.

christmas

1a. day or time of giving — (tenpo) suno pana, tenpo pana
- mi kama jo e seme lon suno pana...
  What will I receive for Christmas...
1b. break (from work) due to the holiday season — tenpo pi weka pali
- mi weka tan pali la mi musi lon kulupu mi.
  During Christmas break I enjoy time with my family.
1c. Santa day — (tenpo) suno pi jan Santa
1d. the day Jesus was born — (tenpo) suno ni: jan Jesu li kama lon

church

1. a building for religious services (especially in Christianity) — tomo (pi nasin) sewi
- tomo sewi pi kulupu mi li pona tawa lukin.
  Our community's church is beautiful.
2. a community of religious believers — kulupu pi nasin sewi
- ona li weka tan kulupu pi nasin sewi.
  She left the church.

clean

1. to remove dirt from an object — weka e jaki
- suno ni la o weka e jaki tan lupa suno.
  Could you clean the windows today?
2. to tidy up — pona e nasin
- tenpo pini la mi ken ala sona e ni: tomo moku la ijo seme li lon seme. ni la mi pona e nasin pi ijo insa.
  Previously, it was really difficult for me to pinpoint where anything was in the pantry, so I cleaned it up.
3. free of dirtiness — jaki ala, sin
- supa moku li jaki ala anu seme?
  Are the dishes clean or not?

cleavage

the cavity between two breasts — lupa pi insa nena, insa nena
- len meli li lili la mi ken lukin e lupa pi insa nena.
  The woman's clothes were so small that I could see her cleavage.

cleave

cut in half, in a single powerful motion — tu, tu wawa, kipisi e
- mi tu wawa e kiwen kasi.
  I cleaved the piece of wood right in half.

clock

1. a device for time — ilo tenpo
- ilo tenpo li pana sike e mu lili lon tenpo ale suno.
  The clock ticked quietly all day long.
2. identify — (lukin la) sona
- mi lukin e nasa sitelen ona la mi sona e ni: ona li tan kulupu Lusi.
  I clocked him as a Russian based on his writing quirks.

close

nearby, in the vicinity (of) — poka, lon poka (pi)
- mi poka tawa tomo sewi.
  I'm close to the temple.
- ona li lon poka pi ma Ontula.
  It's close to Honduras.

cloth

a woven material used to make clothes, among other things — len
- o pilin ike ala. o kepeken len ni tawa lukin telo sina.
  Don't feel sad. Use this cloth for your tearing eyes.

clothes

a cover for body parts — len
- o jo e len ni: suli ona li pona tawa sijelo sina.
  Make sure to pick appropriately sized clothes.

cloud

a mass of water vapor suspended in the air — kon sewi, kon walo
- o lukin e sewi! kon ni li sama sina tawa lukin.
  Look at the sky! That cloud looks like you.

coffee

hot black beverage that prevents tiredness — telo, telo pi weka lape, telo pimeja, telo seli, telo wawa
- o toki ala tawa mi lon tenpo ni: mi moku ala e telo wawa mi a!
  Don't talk to me until I've had my coffee!

color

spectral composition of visible light — kule
- jan lukin li sona pona ala e ni: kule seme li lon selo pi ilo tawa.
  The witness couldn't say for a fact what color the car was.

come

to arrive — kama
- tenpo seme la sina kama?
  When did you come?

come out

to disclose identity or orientation — toki e, (kama) len ala
- ona li toki e tonsi ona tawa mi.
  They came out to me as trans.

committee

a group appointed to make a decision in tandem — kulupu
- kulupu li toki e ni: pali sina li pini la sina o tawa lupa seli.
  The committee has spoken: when you finish working, you shall go to the fire pit.

common

occurring in many situations — (pi tenpo) mute
- tenpo mute la mi lukin e kala alasa lon selo telo.
  It's common to see sharks at the coastline.

company

1. a group of people working together under a legal entity — kulupu
- mama mi li open e kulupu lili pi meli taso.
  My mother started a small company of only women.
2. a legal entity — jan sic, humorous, lawa
- jan Kili li pilin ike lon tenpo ni: sina pana ala e mani tawa ona.
  The company Apple feels bad when you don't give it money.
- mi toki tawa lawa la ona li wile weka e mi tan ni: nanpa mi li lili ike.
  When I talked to the company, they told me that they're firing me because my number is too low.

compare

1. to search for differences — alasa e ante
- mi alasa e ante lon lipu ona lon lipu Wikipesija. ken la pali ona li tan lipu ni.
  I'm comparing their essay to a Wikipedia article. Maybe their work is based off it.
2. to choose the best option — alasa e pona, e ijo pi pona nanpa wan
- mi tawa esun tu wan li alasa e sona ni: moku pi wile mi la ona seme li wile e mani pi lili nanpa wan?
  I'm comparing the prices in three different grocery stores.

competition

a contest — utala
- mi en jan poka mi li lon utala ni: jan seme li ken mu pi wawa nanpa wan?
  My friend and I are in a competition to see who can yell the loudest.

compile

1. to assemble works or information into a single document — wan
- jan seme li wan e lipu ale ni?
  Who compiled this anthology?
2. (of a computer) to read input files of code, validate them, and convert them into simpler output files — nasin
- ilo mi li nasin e toki ilo.
  My computer compiles code.

complex

1. taking extra mental capacity to understand — mute, nasa, suli
- toki pi jan ni li suli nasa la mi ken ala sona.
  This person's speech was so complex that I couldn't understand it.
2. a large building, e.g. an apartment complex — tomo, tomo suli
- mi lon tomo suli pi jan mute.
  I'm in the apartment complex.

pona is sometimes taught, especially in older material such as lipu pu, as meaning "simple" in addition to "good", with ike meaning both "bad" and "complex". As more commonly used now, pona and ike only refer specifically to goodness/badness, and only describe simplicity/complexity to the extent that those qualities are good or bad.

computer

1. a general-purpose tool — ilo
- mi alasa e sona lon ilo.
  I'm doing computer research.
- sina lukin e sitelen suwi lon ilo.
  You're looking at cute pictures on the computer.
- mi en jan olin mi li lon weka. ilo la mi awen ken toki.
  Me and my friends are far from each other. Thanks to computers, we can still talk.
2. a desktop or laptop computer, in contrast to e.g. a smartphone — ilo suli
- mi wile sitelen mute la ilo lili li pona ala la mi o kepeken ilo suli.
  Smaller devices aren't great for long-form writing, so I should use my computer.
3. a tool for mathematical computation — ilo
- mi kepeken ilo kule wawa mute lon musi Manka la, ilo nanpa mi li wile moli pakala.
  When I use a lot of shader mods in Minecraft, my computer wants to explode.

conlang

a language deliberately created by a person — toki pali, toki sin
- jan li wile kama sona e toki pali tan seme?
  What makes people want to learn conlangs?

control

to influence, to hold authority over — lawa
- jan wan taso li ken ala lawa e toki pona.
  A single person cannot control Toki Pona.

cook

to heat up something, typically a meal — seli
- jan Lanu li seli e moku pona.
  Ranu cooks good food.

corn

a starchy grain crop, often yellow, or its seeds — kili pan; sike kili jelo lili mute
- o pana e kili lili jelo tawa pan mi.
  Please put some corn on my pizza.

corny

eliciting a weak negative emotional reaction due to a cliche nature — nasa ike
- toki ale pi mama mi li nasa ike. ona li toki e olin taso!
  Everything my grandma says is so corny. She only talks about love!

country

1. place ruled by a government — ma
- mi lon ma Tosi.
  I'm in (the country of) Germany.
2. the government itself — (kulupu) lawa (ma)
- kulupu Katala li wile kama lawa e ma ona.
  Catalans want to form their own country.

cover

conceal, usually with fabric — len
- ona li len e jan lili.
  He covered the baby with a blanket.

covert

hidden, invisible, clandestine, with an objective not to be discovered — len
- len la ona li pana e moku meli tawa meli tonsi pi kulupu ona.
  She runs a covert operation supplying transgender women in her community with estrogen.

cow

a black and white mammal, often used by humans for its milk — soweli, soweli pimeja walo, soweli pi telo walo moku
- soweli tu li mu e mu mu.
  Two cows moo: moo, moo.
- suno ale la soweli li pana sin e telo pona tawa kulupu mi.
  A milk cow provides fresh, creamy milk for our family every day.

crash

1. to collide (of a physical object) with something — pakala, sijelo e
- ilo tawa sina li pakala e mi, la ona li ilo tawa ala li kiwen pakala.
  When your car hit me, it wasn't a vehicle, it was a bludgeoning projectile.
- jan lili mute li lukin ala e poka ona la ona li sijelo e jan ante mute.
  Some children don't pay attention to their surroundings, so they crash into a lot of other people.
2. to create a loud noise due to physical impact — kalama (wawa)
- sike jelo tu li kalama wawa lon kulupu pi ilo kalama.
  The cymbals crashed in the orchestra.
3. to cease working in unplanned fashion (of a computer) — pakala, pini, pali ala
- a, musi Manka li kama pakala lon tenpo ni: mi kama e ijo tawa mute.
  Ugh, Minecraft crashed when I spawned in too many entities.
4. to show up uninvited to a party or event (often to distrupt it in some way) — kama lon, utala
- mi wile ala e ni: jan Makame li sona e kulupu musi. ona li sona, la ona li kama lon li utala.
  I don't want Muhamad to know about the party because if he does know about it, he'll crash it.
5. to immediately fall asleep or otherwise enter a relative state of rest after either a lot of activity or recreational drug use (of a person) — kama lape
- olin o, mi olin mute sewi wawa pi pona epiku nanpa wan e sina, taso mi pali lon tenpo suli li wile kama lape.
  My love. I love you so much above all with passion epicly the best. But I worked so much today and I really just need to crash.
6. to trend low in number (of a stock or the stock market) — kama lili nanpa
- jan ike li kama nasin e esun la mani ale li kama lili nanpa.
  If a bad person is put in charge of the market, all the stocks will crash.

crash course

a quick method of learning about a topic, usually surface level — nasin pi kama sona, nasin pi tenpo lili
- mi o pana e sona toki tawa sina kepeken nasin pi tenpo lili.
  I should teach you linguistics using a crash course.

create

1. to make with effort — pali
- jan sona li pali e len sin.
  Skilled workers create new kinds of garments.
2. to (usually effortlessly) will into existence — lon
- sewi li lon e jan.
  The divine created a person.
- ma tomo mi la jan lawa li lon e ma luka wan.
  The mayor of my town created six wards.
3. to cause — kama
- moli pan li kama e moli jan.
  Crop failures created famine.
4. to engage in something creative, imaginative — musi
- musi li pona tawa jan lili. jan suli li ken ala kepeken ijo musi ona la ni li suli ala a.
  The children enjoy creating, never mind if it's of any use to grownups!

creative

1. able or willing to create new things — {ken, wile} pali (e ijo sin)
- lawa mi li wile pali e ijo sin lon tenpo mute.
  I have a very creative mind.
2. imaginatively and expressively novel — musi
- mi lukin ala e nasin musi ni pi nimi 'kala' lon ale pi tenpo pini.
  I've never seen 'kala' used in such a creative way before.

cremate

(of a body) to burn to ash. — seli (e) la ona li kama ko, ko e
- sina moli, la mi seli e sijelo sina, la ona li kama ko, la mi pana e ko lon telo.
  When you die, I'll cremate you, and scatter your ashes into the ocean.
- mama mi li moli la mi ko e sijelo ona li pana e ko lon poki.
  When my mother passed away, I cremated her and put the ashes in a jar.

crime

act of breaking a law — kute ala e lawa, ike tawa lawa, pakala lawa
- lawa li ike, la jan pona o pakala lawa.
  When the law is bad, good people do crime.

cringe

disgust and aversion to a stimulus — pilin nasa ike (pi wile weka)
- mi kama lukin e sijelo pini mi pi ilo Jutu la mi pilin nasa ike li wile weka tan lukin.
  When I come upon my old Youtube account, I cringe.

cruel

mean-spirited, evil — ike
- jan lawa ike li anpa e jan pali li weka e mani ona.
  The cruel capitalists oppress the proletariat and take their money.

cry

to shed tears — pana e telo lukin, telo li kama tan lukin
- mama pi jan Sola li pana e telo tan lukin li mu pi pilin ike.
  Sora's father cried and moaned in agony.
- sijelo mi li mu mute a tan pilin musi suli la telo li kama tan lukin mi.
  I'm laughing so hard that I'm crying.

cuisine

food or customs of making food, associated with a place — (nasin) moku (pi ma ...)
- nasin pi ma Anku la moku li ken namako kepeken ko pipi.
  Korean cuisine sometimes incorporates shrimp paste for depth in certain dishes.

cup

1. container for beverages — poki (telo)
- ona li sewi e poki ona pi telo wawa li toki e pona.
  She raised her cup of mead in a toast to friendship.
2. concave covering for breasts — len nena
- len ni li ike a tawa selo nena mi.
  The cups are made of a particularly uncomfortable material.
3. a contest — utala (musi)
- kulupu mi li utala pona. utala musi tu la mi wawa nanpa wan.
  Our team went one better this year, winning both the league and the cup.

currant

a small berry — kili (lili) (mute)
- mi pali e ko tan kili mute lili li pana e ona tawa pan mi.
  I made a preserve from currants and spread it on my toast.

current

1. in the moment — ni, lon tenpo ni
- mi toki e soweli pi tenpo ni. ona a li moli e jan poka mi!
  I'm talking about the current dog. HE killed my friend!
2. a forceful movement of water — telo wawa
- mi lon telo la telo wawa li weka e mi tan poka ma.
  When I was swimming, a powerful current pulled me from shore.

cut

1. to split into parts with a tool — tu
2. an continuous injury in the skin — pakala, linja (loje)
- pakala li awen lon luka mi tan tenpo ni: mi pakala ike ilo e ona.
  There's still a cut on my finger from when I slipped with a knife.
3. on a computer, to remove and take onto the clipboard — weka
- o weka e toki open o pana e ona lon pini.
  Cut the first paragraph and paste it at the end.
4. to edit a video — wan e sitelen mute

dark

1. with little light — pimeja
2. with "dark themes", uncomfortable topics — (ijo) ike li lon
- mi lukin e sitelen ni: moli en pakala olin en ijo ike sama li lon.
  I watched a movie with dark themes like death and emotional severance.

daughter

a female offspring (usually human) — meli, jan, kama, lili, meli kama, etc
- kama mi li nanpa wan lon sona nanpa.
  My daughter is the best at math.
- mi o pana poka e meli kama mi e meli kama sina tawa ni: mi ken alasa e pona e ike.
  We should put my daughter next to your daughter and compare their good and bad qualities.

day

a unit of time made up of 24 hours — (tenpo) suno
- suno tu wan la mi awen, taso ona li awen toki ala tawa mi.
  I've waiting for three days, but she still hasn't spoken to me.

dead

1. no longer living — moli
2. of a space: currently inactive, not busy — lape; jan ala li {toki, musi, ...}
- a, sin la jan ala li toki lon kulupu ni.
  Great, chat's dead again.
3. broken, inoperable — pakala
- sinpin pi ilo mi li pakala. mi o esun e ona sin.
  My monitor is dead. Guess I'll have to buy a new one.
4. (of a machine) inactive — lape, pini, pi {wawa, sona, ...} ala
- sitelen ala li kama lon linja. ilo li pana ala pana tawa ona?
  Looks like the video cable's dead. Can you check it's connected properly?

deadname

former name of someone who changed their name — nimi weka, nimi moli

deck

1. a pack of playing cards — lipu, kulupu lipu
- o pana e kulupu lipu la mi ken musi!
  Get the deck out so we can play!
2. the topmost walking surface of a ship, the raised surface in front of a house — supa noka
- telo li kama lon supa noka tan wawa pi telo suli.
  Water came onto the deck because of the ocean's strength.

defenestrate

to throw (something or someone) out of a window — pana (lupa) e, pana tan lupa
- mi pana lupa e sina.
  I defenestrate you.
- ma Pawa la jan li pana e jan lawa tu tan lupa!
  In Prague, they defenestrated two lords regent!

degree

1. amount, extent — mute
- telo mute li lon kon pi tomo ni.
  There's a high degree of moisture in this room.
2. extensive knowledge acquired through study and tested by an examination — sona wawa, ken wawa
- sona ni mi li wawa: mi pali e ilo la mi pana seme e ken ona tawa jan kepeken la ona li ken sona pona e ken e nasin li ken kepeken pona. taso mi kepeken ala sona mi a.
  I have a degree in UX design, but I don't use it.

In English, the word "degree" implies years of study in a formal setting, as well as verification of that knowledge by other experts through exams. Keep in mind that the Toki Pona phrasings given may not connote this level of expertise. See also the note at "doctor".

design

1. to create something, especially something visual or instructions for creating another thing — pali e selo, pali e nasin (lukin)
- mi pali e nasin pali sin pi ilo sitelen.
  I've designed a new pen.
- jan ni li pali e supa nasa.
  He designs avant-garde furniture.
2. visual symbol, visual style — sitelen, nasin lukin
- sitelen sin pi kulupu sina li suwi anu seme?
  Your company's new design looks pretty nice, eh?

develop

1. to change in some way — kama (as a preverb), ante
- kasi mi li kama suli pona a!
  My tomato plants are developing nicely!
2. to work on, create — pali
- mani mi la mi pali e ilo.
  I develop software for a living.
- mi pali e nasin sin tawa kulupu.
  We've developed a new technique for the classroom.

dictionary

a written work on words — lipu nimi
- lipu Kemeka li pana e nimi mute e toki poka ona kin.
  The Kemeka dictionary shows words as well as the context they are used in.

die

1. to stop living — moli
- ona li moli tan jaki pipi.
  He died of malaria.
2. (of a machine) to stop functioning, chiefly due to battery having been depleted (see 'dead') — lape, pini, pi {wawa, sona, ...} ala
- a, ilo kalama mi li moli sin.
  Oh, my headphones died again.
3. to want intensely — wile (a)
- mi wile a toki tawa ona.
  I'm dying to talk to her.
1. a cube with numbers, used in games — leko (musi)
- leko li kama tawa.
  The die is cast.

different

1. not the same — sama ala
- pipi en kala li sama ala.
  Bugs are different from fish.
2. other — ante
- mi o lape lon tenpo ante.
  I should go to bed at a different time.

difficult

1. requires a lot of effort — wile e {pali, wawa} mute, pali suli
- mi wile sona toki Sonko la ni li wile e pali mute.
  Chinese is a difficult language for me to learn.
- ni li pali suli ala, li pali nasa.
  This is not difficult, just confusing.
2. "difficult person": uncooperative, troublesome — (jan) ike, (jan) utala
- pali mi la mi o lon e wile pi jan mute ni: ona li toki ike tawa mi li utala e mi.
  At work, I have to deal with difficult customers.

discuss

to talk about — toki
- ona li toki e tenpo ken taso.
  They were discussing merely hypothetical scenarios.

disease

unhealthy condition, sickness — ike (sijelo), jaki (sijelo)
- jan sona li ken ala sona e ike lon sijelo ona.
  The doctor could not diagnose their disease.

distance

measure of remoteness — weka
- ma Lanten en ma Paki li weka seme?
  How large is the distance between London and Paris?

distant

remote, far — weka
- mi kute e kalama tan weka.
  We heard a distant rumbling.

do

1. placeholder verb — ∅
- sina seme?
  What are you doing?
- kon li pona e mi.
  The fresh air did me some good.
- o pali!
  Do your job!
- open pi suno ni la mi moku ala.
  I did not eat this morning.
- ona li pona ala pona tawa sina?
  Do you like it?
2. the same verb as before — ni
- ona li weka e jaki kepeken telo. mi ni kin.
  They are washing the floor, and I do too.
3. (emphatic) — a
- mi sona a e ni.
  I do know that.

doctor

1. a medical professional — jan, jan sijelo, jan pi pona sijelo
- jan ni li pona e insa mi ni: ona li kama e telo tan moku.
  This is my gastrointestinologist.
2. an expert in a field who graduated with a PhD or equivalent — jan, jan sona, jan pi {field of expertise}
- jan pi sona toki li utala mute a.
  Doctors of linguistics very frequently debate.

in English, the title "doctor" is typically earned by someone after years of study in a medical or non-medical field, and describes a very high level of expertise. Keep in mind that conveying this level of expertise may not come automatically with any of the phrasing provided in these examples. If important, it may be necessary to explain or describe someone's background in their field, acknowledge their authority in it, and mention how other members of their field feel about them (like some who were previously doctors may have their medical license revoked, and a description of their background that omits that would be misleading in toki pona, where in English it would be implicit within "disgraced")

dog

domesticated furry animal commonly kept as a pet — soweli, soweli tomo
- soweli sina li suwi a.
  Your dog is so cute.
- o lukin e soweli tomo mi.
  Look at my dog.

door

1. horizontal surface inside a doorway — sinpin
- open pi tomo mi la mi sin e sinpin pi lupa kama.
  We installed a new front door.
2. referring metonymically to the doorway itself — lupa
- o pini e lupa tomo!
  Please close the door(way)!

down

1. at or toward the bottom — (tawa) anpa
- mi tawa anpa tan sewi tomo la mi pilin e lili mi.
  As I went down from the top of the building, I felt how small I was.
2. toward the bottom of (something) — tawa anpa (pi)
- mi lukin tawa anpa lipu.
  I read down the page.
1. sad, dejected — pilin anpa
2. defeated, dead — anpa, moli
- jan ale li moli. sina kama wawa.
  All enemies are down. Level Up!
3. (of a server, application, or website) not running, not working, not functioning — pini, ken (lon)
- pakala la lipu ilo mi li pini lon tenpo suno tu kama.
  Unfortunately, our website will be down for the next two days.
- tenpo suno ni la mi ken ala lon ilo Siko.
  Discord is down today.

The preposition "down" frequently occurs in phrasal verbs. Seek translations of those as a unit.

draw

1. to depict visually — sitelen
- mi sona sitelen e waso.
  I know how to draw birds.
2. to randomly take from a pile — (kama) jo
- o kama jo e lipu tu.
  Draw two cards.
3. to cause an interest or desire — kama e {wile, musi}
- tenpo ale la mun sewi li musi tawa mi.
  I've always been drawn to the night sky.
4. end of a game with no winner — pini musi pi jan sewi ala
- musi li kama lon ni: jan ala li ken anpa e jan ante.
  The game came to a draw.

dream

1. to experience imaginary events in the mind while sleeping — lape la, musi lape
- lape la mi ken tawa lon kon sama waso.
  I dreamed that I could fly like a bird.
2. a goal, wish — wile
- wile mi la ala la jan li pakala e jan ante.
  I have a dream that people will never hurt others.

drive

to control a vehicle — lawa, tawa e

drop

1. to let an object fall, often by accident — anpa (pakala), weka
- jan o! ilo sina li weka tan sina.
  Hey you! You dropped your pen.
2. to stop talking about — toki ala, awen ala toki
- mi o awen ala toki e ni.
  Let's drop the subject.
3. small amount of liquid — telo lili
- telo ni li ken pona e lape sina. o moku e ona lili tu wan lon open pi tenpo lape.
  Take three drops of this sleep medication before going to sleep.

duck

1. an aquatic bird — waso (telo)
2. to lower one's body, often in order to hide — anpa, lili, len
- pakala suli li kama la mi len e mi lon monsi supa.
  When the explosion went off, I ducked behind a table.

each

every — ale
- jan ale o open e lipu ona.
  Each person should open their books.

ear

body part used for hearing — kute

early

happening before an expected time — lon open a, lon tenpo pi {ijo} ala
- mi kama lon tomo kulupu lon tenpo ni: jan ale ante li awen lon ala.
  I arrived early at work.

earth

1. land (as opposed to sky or sea) — ma
- jan li lawa e ma la sewi li lawa e sewi.
  Whereas mortals rule the Earth, the divine rules over heaven.
2. dirt, soil — (ko) ma
- ko ni ma li pona tawa kasi.
  This earth is good for agriculture.

east

the direction that the Earth rotates in around its axis — nasin pi kama suno; see usage note
- la ona li tawa tan nasin pi kama suno, la ona li kama lukin e ma supa lon ma Sina. ona li awen lon ma ni.
  And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

It's often a good idea to talk about landmarks instead of directions if possible. The solution "nasin pi kama suno" refers to the direction that the sun rises, but if a friend lives to the east of you, you can just as easily use them instead of the sun like this: "nasin pi jan Elano" "the direction of Elanor."

easy

requiring little effort — wile e wawa lili, wile e pali lili
- pali nanpa wan li wile e wawa lili. pali nanpa pini li wile e wawa mute e tenpo mute.
  The first task was easy. The final task was difficult and required a lot of time.

effect

1. the consequence or result of a cause — kama
- tan li len. ale li ken lukin e kama ona.
  The cause is hidden. The effect is visible to all.
2. to bring about — kama e
- kulupu pi pali lawa li kama e lawa sin lon tenpo sike pini.
  The new law was effected by parliament last year.

effort

willpower or physical power required to do something — wawa
- sina wile kama nanpa wan lon lipu nimi, la ni li wile e wawa mute.
  If you wanna win lexicography, that requires a lot of effort.

egg

the ball produced by a parent, often a bird — sike waso, sike mama
- sina pali seme kepeken ko jelo pi sike waso?
  What did you make with the egg yolk?
- seme li kama lon open: mama sike anu sike mama?
  What came first, the chicken or the egg?

electric

using electricity (physics phenomenon) to function — (kepeken) wawa (ilo)

electricity

1. physical phenomena related to the presence and flow of electric charge — wawa (ilo)
- mi pilin e linja mi kepeken sike kon la, linja en sike li wile wan tan wawa awen.
  When I rub a balloon on my hair, my balloon and the hair attract each other due to static electricity.
2. electrical power — see power

Electricity comes from many places and is used for many things. It is almost always wawa; but if you need to be more precise, describe what makes electricity different from other forms of energy in the situation.

end

1. tip, peak — pini
2. moment when something is over — (tenpo) pini

enough

having a sufficient amount — mute pona, mute wile
- ni o supa pi mute pona.
  That should be enough chairs.

epidermis

the outer layer of skin on an animal (including humans) — selo
- ken ala lukin mi li tan ala pakala kin pi selo mi.
  Nor is my invisibility exactly a matter of a biochemical accident to my epidermis.

equate

to consider equal — sama
- o sona: utala la kulupu kama en kulupu awen li sama ala.
  We should not equate the occupied with the occupier.

estrogen

substance used in feminizing hormone therapy — {misikeke, kiwen, ko, ...} meli, moku meli
- mi moku e kiwen lon tenpo mute la sijelo mi li kama meli.
  My body is feminizing under the effects of estrogen pills.
- tenpo poka la mi kama ken moku meli!
  Soon, I'll be able to take estrogen!

Different words can be used for different modes of administration, like kiwen for pills or telo for injections.

event

1. a scheduled time — tenpo
2. a gathering — kulupu

ever

at all times — (tenpo) ale la
- tenpo ale la mi weka ala tan tomo mi.
  I don't ever leave my house.

every

all — ale

example

1. an illustration of a rule — ∅ (cf for example)
- mi sona ala kepeken nimi ni. o kepeken ona lon toki. mi o ken sona tan ni.
  I don't understand how to use that word. Could you give an example in a sentence so I can see how it works?
2. good behavior that encourages imitation — nasin ken, nasin pona
- o tawa lon suno laso taso. jan o lukin e nasin pona sina o wile sama.
  Only walk when the light is green. Set a good example for others.

excited

enthusiastic or energetic — (pilin) {wile, pona, musi} wawa
- tenpo musi kalama li kama poka a. mi wile a lon ona!
  The concert is happening soon. I'm so excited to go!!
- nanpa li musi wawa tawa mi a.
  I get really excited about math.

exist

to be — lon
- lon pi wile mi taso li pona. lon soweli pi wile ala li pona tawa ni. taso lon ala li pona nanpa wan.
  It is good to be a cynic — it is better to be a contented cat — and it is best not to exist at all.

experience

1. to feel with the senses — {pilin, lukin, kute, ...} e {tenpo, ijo}
- mi en sina li lukin e musi sin lon poka. ni li suli tawa mi.
  I'm glad we experienced that movie together.
2. an activity one has performed — ∅
- tenpo poka la mi o weka e soweli moli tan tomo mi. ni li jaki a tawa mi.
  I had to get a dead rat out of my flat recently. It was a horrible experience.
3. knowledge gathered from past events — sona {nasin}
- sina sona ala sona pali lon ilo ni?
  Do you have experience working this machine?

eye

an organ through which animals see — lukin
- suno wawa li ike e pilin pi lukin mi.
  Bright lights hurt my eyes.

fabric

a cloth material — len
- mi tu e len li wan sin e ona la mi ken pali e len lawa musi.
  If I cut fabric and sew it back together, I can make a funny hat.

face

1. to turn one's face towards, looking at — lukin
- o lukin e suno.
  Face the light.
2. to have an opponent — utala
3. the front part, especially of a human head — sinpin
- jan li utala e sina la sina kama ala kama sona e sinpin ona?
  Did you remember the face of the person who attacked you?
4. reputation, public image — pilin, kulupu; kama {ijo} tawa kulupu
- mi wile ala kama ike tawa jan ale!
  I don't want to lose face before everyone!

fact

1. something grounded in truth — sona, lon
- o pini e toki pilin. o open e toki pi sona lon.
  Let's move on from opinions and consider the facts.
- pilin sina la ona li jo e mani mute. taso lon la ona li jo e mani ala.
  You thought he's rich, but in fact he's penniless.
2. "the fact that ..." — a relative clause cliché — ∅, ni
- toki Lusi li kepeken sitelen Kililisa. ni li ike e ken sona mi.
  The fact that Russian uses Cyrillic makes it hard for me to read.

fall

1. move downwards — tawa anpa
- lipu kasi li tawa anpa.
  The leaves are falling.
2. become — kama
- mi lukin e ona li kama olin.
  I saw them and fell in love.
3. come to an end — pini, moli
- ma Loma nanpa tu li pini tan kulupu Tuki.
  The second Rome fell to the Turks.
- jan mute pona li moli lon ma utala.
  Many good men fell in battle.
4. autumn, season marked by falling leaves and harvest — tenpo pan, tenpo pi moli lipu
- lipu kasi li moli la tenpo ni li kama: sin la mi o tawa tomo sona.
  As fall is upon us, once again I have to go to school.
- lipu mun la tenpo pan li tenpo suli nanpa TW li kama lon mun nanpa LTT.
  Going by the calendar, fall is the third season and starts in September.

family

group of people based on kinship — kulupu (mama)
- kulupu mama mi li wile tawa lon telo. taso mi wile ala.
  My family want to travel by boat, but I don't want to join them.

far

1. remote in space or time — weka
- ona li tawa ma weka.
  She travelled to a far land.
- tenpo kama weka la ken la sijelo jan li pakala ala e pilin ona.
  In the far future, perhaps, diseases do not cause suffering.
2. emphatic, very much — a, mute
- mi kama sona e ni: ona li jo e mani mute a.
  He turned out to be far richer than I'd thought.

farm

place where crops or livestock are raised — ma {pan, soweli, waso, ...}
- lon monsi pi tomo mi la mi mama e kili moku lon insa ma.
  In our backyard, we have a carrot farm.

fast

1. using little time — (kepeken) tenpo lili
- mi moku kepeken tenpo lili.
  I am a fast eater.
2. same as 1, but emphasizing power needed to perform the task quickly — wawa
- sina pali wawa a!!
  You worked fast!!

father

parent — mama
- mama mi li weka tawa esun.
  My father's out to shop.

fear

emotion caused by perceived danger — pilin monsuta, pilin pi ike ken
- mi tawa lon pimeja la mi pilin e ike ken ni: kon li kama li moli e mi.
  Walking in the dark, I'm always afraid that a ghost will come out and murder me.

feel

1a. to experience an emotion — pilin
- suno la mi pilin pona, suno ante la pona ala.
  Some days I feel well. On other days, not so much.
1b. to believe — pilin la, pilin e ni
- pilin mi la pali ni li ken ike a.
  I feel that this is not a good idea.
2. to sense through touch — pilin
- ona li sama kiwen tawa lukin, taso mi pilin e ona la ona li ko.
  I looked like it was hard, but when I felt it, it was like goo.
3. to seem — ∅
- sina wile kama jo e telo wawa la mani luka luka li mute ike a.
  If you're buying an energy drink, ten dollars feels like too much.

femboy

man who expresses/dresses themself femininely — (jan) mije (pi sama) meli

field

1. flat landscape, typically with grass — (ma) supa
2. a place used to grow crops — ma pan, ma (pi mama) kasi
3. area of study — ∅
- pali mi la mi alasa e sona sijelo sin.
  I'm a scientists in the field of anatomy.

fight

conflict, altercation — utala

find

1. to come across something after searching for it — kama lukin e, kama kute e, etc
- mi alasa mute e soweli la mi kama lukin e ona.
  After searching for the beast, I finally found it.
2. to opine, often based on past experiences — pilin e ni:
- mi pilin e ni: jan li wile a utala. mi sona e ni tan pali mi.
  I've found that people actually WANT to fight. I know this because of my job.

fire

plasma that gives off heat — seli

first

1. coming before all others in a list — nanpa wan
- kulupu lipu Tanaka la lipu nanpa wan li toki e open ale.
  The first book of the Tanakh talks about the genesis of the world.
2. to begin with — open
- taso open la kulupu li pana e mani tawa mi. mi o toki e ona.
  But first, let me tell you about my sponsor.

fish

a water-dwelling animal or its flesh — kala
- tenpo sike pini MLL la poka pi ma Kanata la jan pi mute ike li alasa e kala la kala li pini.
  In the 1990s the fish stocks in Canadian waters depleted due to overfishing.
- tenpo ni la jan o moku ala e soweli e waso. taso ona li awen ken moku e kala.
  During this period people should not consume meat. Fish, however, is still allowed.

fix

1. repair — pona (e pakala)
2. desire, craving — wile
- mi awen ala wile lukin e ma lon suno ni.
  I've gotten my fix on touristing for the day.

flag

a piece of cloth used as a symbol — lipu, len
- lipu pi ma Sonko la mun jelo luka li lon.
  The flag of China has five yellow stars.

floor

the bottom surface in a room — supa, supa anpa
- pakala! telo mi li tawa supa tan poki a.
  Crap! My drink spilled onto the floor.

flower

colorful plant often considered beautiful — kasi, kasi suwi, kasi kule
- mi kulupu e kasi pi kule mute li pana e ona tawa olin mi.
  I collected flowers in many colors and brought them to my boyfriend.

fly

1. insect — pipi
2. move through the air — tawa (lon) kon, tawa (lon) sewi, (tawa sama) waso

fold

to bend a sheet in order to make it compact — lili, pini, len
- o lili e len o poki e ona.
  Fold up the bedsheets and put them in the drawer.
- mi open e lipu ona, li lukin e toki ona ale, li pini sin e ona.
  I unfolded their letter, read what it said, and folded it back up.

food

1. consumable sustenance — moku
- sijelo ale li wile e moku.
  All organisms need food to survive.
2. a particular foodstuff — pan, ko, kili, soweli, ...
- sitelen la kili en kasi mute li lon.
  The picture showed various vegetarian foods.

foot

an organ used by animals to support oneself on the ground — noka
- mi tawa pi mute ike la noka mi li kama pakala.
  I ran too much, so my foot was injured.

foot the bill

to pay for something, especially if the cost is high — pana e mani
- sina tu li ken ala la mi ken pana e mani.
  If you two can't, I can foot the bill.

for

1. to the benefit of, towards — tawa
- mi pali e pan suwi tawa sina.
  I made cookies for you.
- o tawa nena ma!
  Run for the hills!
2. because of — tan
- ona li pona tawa mi tan ijo mute.
  I like her for lots of reasons.
3. in favour — pona
- jan luka la pona. jan tu la pona ala.
  Ten people voted for, two against.

for example

providing an instance demonstrating a pattern or rule — sama ni
- sina wile toki e ken la, nimi 'sama' li ken pona, sama ni: "nimi 'sama' li ken pona, sama ni."
  If you want to discuss possibilities, the word 'sama' may be effective; for example, "nimi 'sama' li ken pona, sama ni."

force

1. power, energy — wawa
- ona li lon tomo lili lon telo suli la ona li ken a pilin e wawa ona.
  Being in a small boat on a great ocean, she really felt the force of the water.
- wawa li wawa ale, ala li ken pini e ona. sinpin li wawa ale li ken pini e ale. ona li kama wan la seme li kama?
  Who would win, an unstoppable force or an immovable object?
2. make someone act against their will — {lon, tan} wile ala
- mi pana e moku tawa jan mi lon wile ala ona.
  I forced my kid to eat.

forever

persisting through all future moments — lon tenpo ale (kama), tawa tenpo ale (kama)
- o moku e pan lon tenpo ale kama.
  Eat bread forever.

forget

1a. to lose knowledge of something — weka, weka sona, (kama) sona ala
- mi weka e sona mute pi tenpo ni: mi jan lili.
  I forget a lot of my childhood.
- sina weka ala weka e ilo sina lon poka pi poki telo suli?
  Did you forget your phone at the poolside?
- mi kama sona ala e ni: mi lon ni tan seme.
  I forgot why I came here.
- tenpo pini la jan Nansi li sona pali e moku ante mute. tenpo ni la ona li sona ala.
  Previously, Nancy knew how to prepare many different dishes. Now, she has forgotten.
2. to neglect to do something — kama ala (pali)
- mi kama ala pana e namako tawa kala.
  I forgot to add salt to the fish.

The distinction between "I don't know X" and "I forgot X" is whether the given thing was known previously. In context, this detail may not always be necessary to communicate.

fortnight

a period of 14 days and nights — suno luka luka tu tu
- mi awen lon suno luka luka tu tu, taso akesi wawa li kama sin ala.
  I waited for a fortnight, but the dragon didn't return.

free

1a. release from a prison — weka tan poki (awen)
1b. give freedom or rights to — ken e, pana e ken
- kulupu Palasina o ken ale!
  Free Palestine!
1. unrestrained, with freedom — ken, ken ale, ala li weka e ken mi
2. costing nothing, free of charge — wile ala e mani
- sijelo jan li kama pakala la ma Kanata la ni li wile ala e mani: jan li tawa tomo sijelo la jan sona li pona e sijelo ona.
  If you're injured in Canada, it's free to go to a hospital and be treated by a doctor.

fridge

a receptacle that keeps food items cold, but above freezing — poki lete
- poki lete mi li kama e pilin ike wawa lon mi tan ni: lon monsi poki, la poki lili li lon. mi sona ala e insa.
  My fridge scares me a lot because in the back, there are some small containers. I don't know what's inside them.

friend

1. someone physically and emotionally close and enjoyable — (jan) poka, (jan) pona
- jan Sankin li pona tawa mi. ike la mi tu li poka ala.
  I like John Green, but unfortunately we are not friends.
- ona li pona e mi lon tenpo utala. mi tu li awen pona.
  He helped me out during the war, and we've remained friends since.
2. in the plural: a friend group, a clique — kulupu
- len mi sin li ike tawa kulupu mi.
  My friends think my new jeans are weird.

frog

amphibian — akesi
- akesi li moku e pipi.
  The frog eats bugs.

from

1. originating in/at, because of — tan
- mi kama tan ma Mewika.
  I came from America.
- jan mute li moli tan ike sijelo.
  Many people die from disease.
2. indicating differentiation — en, ∅
- pilin mi en pilin sina li sama ala.
  You opinions differ from mine.
- ona li sona e ike e pona.
  He knows right from wrong.

full

1. having little to no empty space — ale ken li lon, ijo (sin) ala li ken
- poki pan la pan ale ken li lon.
  All the bread that will fit is in the breadbox.
2. no longer needing to eat — wile ala moku (sin), ken ala moku
- "sina wile ala wile moku e suwi?" ni ala; mi ken ala moku.
  "Do you want to eat dessert?" No, I'm full.

fungus

any organism of the Fungi kingdom — soko
- mi pana e telo kili tawa tomo pimeja li weka tan tomo lon tenpo suli, la mi pilin e ni: mi kama sin, la ma soko wawa li lon.
  If I leave fruit juice in a dark room and leave the room for a long period of time, I think I'll return to a beautiful fungus garden.

funny

1. amusing, humorous — musi
- jan mute a li kama lukin e sitelen musi soweli.
  The funny cat video went viral.
2. unusual — nasa
- telo li pana e kon pi jaki nasa.
  The milk smelt funny.

furry

member of the furry fandom — jan soweli, soweli

Other animal words may be appropriate depending on the furry's species: for example, (jan) waso for an avian furry.

future

1. a time yet to be experienced — tenpo kama
- tenpo kama la mi wile kama sona e toki mute.
  In the future, I want to learn many languages.
2. occurring in the future — kama, tenpo kama
- pali pi jan lon li weka e ken pi jan pi tenpo kama.
  The actions of people of the present are harming the opportunities of future generations.

gain

1. to acquire — kama jo
- sina kama jo e jan ni: ona li wile pona tawa sina.
  You've gained a friend.
2. muscles toned from working out — sijelo, luka, noka, monsi, etc; pona, wawa, suli
- o lukin e luka wawa ni a!!
  Look at these bicep gains!!

gain on

to follow closely behind and close the gap over time — kama lon poka, kama poka lon monsi
- ona li kama poka lon monsi mi la mi suli e wawa tawa.
  When she started gaining on me, I ran faster.

game

1. an enjoyable system of rules — musi
- mi wile musi supa lon poka sina tan ni: sina suwi.
  I want to play a board game with you because you're so sweet.
2. to play with enjoyable programs on computers — musi (lon ilo)
- mi wile musi mute lon ilo, taso mama li ken ala e ni.
  I want to game a lot, but my parents don't allow it.
3. to mess with or exploit a system — utala, nasa
- mi nasa e nasin mani pi ma Tosi.
  I'm gaming the German bank system.

gamer

someone who plays enjoyable programs on computers — jan musi, jan pi musi ilo
- mi toki ala tawa jan pi musi ilo tan ni: mi lili, la musi ilo li moli e mama mama mi.
  I don't talk to gamers because gaming killed my grandma.

gay

attracted to one's own gender (cf 'straight') — olin e {meli/mije}, olin e kule sama
- ona li mije li olin e mije.
  He's a guy and he's gay.
- jan mute li kama kulupu. ona ale li olin e kule sama.
  Many people gathered. They're all gay.

gender

social category of man, woman, nonbinary, etc. — (mije en meli la) poki, kule
- mije en meli la mi poki ala
  I don't fit into the gender binary.
- mije la meli la tonsi la ale o kama e mani sama.
  People deserve the same welfare regardless of gender.

general

1. involving many or all members of a group — kulupu, mute, ale, ∅
- nasin sin li pona e jan mute.
  The new policy improved general quality of life.
2. member of the military — (utala la) jan lawa

get

1. become in possession of — kama jo
- mi en jan olin mi li kama jo e soweli lili suwi a!
  Me and my partner got a pet!
2. be in possession of — jo
- sina jo ala jo e lipu ken?
  Have you got a ticket?
3. fetch — kama e (ijo)
- o kama e supa tan tomo ante. jan kama li wile e ona.
  Please get a chair from the other room for our guest.
4. become, turn, begin — kama
- mi kama wile moku.
  I'm getting hungry.
- ona li kama pona tawa mi.
  I'm getting to like him.
5. understand, dig — sona
- mi sona a.
  Yeah, I get it.
6. (used in passive constructions in English) — ∅
- a, kulupu li pakala a e sina lon utala!
  Whoa, you really got wrecked at the contest!

get well soon

interjection said to a sick person — o kama pona

gift

an object given without a required reciprocation — pana
- a, pana mi li ike tawa sina. mi o weka e ona e mi tan poka sina. mi o awen weka tawa tenpo ale.
  Oh, you didn't like my gift. I should take it back and leave your side. I should stay away forever.

girl

feminine young person — meli (lili)

give

1. transfer, share, put — pana
- mi pana e moku e olin tawa soweli mi.
  I gave my cat his food and his love.
- tenpo pana la mi pana e kiwen namako kute tawa jan olin mi.
  For Christmas I gave my partner earrings.
2. perform an action — ∅
- mi uta suwi e lawa soweli.
  I gave the kitten a kiss on the forehead.
- sina wile ala wile ken e mi?
  Would you like to give me permission?

glass

a hard substance that is transparent or transluscent — kiwen, kiwen ni: sina ken lukin e ijo pi monsi ona
- lupa pi tomo mi la kiwen ni li lon: jan li lukin lon ona la ona li ken lukin e ijo pi monsi ona.
  My window has a glass pane in it.

glue

1. to apply a wet material that can bind two objects together once dried — wan (kepeken ko)
- mi pakala e suno tomo, taso mi ken wan sin e anpa e sewi kepeken ko!
  I broke my chandelier, but I can glue the bottom and the top together!
2. a wet material that can bind two objects together once dried — ko (wan)
- ko ni li ken wan wawa e ale!
  This glue can fix anything!

go

1. proceed to a destination — tawa
- tomo ni li tawa ma Sinsinasi.
  This train is going to Cincinnati.
2. leave, move away — weka, tawa
- o weka ala tan mi.
  I don't want you to go.
- mi tawa.
  I'm going.
3. function properly — pali
- pakala la ilo li pali ala!
  The engine just won't go!
4. proceed to begin a task — kama

god

1. the divine — sewi
- open la sewi li lon e sewi e ma.
  In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.
2. the divine characterised in terms of personhood — jan sewi
- ma Elena pi tenpo weka la jan li toki mute e jan sewi ona.
  Ancient Greek texts share lots of stories about their gods.
1. expression of emotions — a
- pona a la mi kama ken lape!
  Oh my god, finally I can sleep!

gold

1. an expensive yellow metal — kiwen mani, kiwen jelo
- mi lon ma nena la mi kama jo e kiwen mani.
  We found a chunk of gold during our hike in the mountains.
- kiwen walo li kama mani lili la kiwen jelo li awen mani suli.
  While the price of silver dropped, the price of gold stayed high.
2. the colour resembling gold, gilded — jelo
- lipu kule pi ma Wenesa la soweli jelo li lon.
  The flag of Venice features a gold lion.

good

ethically moral, pleasant, effective, proper, reasonable, etc. — pona
- o pona tawa jan. jan o pona tawa sina.
  Do good to others and others will do good to you.

good night

1. i'm leaving (the conversation) — mi weka
- a! pimeja li kama suli! mi weka.
  Ah! It's gotten late! Good night!
2. sleep well — o lape pona
- o lape pona, jan lili suwi o.
  Good night, kiddo.

goodbye

1. i'm leaving (the conversation) — mi tawa, mi weka
- "o sona: nasin mi la sina ken pali ale wile-" "a, pakala, jan, a, pi tomo mi li wile e mi, mi weka."
  "As you can see, with my method you can do anything you want-" "Oh, fuck, someone, uh, in my house wants me, goodbye."
2. (farewell said to someone who is leaving) — tawa pona, o tawa pona, weka pona, o weka pona
- a sina tawa. o tawa pona
  Oh, you need to go. Goodbye.

The usual "mi tawa" and "(o) tawa pona" can be varied. Generally, the person leaving states why they are leaving, and others wish them well in that future activity. For example: "mi weka, mi o lape." "o lape pona!"

govern

manage, control, administer — lawa
- jan majuna li awen lawa e ma ni lon tenpo suli.
  The old man has governed this land for decades.

government

an organisation that rules a state — lawa, lawa ma
- pilin pi jan mute la lawa ma li pali sama ala wile mi.
  According to the people, the government is not doing what we want it to.

grand

large or important — suli

gray

1. a light shade of black — pimeja, pimeja walo
2. a dark shade of white — walo, walo pimeja

great

1. powerful — wawa
- jan wawa Kolija li kama.
  Goliath the great is coming.
2. good, awesome, cool — pona
- soweli mi li moli ala. ni li pona.
  My cat didn't die. That's great.
3. large or significant — suli, mute
- kiwen suli li pini e open lupa.
  A great boulder blocked the opening to the cave.
- pilin pi ike mute li kama lon mi.
  A great sadness has washed over me.
4. expression of approval and strong positive emotions — wawa a
- sina pali pona. wawa a!
  You've done good work. Great!

green

1a. a shade of turquoise/grue; the color of many plants — laso
- open sike la, kasi li kama laso sin.
  At the beginning of the year, plants turn green again.
1b. a shade of turquoise/grue as opposed to blue — laso kasi
- nasa la telo ni li laso sama kasi.
  Strangely, this water is green.
2. having a positive impact on the environment — pona tawa ma
- ilo mute sin li pona tawa ma, taso kulupu mute li pana ala e mani tawa ona.
  Lots of new technologies are green, but many organizations don't invest in them.

ground

a solid and walkable surface — ma
- ilo waso li tawa anpa li kama lon ma.
  The plane flew down and hit the ground.

group

collection of similar things — kulupu

grow

to become bigger — kama suli

gun

lethal weapon — ilo utala, ilo moli

hair

1a. filaments that grow out from scalp — linja (lawa)
- linja mi li nasa jaki la o lukin ala e mi.
  My hair is unkempt, so avert your gaze.
1b. filaments that grow out of skin — linja (sijelo)
- tonsi la pali mije pi ante sijelo li ken suli e linja sijelo sina.
  Undergoing masculine gender transition may thicken your body hair.

hand

body part — luka

hang

1. to kill someone with a noose — moli e ... kepeken linja
- jan li pali ike lon ma ni la jan ni li kama moli tan linja.
  If someone breaks the law here, they will be hanged.
2. to place an object such that it is supported from above — pana
- mi pana e len mi tawa sinpin tomo.
  I'll hang my coat on the wall.
3. an understanding or familiarity (to get the hang of) — sona
- mi kama sona e nasin pona pi lawa ilo.
  I'm getting the hang of driving.

hang from

to be supported from above (usually by a taught object) — lon, lon linja
- sijelo soweli li lon linja tan sewi.
  The meat is hung from the roof.

hang on

to wait — awen
- o awen. mi wile lukin e lipu ni.
  Hold on. I want to read this flier.

hang out

to spend time with people — lon kulupu, lon poka
- mi lon kulupu poka mi.
  I'm hanging out with my friends.
- jan lili pi tenpo ni li wile lon poka taso li wile ala esun e nanpa a!
  Kids these days just wanna hang out instead of trading stocks!

happy

of a positive emotion — pilin pona
- jan Ilasa li kama nanpa wan lon utala pi nasin linja, la ona li pilin pona.
  When Eliza won first place in the crochet competition, she was happy.

happy birthday

(stock phrase said to someone whose birthday it is) — suno sina o pona

When said on someone's birthday, general well-wishes like "Have a good time today" may be contextually understood as a birthday salutation.

hard

1. solid and brittle — kiwen
- pan ni li kama kiwen la mi wile ala moku e ona.
  This bread has gone hard, so I don't want to have it.
2. difficult, requiring a lot of effort — wile e {pali, wawa} mute
- utala sona li wile e pali sona mute a.
  One had to study hard for the exams.
- mi tawa e kiwen la ni li pali pi suli ike a.
  Moving rocks around is too hard.
3. strongly intoxicating — wawa
- o moku ala e kasi nasa wawa. ona li ken moli e sina.
  Stay away from hard drugs, they are deadly.
4. sexually aroused — wile unpa
- mi wile unpa, taso mije suwi li lon ala tawa mi...
  I'm hard, but there are no twinks for me...

hat

headwear — len (lawa)
- tenpo ale la mi weka ala e len lawa mi.
  I never remove my hat.
- a, ni li len sina anu seme?
  Oh, is this your hat?

hate

dislike — ike (wawa)
- kulupu sina li ike wawa tawa mi. ona o awen weka tan mi a!
  I hate your clique's guts. Stay away from me!

Dislike is usually expressed with a tawa-construction, with the disliked thing as the subject. In contrast, in English the disliked thing is usually the direct object.

have

1. possess, own, hold, include — jo, lon, lawa
- mi jo e tomo e soweli.
  I have a house and a dog.
- sina jo ala jo e ilo open?
  Do you have the key?
- poki la len mute li lon.
  The drawer has a lot of clothes.
- ilo lili li lon mi.
  I have a mobile phone.
- mi lawa e tomo lili lon ma Sanpansiko.
  I have an apartment in San Francisco.
2. perform an action — ∅
- mi telo e mi li moku.
  I had a bath and then had dinner.
- mi ken ala ken lukin e ni?
  Can I have a look at that?
3. experience — ∅
- lawa mi li pakala.
  I'm having a headache.
- suno o pona!
  Have a nice day!
- ijo pilin li wile awen pilin.
  Living beings have a will to live.
4. have to, must, should — o
- mi o tawa.
  Sorry, I have to go.
5. give birth to — (kama) mama
- mi en olin mi li kama mama e jan!
  Me and my partner are having a kid!

have fun

enjoy oneself — musi
- mi o pali. taso mi awen wile musi.
  I should work, but I continue to want to have fun.

he

1. (pronoun) — ona
- ona li wile ala musi sike.
  He doesn't want to play ball.
2. specifically designating a man — mije
- meli li uta suwi e mije.
  She tenderly kissed him.

Toki Pona pronouns don't indicate gender, and so translations of gendered pronouns don't usually involve the gender words unless gender is relevant to the subject (for example, a heterosexual romance story where she and he consistently refer to different characters).

head

1. body part — lawa
2. top or head-like end of a non-living thing — sewi, lawa, pini
- mi weka e pini kasi.
  I'm cutting off the flowers' heads.

headnoun

(in toki pona) the word used before a proper name, usually indicating the type or nature of the named object — nimi open, nimi lawa
- nimi open pi nimi jan li suli tan seme?
  Why is the headnoun capitalised?
- sina kepeken nimi lawa seme?
  Which headnoun do you use?
- nimi "kala Asi" la, nimi open li nimi "kala".
  In the name "kala Asi", the headnoun is "kala".

headphones

a device or pair of devices placed on the ear used to listen to sounds privately — ilo kute, ilo pi kute musi, ilo kalama kute
- jan Sita o, ilo kute sina li awen lon tomo mi.
  Sita, you left your headphones at my house.
- ijo seme sina li pona nanpa wan tawa sina? ilo mi pi kute musi.
  What's your favorite thing of yours? My headphones.
- o pona tawa jan ante lon tomo ni. ilo kalama o lon kute.
  Please be considerate of other passengers. Use headphones instead of speakers.

hear

perceive as sound — kute

heart

1. organ that pumps blood — pilin
2. one's character or personality — nasin, pilin, ∅
- sina sona pona e olin, jan lili o. taso, sina ken ala ken awen lon utala?
  You have a kind heart, little one. But, can you endure in battle too?
- jan Epinisa Su li weka e nasin ike ona li kama pana e olin tawa kulupu ona.
  Ebenezer Scrooge had a change of heart and started showing love to those around him.
3. "heart symbol", symbol that represents love — sitelen olin

heat

thermal energy or the sensation caused by it — seli

hello

1. acknowledging presence, especially if intending to converse — toki, mi lon
- toki a, ale o!
  Hello, everyone!
2. acknowledging presence without intending to converse — mu
- jan sin li kama lon musi. jan musi li mu tawa ona.
  Another player joined the game. Players said hello to them.

help

1. provide assistance — pona, pana e {pona, sona, ...}, pali (tawa pali mi)
- mi taso ala li pali e lipu. jan Lu kin li pali wawa.
  I didn't write the book alone. Luz also helped a lot.
2. (call of distress) — (jan) o kama

Many translations are possible depending on the kind of help given.

here

1. to exist — lon
- mi lon!
  I'm here!
2. this place — ma ni
- mi kama awen lon ma ni lon sike pini poka.
  We moved here last year.

hibernate

1. a weeks-long winter sleep — lape tan lete
- soweli suli li lape lon tenpo suli tan lete.
  Bears hibernate in the winter.
2a. (of an electronic device) to enter a low-power state while saving data — (ilo la) lape lili
- ilo mi li lape lili la pini lape ona li wile e tenpo lili.
  Whenever my laptop hibernates, it takes a little bit of time to kick back in.

high

1. especially elevated above the ground — sewi, weka
- waso ni li sewi weka a!
  That bird is really high up!
2. tall — suli
- selo pi ma ni li suli mute la jan li ken ala tawa sewi ona.
  The wall around this place is very high, so people can't go over it.
3. having greater prestige — sewi
- tomo ni la, toki pi lawa sewi o kama lon.
  In this establishment, the words of the high officials are absolute.

hill

a small protrusion of land — nena, nena lili
- ma musi la nena lili mute li lon. sina ken open lon sewi nena li ken tawa anpa nena. musi mute.
  At the playground there are lots of hills. You can start at the top of the hill and roll down to the bottom of the hill. It's a lot of fun.

history

events that happened in the past — (sona pi) tenpo pini

hole

1. a hollow opening in a surface — lupa
- mi lupa e ma la mi ken mama e kasi sin.
  I dug a hole in the ground to grow a new plant.
2. an opening that goes from one side to another of a surface — lupa
- a, len noka mi la lupa li lon.
  Huh, there's a hole in my sock.

holy

(with religious belief) sacred — sewi
- jan Jowane Kutenpe la jan mute li kama ken lukin e lipu sewi.
  Thanks to Johannes Gutenberg, many people got the opportunity to read the holy texts.

hope

1. wish (for a good thing to happen) — wile, o
- noka sina pakala o kama pona!
  I hope your broken leg gets better!
- ona o ike sin sama ala.
  I hope she doesn't pull any more bullshit like that.
2. confidence that something good can happen — pilin ni: (ijo) li ken
- mi pilin a e ni: mi awen alasa la mi ken a lukin sin e soweli mi.
  I still have hope that we can find our cat again.

horse

large mammal which humans ride on for travel or recreation — soweli
- tenpo musi la mi tawa ma soweli li tawa lon monsi soweli!
  During the vacation, we went to a pony farm and rode on horseback!

hospital

a large institution of medical professionals that provides medical care — tomo misiskeke, tomo pi kama pona
- noka mi li pakala la mi lon tomo misikeke.
  My leg is broken so I need to stay at the hospital.

hour

a unit of time, 24 of which make up a day — tenpo, tenpo suli
- ale o pini e pali kepeken tenpo suli wan kepeken tenpo lili luka luka luka.
  Everyone must finish the test within one hour and fifteen minutes.

house

a dwelling or domicile, usually with walls and a roof. — tomo
- tomo mi la sina ken ala kama lukin e ijo nasa.
  In my house you won't be able to find any drugs.

how

1. in what manner, by what means — (kepeken) (nasin) seme
- mi ken pini e musi ni kepeken nasin seme?
  How do we solve this puzzle?
2. to what extent — seme
- ilo li seli seme?
  How hot is the oven?
3. why — (tan) seme
- tan seme la pilin sina la mi o sona e ni?
  How should I know?
4. an exclamation — a
- suwi a!
  How sweet!

how are you

1. a conversation starter — sina seme
2. an acknowledgement of someone's presence (e.g. passing by someone on a hallway), without intent for further conversation — mu, cf. hello
3. a sincere emotional check-in — pilin sina li seme

hug

1. to lovingly touch and hold — jo, jo olin, luka olin
- mi jo olin e soweli ni la ona li pilin pona kin.
  When I hug my plush toy, they feel nice as well.
- jan olin li luka olin e mi li mu suwi.
  My partner hugged me and made a cute noise.
2. to encircle with arms — sike luka
- ona li sike e luka ona lon mi.
  They hug me with their arms around me.

hundred

1. a large amount — mute
- sina majuna mute anu seme?
  What are you, a hundred years old?
2. precisely ten tens — (wan) ale
- o pana e mani wan ale.
  That will be $100.

wan ale (abbreviated WA) follows the nasin nanpa pona principle, which is adopted by most proficient speakers. Before NNP the common principle would yield ale, which is ambiguous with 'all', but still in use.

hurt

1. injure — pakala
2. feel the sensation caused by injury — (pana e pilin) pakala

I

(pronoun) — mi

ice

water that has been frozen into a solid — kiwen lete
- kiwen lete li lon telo mi
  Ice is in my drink.

idea

1. plan to be carried out — nasin (ken)
- seme o pona e len mi pakala? — mi sona e nasin ken! o toki tawa jan Emisi pi pali len.
  Who's gonna fix my torn shirt? — I have an idea! Talk to Amity, she's a tailor.
2. mental concept, contrasted to a real thing — (ijo) pi lawa mi
- olin mi pi lawa mi li pona. taso lon la jan ni li ike tawa mi.
  I like the idea of us dating. But in reality, she's mean to me.

if

supposing that, when — la
- sina seli e telo la ona li weka.
  If you boil water, it evaporates.

imaginary

existing in a mind, as opposed to reality — (pi insa) lawa
- mi en jan musi pi lawa mi li musi lon tenpo sin.
  Me and my imaginary friend are playing pretend again.

imagine

1. to visualize, to internally create or consider a posibility — lukin insa
- o lukin insa e ma weka nasa pi waso mute.
  Imagine a faraway magical world with lots of birds.
2. to assume, posit, postulize, theorize, etc — pilin
- mi pilin e ni: lipu ni li kama ala e mani mute.
  I'd imagine that these books don't sell very well.

important

that heavily matters — suli
- ona li suli tawa mi.
  It's important to me.

in

1a. inside of, within the bounds of — lon, lon insa
- kili tu wan li lon poki ni.
  There are three pickles in this jar.
- ala li lon insa pi tomo ni.
  There's nothing in that house.
1b. within (a period of time) — lon, la
- musi pona sina li kama lon tenpo wan kama.
  That show you like will come on in the next hour.
2. pertaining to — lon, la, ∅
- mi lukin e lipu la mi ante e nasin mi.
  Reading the book has caused a change in my lifestyle.

increase

1. to become or make of greater size or amount — suli
- pan li lon ilo seli la ona li kama suli.
  Once in the oven, the dough will increase in size.
2. the result of increasing — kama suli
- kama suli pi ma tomo li ike e kasi.
  The increase of the city will damage the flora.

insect

a six-legged animal with an external skeleton — pipi
- jan Keko Sansa li weka tan lape ike ona. nasa la sona sin la ona li kama pipi suli monsuta.
  As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

inter

to bury someone in the ground — pana ma e, pana e ... tawa ma, pana e ... lon ma
- mama mi li moli la mi pana e ona tawa ma.
  When my mom died, I interred her.
- jan li pana e sijelo ona lon ma Pe Apawan lon tenpo sike ni.
  She was interred at Beth Abraham Cemetery earlier this year.

interesting

capable of holding one's attention — musi, suli
- tenpo ale la ijo musi li lon ilo.
  There's an infinite stream of interesting content on the internet.
- o kama sona e ni: seme li suli tawa jan esun sina?
  Figure out what's interesting to your trade partners.

internet

1a. the global network of computers used around the world — ilo
- sona. mi toki e ni tawa ona lon ilo.
  Understood. I'll message him over the internet.
1b. access to the Internet — ken {lukin, toki, ...}
- ilo li pakala la mi ken ala toki tawa sina.
  I can't talk to you because I don't have internet.

island

a landmass surrounded on all sides by water — nena, ma telo
- kulupu pi toki pona li kama lon nena Manatan lon mun nanpa luka wan!
  The toki pona community is meeting up on the island Manhattan in June!

isolated

alone — taso
- mi taso lon ma nasa ni. kasi li loje. waso li wile moku e mi.
  I'm isolated in this strange land. The plants are all reddish-orange and the birds want to eat me.

it

1. (3rd person inanimate singular pronoun) — ona
- ni li ilo pi pana seli. ona li pana e seli.
  This is a flamethrower. It throws flames.
2. (dummy pronoun) — ∅
- telo li kama tan sewi.
  It is raining.

itch

1. sensation of wanting to scratch skin — pilin ni: mi o utala e selo
- selo mi li kama loje li wile e ni: mi utala e ona kepeken luka.
  My skin became red and itchy.
2. a constant desire — (ale la) wile
- ale la mi wile moku e suwi.
  I've got a constant itch for candy.

its

belonging to it — ona

join

1. to meet together — kama wan
- nasin telo tu li kama wan lon ma ni.
  The two rivers join at that place.
2. to put together — wan
- mi wan e pali mi e pali sina la tenpo wile o kama lili.
  If we join our efforts, the required time will decrease.
3. to become a member of — kama (lon)
- mi wile kama lon kulupu sina.
  I want to join your group.

joke

1. an amusing story — toki musi
- toki mi li musi ala tawa kulupu.
  Nobody laughed at my joke.
3. a laughable, worthless person — jan pi suli ala
- mi suli ala tawa sina anu seme!?
  Am I a joke to you?
1. to say untrue things for entertainment — toki pi lon ala, toki musi
- toki ni mi li lon ala a! mi musi taso.
  What I said wasn't true! I was only joking.

jump

to use one's legs to propel oneself upwards — tawa sewi
- jan lili li tawa sewi lon sike.
  The children jumped periodically.

keep

1. a fortress or castle — tomo awen, tomo suli, tomo utala
- o tawa tomo suli pi jan Soke.
  Head to Jorje's keep.
2. to continue (to do smth) — awen
- ale pi lon sina la kute en nena li awen kama suli.
  Throughout your entire life, your ears and nose keep growing.
3. to continue to own — awen jo
- mi awen jo e ilo sina lon tenpo ni. mi pana sin lon tenpo ni: sina kama pona.
  I'll keep your phone for now. I'll give it back when you clean up your act.
4. to stay preserved — awen, kama ala jaki
- ko ni li awen, li kama ala jaki, lon tenpo ni taso: sina awen e ona lon lete.
  This jam keeps as long as you keep it cold.

keyboard

1. a device with buttons on it, usually each associated with individual letters — ilo luka, ilo nena
- ilo luka pi majuna mute li pona kalama.
  Really old keyboards make pleasant sounds.
2. the interactive part of a piano, harpsichord, organ, etc. — ilo kalama luka, ilo kalama nena, ilo kalama, ilo suli, etc

kind

1. type, category — kulupu, ∅
- kili seme li lon ma Atejalowa?
  What kinds of fruits grow in New Zealand?
2. friendly — suwi, pona
- jan Soka li suwi li moli ala a e jan ante.
  The Joker is kind and wouldn't kill other people.

king

1. a monarch — jan lawa
- jan lawa tu wan li kama tawa jan Jesu lon kama ona, li pana e mani e kasi pi kon pona.
  Three kings came to Jesus when he was born and gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
1a. a monarch specified to be male — mije lawa
- jan ale li pilin e ni: mi meli lawa pi ma Sapansiko. taso mi ni ala. mi mije lawa pi ma Sanpansiko.
  Everyone thinks I'm the queen of San Francisco. But I'm not. I'm the king of San Francisco.
2. (chess) the piece that can be checkmated — mije (lawa)
- mije lawa li moli la musi li pini.
  When the king is mated, the game ends.

kiss

to apply one's mouth to something (often another person's mouth) — uta
- mi wile uta e lawa soweli
  I want to kiss the cat's head.

knife

1. a tool used for cutting food — ilo {tu, kipisi} (moku)
- o tu e kili kepeken ilo.
  Cut the tomatoes with a knife.
2. a weapon — ilo {utala, moli}
- sina ken ala jo e ilo utala lon ma musi.
  Carrying knives at the fun fair is not permitted.

know

1. to have information concerning a certain topic — sona
- mi sona ale e pali ike sina.
  I know all about your nefarious doings.
2. to be acquainted or familiar with a person, subject, method, etc. — toki tawa ... lon tenpo pini
- mi sona e lon pi jan Telo Suwi, taso mi toki ala tawa ona lon tenpo pini.
  I know of Taylor Swift, but I don't know her.
3. to have sex with someone (archaic, euphamistic) — unpa
- jan Atan li unpa e meli ona, la ona meli li kama jo insa, li pana e jan Kajen, li toki e ni: mi kama jo e mije lon poka pi sewi Asen.
  And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

For knowing people, some toki pona speakers use sona by itself: mi sona e jan Emili. | I know Emily. But other speakers use the same construction to mean knowing about someone instead. mi sona e jan Emili. | I know of Emily. Sometimes this isn't a problem in practice, but it's good to be aware of.

land

1. the part of Earth's surface not covered by sea — ma
- kama ni majuna li kama awen lon ma.
  These ancient fish begane to stay on land.
2. arriving onto land from the air — kama (lon) ma
- mi kama lon ma Apika la seli wawa li selo e mi.
  Once we landed in Africa, a wave of hot air engolfed us.

language

a system for communication, a manner of expression — toki
- jan li kama sona toki la ona li ken kama sona e jan pi kulupu ante.
  Learning a new language can help you make friends from different cultures.
- ona li toki jaki tawa mi.
  The language he used to talk to me was obscene.

last

1. final — pini, nanpa pini
- pali nanpa pini li wile e wawa pi suli nanpa wan.
  The final task will require the most work.
2. to endure over a period of time — awen
- kili ni li ken awen lon tenpo lete ike.
  This fruit can last the harsh winter.

late

2. towards the end of a day — lon pini suno, lon kama pimeja
- pimeja li kama. mi o tawa tomo mi.
  It's getting late. Let's go home.
1. arriving after an expected time — kama lon tenpo ike
- ilo tawa mi li kama lon ala tenpo wile.
  My train arrived late.
3. euphemistically about death — moli
- mama mi moli
  my late grandfather

later

1. at another time in the future — lon tenpo {kama, ante}
- mi tu o toki lon tenpo kama.
  We should talk later.
2. short for "see you later" — mi o toki sin; cf goodbye

laugh

verbal reaction to humor — mu musi, kalama musi

law

set of rules enforced by a government — nasin, lawa
- lawa pi ma mute la jan o moku ala e kon pi kasi nasa.
  Smoking is against the law in many countries.
- mi ante e nimi mi pi kulupu lawa kepeken nasin ona sin.
  I changed my legal name using the new law.

lead

1. to guide — lawa
- jan Ki o lawa e kulupu!
  You can lead the way, Kris!
1a. guidance, course, command — lawa
- jan sin li kama lawa e kulupu la kulupu li kama ike.
  The company deteriorated under the lead of the new boss.
1b. information or clue investigated by a sleuth — sona
- jan seme li moli e ona? mi sona e jan wan ken.
  We have a lead on who the murderer could be.
2a. metal — kiwen
2b. bullets — kiwen moli, sike moli
- mi pana e sike moli mute tawa ona.
  I filled him full of lead.

learn

gain knowledge, find out — kama sona
- mi wile kama sona e toki Epelanto.
  I would like to learn Esperanto.
- tenpo li kama e sona.
  You live and learn.

left

1. remaining — awen lon
- kili tu tu li awen lon poki.
  Four oranges are left in the basket.
2. on the side (sometimes contrasted with another side called right) — poka (ni), poka {wan, ante}, poka nanpa {wan, tu}

If it's necessary to specify the difference between left and right, it's often preferred to explain the property of a situation which makes the distinction necessary. For instance, when explaining to a child in the US that they should look left, right, left when crossing the street, it's preferable to explain that they should first look in the direction that cars will be coming from, then continue to alternate the direction in which they are looking. This tends to make explanations more universal—the explanation will now apply to crossing the street in other countries, where traffic may come from the other direction.

let

1. allow, give permission — ken
- mama mi la mi ken ala esun e ijo mute kepeken mani ona.
  My parents don't let me spend a lot of their money.
2. (an optative construction) — o
- suno o lon!
  Let there be light!
3. used to suggest an idea to a group — mi o
- mi o tawa tomo sitelen o lukin e sitelen musi!
  Let's go to the cinema and watch a movie!

letter

1. a symbol in an alphabet — sitelen
- toki ni li jo e sitelen mute luka luka.
  This sentence has thirty letters.
2. written communication — lipu
- mama mi li lon ma weka la mi toki tawa ona kepeken lipu.
  My parents live far away, so I write letters to them.

lie

1. to say untrue things — (toki pi) lon ala
- mi toki e ni pi lon ala: suno li laso.
  I lied and said that the sun was blue.
- mi **toki pi lon ala ** e ni: ilo li pakala.
  I lied that the machine was broken.
2. to rest in a horizontal position — lape, lon supa
- ale suno la mi lape lon supa mi li lukin e ilo. mi ike a!
  I've been lying in bed and looking at my phone all day. I'm so useless!

life

1. the totality of one's experiences — ale, tenpo, nasin
- olin mi li pona e ale mi.
  My partners bring joy into my life.
- mi musi mute ala lon tenpo poka.
  My life's been pretty boring lately.
- nasin tonsi mi li pona tawa mi.
  I enjoy life as a nonbinary person.
2. something that is alive; something with feelings and desires; something that can reproduce — ijo pilin; ijo li ken {pilin, wile, unpa}
- ijo pilin ala li lon mun ni.
  There's no life on this planet.

light

1. of a color: pale, close to white — walo
- selo pi waso lili li jelo walo.
  The ducklings' feathers are a light yellow.
2. visible light or a source of it — suno
- sewi li lukin e suno. suno li pona.
  God saw that the light was good.
3. lacking in weight, easy to lift — lili (tawa luka)
- ona li suli tawa lukin; taso, nasa la, ona li lili tawa luka.
  It may look big, but it is surprisingly light.

like

1. to be pleasant to someone — pona tawa (ijo)
- sona nanpa li pona tawa mi.
  I like maths.
2. enjoy emotionally, feel good about something — pilin pona tan (ijo)
- mi pilin pona tan sitelen lili ni.
  I quite like this sticker.
3. on social media, indicate one's enjoyment of a post — pona, pana e pona
- a, jan lili taso la sitelen mi li pona...
  Aw, only a couple of people liked my drawing...
4. have a tendency to — (ijo) lon tenpo mute
- tenpo mute la telo li awen li pakala e kiwen nasin.
  Water likes to collect in puddles and ruin the concrete.
5. similar — sama
- mi ken sona olin sama sina.
  I could even learn how to love like you.

line

a length of rope or similar material — linja
- mi tawa sewi nena kepeken linja.
  I went to the top of the mountain using rope

linguistics

the scientific study of language — nasin toki, sona toki
- mi kama sona e nasin toki tan jan pi sona pona. ona li pana poka e toki li toki e ante.
  I learn linguistics from very smart people. They compare languages and discuss their differences.

list

1. document mentioning multiple items — lipu (pi kulupu ijo); kulupu
- lipu li toki e wile ale esun mi.
  The shopping list has everything I need to buy.
- sina kama lon kulupu la mi pana e sona sin tawa sina lon sike.
  Join our mailing list to receive regular updates.
2. to create or recite a list — pana e ale, toki e ale
- mi toki e ma ale ni: mi lon ona lon tenpo.
  We listed all the countries we've been to so far.

little

1. small in quantity or size — lili
- tenpo kama lili la, ma li lukin ala e mi. taso sina lukin e mi. mi lon la, sina lon kin.
  In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.
2. unimportant, insignificant — suli ala
- o kute a! sina jaki pi suli ala o!
  Listen up, you little shit!

live

1. to settle in a place — lon {ma} (lon tenpo mute), awen lon
- tenpo mute la mi lon ma Anpu.
  I live in Hamburg.
- mi awen lon ma Lipelata lon tenpo sike tu.
  I have lived in Riberalta for two years.
2. to spend one's life a certain way — nasin, {mi, sina, ona}
- a... nasin ni anu seme la sina sina?
  Oh... do you really live like this?
- mi lon nasin wawa sama jan sewi.
  We were living like kings.
3. to have a fulfilling, enjoyable life — musi, pona
- tenpo mute la mi tawa ala tenpo musi li toki ala tawa kulupu. nasin mi li musi ala.
  I rarely go out to events or talk to people. I'm not really living my life.

location

a place (where a stated thing is) — lon (as preposition), ma
- ilo li toki e ni: soweli li lon seme?
  The device reports the dog's location.
- kama la jan li lukin e ona lon ma pi weka mani.
  He was later spotted at the location of the robbery.
- lukin la lipu mi li weka tan supa ona...
  Looks like the book is gone from its usual location...

Sentences with the word 'location' can often be reworded using lon as a preposition, though there are also situations where lon is best used as a noun. More specific words can be used if the type of location is known: like tomo for a patient's location within a hospital, or supa for a book located on a specific shelf.

lone

alone, isolated — taso

long

1. large on one axis, but narrow on the others — suli (sama palisa); suli lon {poka, sinpin, ...}
- mi moku e pan suli a.
  I ate a really long baguette.
- musi la tomo li suli lon nasin sinpin monsi li lili lon poka.
  It's funny how the car is long towards the back and really narrow on the sides.
2. taking a lot of time — suli (tenpo)
- ona li toki lon tenpo suli a!
  He was talking for so long!
- tawa kama li suli. — ike.
  It's gonna be a long walk. — Ugh.

look

1. to see, to direct one's vision towards — lukin
- o lukin e mun!
  Look at the stars!
2. to seem, to appear — tawa lukin; lukin la
- ilo wan li pona tawa pilin, taso ilo ante li pona tawa lukin.
  One device feels nice, but the other looks nice.
- lukin la telo li kama kama tan sewi.
  Looks like it's gonna start raining.
3. listen to me — o kute
- o kute. mije li lukin olin e sina la ni li suli ala tawa mi.
  Look, I don't care about the way he looks at you.

look at

to consider, to learn about — kama sona
- mi kama sona e esun pi tomo sin.
  I'm looking at buying a new house.

look for

to search for, to attempt to find — alasa
- jan Malijo li alasa e len suwi.
  Mario is looking for cute clothes.

lose

1. to no longer be in possession or company of — (li) weka
- len mi li weka.
  I lost my hat.
- weka pi mama sina la mi wile e pilin pona lon sina.
  My condolences on the loss of your mother.
2. to fail or not succeed in a game — anpa
- kulupu mi li anpa tawa kulupu ante.
  My team lost to the other team.

love

1. to enjoy somebody's company platonically, romantically, sexually, etc. — olin
- mi olin e mije mi.
  I love my husband.
2. to enjoy something or somebody — pona ... (tawa X) , X la ... pona
- pan ni li pona tawa mi.
  I love this bread.
- mama mi la utala li pona ala.
  My mom doesn't love fighting.

In English, the word "love" ranges in intensity from being something you like, to being someone you want to stay with for the rest of your life. toki pona "olin" is closer to the intense meaning of love, and isn't used for liking something a lot. While olin is most commonly used for partners, pets and family, it can be used for objects and activities too, if you are deeply passionate about these things and they've impacted you deeply. If the feeling of love you want to translate isn't this intense, it's better to use another construction such as "X li pona mute tawa mi" - "X is amazing to me" or "mi la, X li pona" - "to me, X is good".

low

1. close to the ground — anpa
3. sad, depressed — (pilin) ike, anpa
2. of sound: with slow vibrations, like that of a large animal — (tan ijo) suli; len, weka
- mi kute e kalama nasa tan weka.
  I heard a strange, low rumbling.
- mi kalama e ilo lon kulupu. kalama pi ilo mi li len li lili tawa kalama uta tawa kalama pi ilo ante.
  I perform in a band. My instrument makes low tones that blend into the vocals and other instruments.

English's metaphor of 'low' and 'high' tones is not universal, and may not be understood across languages. Descriptions of sound in Toki Pona may focus on other aspects of a sound, such as the presumed or actual size of the sound's producer, or a sound appearing 'muffled' when originating from behind a wall or from somewhere far away.

machine

large and complex device — ilo
- ilo suli ni li tawa seme?
  What is this large machine for?

magic

a supernatural ability or force — ken (nasa), wawa (sewi)
- mi utala e jan ike kepeken wawa suno mi.
  I fight bad guys with my light magic.

Some magic abilities may need to be described with whole sentences, for example:

I'm sweeping with the broom that's moving over there. I have the ability to move objects without touching them.
The humans used a barrier to seal the monsters underground. Only a human's power could reopen the barrier.

make

1. to cause to be — ∅
- mi o sewi e pan.
  We ought to make the pie higher.
2. to cause to do — kama
- mi kama e ni: ona li pali e nasin lon sewi telo.
  I made them build a bridge over the river.
3. to create, build, fabricate — pali
- ona li pali e tomo lili tawa soweli ona.
  She made a small house for her dog.

man

1a. an adult male person — mije, mije suli
- mi olin e mije.
  I love men.
1b. a person — jan
- jan li tawa nasin telo.
  A man has fallen into the river.
1c. humanity (especially as opposed to other species) — jan (ale)
- tawa ni li lili tawa jan wan, li suli tawa jan ale.
  That's one small step for a man, but one giant leap for mankind.

map

top-down depiction of an area, used for navigation — lipu ma, lipu nasin
- sina sona ala e lon sina lon ma Newa Jo, la sina ken kepeken lipu ma.
  If you get lost in Nueva York, you can use a map.

market

a location of building designated for the exchange of goods — esun, ma esun
- kon li kama lete la mi tawa tomo esun li esun e waso suli tawa moku.
  When the air starts to get cold, I go to market and buy a big bird to eat.

marry

1. to enter in marriage with one another — kama wan
- mun pini nanpa tu la ona tu li kama wan.
  They got married two months ago.
2. to be recognized as a couple legally — wan lawa, wan
- mi en meli mi li wan lawa la mi jo e supa lon sewi pi lawa mi.
  When my wife and I married, there was a canopy over our heads.

mass

1. the amount of stuff in an object — suli
- jan li kama ken kama sona e suli pi mun ale.
  People have learned how to figure out the mass of all celestial objects.
2. aggregation — kulupu, mute
- mi esun mute ilo la mi jo e kulupu poki. mi o weka e ona.
  I shop online so much that I've aggregated a mass of boxes. I should get rid of them.
- jan poka mi li pali e pan mute la ona li pana e pan tawa mi.
  My neighbor makes such a large mass of bread that he gives me some of the bread.
3. a Christian gathering of whorship — kulupu sewi
- mama mi li wile ala, taso mi tawa kulupu sewi li toki e sewi pi jan Jesu.
  My parents don't want to, but I go to mass and praise Jesus.
4. significant or all encompassing — ale, suli
- jan ale li toki e ni: ona li lukin e suno tu lon sewi. taso ni li pakala suli lukin.
  Everyone said that they saw two suns in the sky, but that was a mass hallucination.

mate

1. a friend — jan poka
- mi en jan poka mi li wile moku e telo suwi lon pini pali. sina wile ala wile kama?
  My mates and I wanna grab a couple of sodas after work, are you in?
2. a sexual partner, usually for reproduction, more frequently for nonhuman animals — jan unpa, soweli unpa, kala unpa, etc
- waso ni li suli e linja kule ona. ona li wile kama e waso unpa.
  This peacock is spreading out his colorful feathers to attract a mate.
1. to have sex, usually for reproduction, more frequently for nonhuman animals — unpa
- sina lukin e pipi tu lon kon la ona li kama poka li kama weka li ni sike, la o sona: ona li unpa.
  If you see two flies in the air and the come together and go apart and repeat that, know that they're mating.
2. to cause two organisms to reproduce with one another — kama e unpa lon ... (lon ...)
- jan sona li alasa kama e unpa lon akesi suli kiwen, taso akesi li wile ala la akesi ni nanpa pini li kama moli.
  The biologists attempted to mate tortoises, but the tortoises didn't want to, so the last one died.

material

substance from which another thing is made — ko, kiwen; ijo; ∅
- jan li pali e tomo lon musi Manka la ona li wile e kiwen sinpin a!
  When building a house in Minecraft, you're gonna need materials for the walls!
- ijo seme la jan li pali e supa pi tomo ni?
  What material is the floor here made of?

may

have permission to — ken
- jan sona o. mi ken ala ken weka lili tan kute sina?
  Teach, may I go to the bathroom?

maybe

possibly, perhaps — ken
- ken la mi sitelen nasa e ni.
  Maybe I wrote this weirdly.
- — ni li tomo anu seme? — ken a!
  — Does this count as a tomo? — Maybe!

meaning

information expressed by a word, phrase, or text — toki, sona
- nimi 'kala' li toki e seme?
  What does the word 'kala' mean?

measure

1. express (a quantity, distance, etc.) using numbers — nanpa
- supa ni li suli seme? o nanpa e ona.
  Would you measure out how big this table is?
- mi pali e moku la mi nanpa ala e mute moku.
  I don't measure when I cook.
2. plan — nasin
- kulupu lawa li alasa weka e ike sijelo kepeken nasin ona sin.
  The government is taking new measures to eliminate the disease.

meat

flesh of an animal used as food — {soweli, waso, ...}; moku; sijelo
- soweli li lon moku ale pi esun ni. mi o moku lon ona ala.
  All this restaurant's dishes have meat in them. Let's eat somewhere else.

medical

pertaining to medicine — misikeke
- ona li kama sona lon tomo pi sona misikeke.
  She's going to medical school.

meet

1. to gather in one place — kama; kama kulupu
- mi ale o kama lon tomo mi lon open pimeja.
  Let's all meet at my house at sundown.
2. to encounter on accident, to run into — lukin
- mi tawa tomo mi la mi kama lukin e jan pi kulupu mi!
  I met my schoolmate on the way home!
3. to get acquainted with someone — (kama) sona
- jan Tanpi o! sina sona ala sona e jan mi Akila?
  Danbi, have you met my friend Akila?

meme

a funny internet image — sitelen musi
- jan majuna ale li wile pana e sitelen musi tawa mi, taso mi sona ala e musi.
  All the older folk are trying to show me memes, but I don't get the joke.

memory

1. mental recollection of an event — sona (tenpo)
- tenpo musi suli li pini, taso sina awen sona e pona ona.
  The big convention may be over, but you still have fond memories of it.
2. ability to recall past events — ken awen (sona)
- lawa mi li ken ala awen sona e tenpo.
  I have a bad memory.

metal

hard material — kiwen
- ilo moku li kiwen ni: ona o lon ala poki seli.
  Cutlery is made of a metal that can't be put in the microwave.

middle

1. a center, midpoint — insa
- sina awen lon insa pi tomo ni, li moku ala e ko walo lon poka tomo, la mi kama sin li pana e ko walo kin tawa sina.
  If you stay in the middle of this room, and don't eat the marshmallow on the side of the room, I'll return and give you another marshmallow.
2. a point in time between the beginning and end — insa
- tenpo pimeja pini la lape mi li pakala lon insa.
  I woke up in the middle of the night last night.

military

organization that fights in wars — kulupu utala

milk

1. liquid produced by mammals for their offspring — telo mama
2. liquid drunk by humans or used in cooking — telo walo, telo soweli

million

1. a large amount — mute
- jan pi mute seme li moli la lawa li kama wile pini e utala?
  How many millions must die before the powerful decide to end the war?
2. precisely a thousand thousands — (wan) ale ale ale
- utala musi la sina wawa! sina kama jo e mani WAAA pi ma Mewika.
  You have succeeded at the competition! You will be awarded 1 million USD.

wan ale ale ale (abbreviated WAAA) follows the nasin nanpa pona principle, which is adopted by most proficient speakers. Before NNP the common principle would yield ale repeated ten thousand times, which is not documented in real use.

mind

1. the brain or its ability to think, feel, focus, or remember — pilin, lawa, sona, insa
- lawa mi li pilin e ijo nasa lon tenpo.
  My mind goes strange places sometimes.
- o kama pilin ala e unpa lon toki mi!
  Get your mind out of the gutter!
2. to observe, to notice — (awen) sona
- lupa li lon nasin noka. o awen sona e ona.
  Mind the gap!
1. have an opinion about, feel strongly — (pilin) suli
- sina la nasin len ona sin li nasa. mi la mi pilin suli ala tan ona.
  You say you find it weird how he dresses now, but I don't really mind.

minute

1. a unit of time, 60 of which make up an hour — tenpo, tenpo suli, tenpo lili, tenpo insa
- o pana e pan linja tawa ilo seli o seli e ona lon tenpo suli tu lon tenpo lili mute luka luka.
  Place the noodles in the microwave and heat for two minutes and 30 seconds.
- tomo moku la sina ken awen lon tenpo suli wan lon tenpo lili mute luka luka.
  You may stay at the buffet for one hour and thirty minutes.
- musi Mawijo pi ilo Ensitepo la, jan li pini e ale musi lon tenpo suli wan, lon tenpo insa mute luka luka luka, lon tenpo lili mute luka tu wan.
  Someone beat the Mario game on the N64 in one hour, thirty-five minutes, and twenty-eight seconds.
1. small — lili

Units of time within a day generally have no fixed expression; hence why a minute can be suli, lili, or insa depending on the context.

mirror

1. smooth surface that reflects an image — sinpin lukin, ilo lukin
- mi lukin e mi lon sinpin.
  I look at myself in the mirror.
- ilo lukin li pana e sitelen ante.
  The mirror gives off an inverse image.
2. imitate, represent — sama (ijo)
- pipi ni pi wawa ala la selo li jelo li pimeja. ni li sama pipi ante wawa.
  The colouring of this insect mirrors that of a wasp.

misremember

to think one knows something from having learned it, but be incorrect — sona pakala
- ike la jan Maka li sona pakala e wile ona pi tenpo pini.
  Unfortunately, this Micha misrememers what they wanted in the past.

money

currency — mani
- pali mi li pona tawa sina la o pana e mani tawa mi lon ilo Pesijon.
  If you enjoy my content, give me money on Patreon.

month

period related to the Moon's orbit — (tenpo) mun
- tenpo mun nanpa luka luka li tenpo mun monsuta.
  The tenth month of the year is spooky season.
- mun pi ante toki li pini.
  Translation Month has ended.

moon

a natural satellite of a planet — mun
- tenpo pimeja ni la ale mun li suno.
  Tonight, the whole moon is lit up.

1. additional — mute, sin, namako
- kili ni taso li weka ale ala e wile moku. o pana e kili sin!
  These fruits alone won't make me full. Could you hand me some more, please!
2. (forms comparatives) — tawa (as a preposition)
- ona li suwi tawa jan ante ale kulupu.
  She's more likable than everyone else in the group.

morning

1. time of day when the sun rises — open suno
2. time of day when one wakes up — tenpo pi pini lape, lape li pini la...

mortician

a person tasked with handling dead bodies — jan pi jan moli, jan moli
- jan pi jan moli li seli e sina lon moli sina.
  The mortician will cremate you when you die.

most

1. highest amount — mute nanpa wan
- jan ale la sina moku e kili pi mute nanpa wan.
  Out of everyone, you ate the most strawberries.
2. (forms superlatives) — (ijo) nanpa wan

mother

feminine parent — mama

mountain

a large protrusion out of the land — nena, nena suli
- ma Imalaja la nena suli mute li lon.
  In the Himalayas, there are a lot of big mountains.

move

1. to change location — tawa
2. to change houses or residence — kama lon tomo sin

much

many things — ijo mute
- ijo mute li kama, taso sina awen sina.
  Much has happened, but you're still yourself.

multiple

more than one — mute
- jan mute li toki e ni tawa mi: meli ni li ike li utala e mi a!
  Multiple people have told me that this woman has attacked them!

multiply

1. to become many — (kama) mute
- soweli li unpa mute li kama mute lon tenpo lili.
  Rabbits multiply rapidly by reproducing.
2. in arithmetic — pana lon tenpo...
- mi pana e nanpa tu lon tenpo tu wan la nanpa luka wan li kama.
  Two multiplied by three is six.

music

artistically arranged sound — kalama, kalama musi
- mi wile musi e kalama ni.
  I want to remix these sounds into music.
- suno pi toki pona la mi kalama musi!
  On Toki Pona day, I will perform music!

my

1. possessive of 'I' — mi
- mi ken ala lukin e lipu mi.
  I can't find my book.
2. short for 'my god' — a
- a, kiwen uta sina li suli a!
  My, what big teeth you have!

name

1. a word or phrase someone or something is called — nimi
1. to give a name — nimi, pana e nimi
2. to specify — toki

nation

a state or country — ma
- ma Epanja li ma nanpa wan.
  The nation of Spain is the best nation.

nature

1. the world, viewed as distinct from human interaction — ale; ma, kasi, kiwen, telo, ...
- kasi pi ma Atejalowa li suwi a.
  The nature of New Zealand is beautiful.
- poka telo la mi pilin a e wawa telo.
  At the shorelines, you really feel the power of nature.
2. a person's behavior or character — nasin
- nasin mi la mi utala ala e jan.
  It's not in my nature to lash out at people.

In Toki Pona, it may be easier to focus on a specific aspect of "nature", rather than reaching for a word that captures all of the English meaning.

near

close in space or time — (lon) poka
- tenpo ale la o awen lon poka.
  Stay near at all times.
- pini li kama poka.
  The end is near.

neck

the part of the body connecting the head and torso — noka lawa, palisa lawa, anpa lawa
- noka lawa mi li sama palisa a.
  my neck is very long.

need

1. to require — wile
- moku la mi wile e supa tu wan, e ilo pakala, e ilo jo.
  For this dish, we'll need three tables, knives, and forks.
2. to be obliged to — o
- mi wile e mani la mi o pali.
  I need to work because I need money.
3. to intensely want — wile
- mi wile a esun e ko sin pi jan Miku a!
  I need to buy the new Miku plush!

new

recent, additional — sin
- tomo mi pini li lili ike. tomo mi sin li pona.
  My new house is just the right size, unlike the old one which was too small.
- kulupu li sin e nasin ona.
  The company pursued a new policy.

news

a piece of information about recent events or knowledge (at the time of creation) — sona sin
- mi sona e ni tan pana pi sona sin.
  I learned about it from the news broadcast.

the following event or object in a sequence — (nanpa) kama
- o lukin e kili nanpa kama. ona li loje li suli.
  Take a look at the next apple. It's red and big.

night

1. time when the sun is below horizon — tenpo pimeja
- soweli mute li lape lon tenpo pimeja.
  Many animals sleep at night.
2. short for good night — mi weka, o lape pona

no

answer to a negative question, not any — ala, (ijo) ala
- — sina sona ala sona toki Tosi? — sona ala.
  — Do you know how to speak German? — No, I don't.
- lipu ala li ken toki e ijo ale.
  No book can cover every topic.

normal

not out of the ordinary — nasa ala
- ni li nasa ala: jan ale pi poka tomo li toki ala tawa sina.
  It's normal for none of your neighbors to talk to you.

north

1. polar directioin (in relation to the Northern hemisphere) — nasin lete
- ma Amelika lete
  North America
2. equatorial direction (in relation to the Southern hemisphere) — nasin seli
- mi lon ma Antasika li tawa ma seli.
  I travel north from Antarctica.

not

negating the meaning — ala
- mi sona ala e musi ni.
  I am not aware of this game.

not at all

1. not in the slightest — ala a
- ona tu li sama ala a.
  The two of them are not at all alike.
2. don't worry about it — ale li pona
- — ike mi a. — ike ala! ale li pona.
  — Oh, I'm sorry. — Not at all.

nothing

1. the absence of objects — (ijo) ala
- mi sona e ijo wan taso. mi sona e ala.
  I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.
- mi pali e lipu ike. toki sina li pona ala e pilin. ala li ken pona e pilin.
  I wrote a bad book. Your words don't make me feel better. Nothing can make me feel better.
2. something unimportant — suli ala
- a! ona li suli ala...
  Oh! It's nothing.

now

the current time, the present time — tenpo ni, tenpo lon
- mi ken ala toki tawa sina lon tenpo ni.
  I cannot talk with you right now.
- o lape lon tenpo lon a!
  Go to bed right now!

"tenpo ni" and "tenpo lon" both usually describe "now", and the former is more frequent overall. However, "tenpo ni" more generally means "at this/that time", or where "this/that" could refer either to the present (especially in isolation) or to something previously mentioned, where "tenpo lon" may help disambiguate.

nuke

1. a large explosive of mass distruction — ilo pakala suli
- jan o pali ala e ilo pakala suli tan ni: jan pi pali ike ala li moli tan ona.
  People shouldn't design nukes because innocents will die from them.
2. to reheat food in the microwave — pana tawa poki seli, seli e
- mi seli e moku mi pi suno pini.
  I'll just nuke my leftovers.

number

1. numeral, digit — nanpa, sitelen
- o lukin: nanpa mute li lon sitelen ni.
  Take a look: there are lots of numbers in this picture.
2. amount, quantity — nanpa, mute
- kulupu musi la sina sona ala sona e mute pi jan kama?
  Do you know the number of guests who will be in attendance at the party?
1. assign an order — pana e nanpa
- o pana e nanpa tawa supa ale.
  Please number the chairs.
2. count — toki e mute, alasa e mute
- sina wile alasa e nanpa mun la ni li wile e wawa mute.
  It's very difficult to number the stars.

numeral

number — nanpa

object

1. thing — ijo
2. grammatical group in toki pona — poki pi nimi E

ocean

a large expanse of deep water — telo suli, telo
- telo suli li wawa tawa mi.
  I find the ocean incredible.

of

relating to, made out of, etc — ∅, pi
- ni li jan pi alasa kala.
  This is the guy of hunting fish.
- o awen lon tomo kiwen.
  Stay in the house of stone.

office

a room used for work — tomo (pali)
- jan lili li pali ike la ona li tawa tomo pi jan lawa Tanpu.
  When children misbehave, they are sent to Ms. Trunchbull's office.

oh

exclamation/interjection of realization — a
- a, mi sona ala e ni.
  Oh, I didn't know that.

oil

1. animal or plant fat used for cooking — telo, ko; li tawa seli moku
- telo ni li tawa seli moku.
  This oil is for cooking food.
2. liquid fuel made from ancient organic matter, e.g. petrol — telo, telo pimeja
- a, mi o sin e telo lon ilo mi.
  Ugh, I should really refill the oil in my car.
3. to grease a mechanism to make it perform better — pana e telo

okay

1. decent, fine — pona
- jan mu ni li pona
  This singer is okay.
2. neither of good or bad quality — pona ala, ike ala
- a moku ni li pona ala li ike ala.
  Hmm, this food is okay.
3. expression of understanding — a, pona, sona
- a sona.
  Ah, okay.
- pona.
  Okay!
- a ken...
  Okay...
4. to approve — ken
- mi ken e ni.
  I'll okay that.

old

1. that which no longer exists, ancient — tenpo pini, tenpo weka
- mi toki Inli li ken ala sona e toki Inli pi tenpo weka.
  I speak English, but I cannot understand Old English.
2. having lived for a long time — suli, majuna
- jan suli taso li ken lon kulupu ni.
  You have to be old enough to join this community.
- jan majuna li moli a, sina lukin ala!
  len ona li len suli li tawa lon ma anpa.
  Old Abram Brown is dead and gone, You'll never see him more;
  He used to wear a long brown coat, That button'd down before.
3. having existed for a long time — tenpo suli
- tenpo suli la mi en ona li poka pona.
  He is my old friend.
4. no longer fresh or current — sin ala
- sona ni li sin ala a!
  Those are some old news!

omit

to not include something — weka e, pana ala e, toki ala e
- taso ona li weka e sona ni: jan ni li lape lon tenpo moli!
  But she omitted the fact that this person was sleeping at the time of the murder!

on

1. on a location or time/date — lon (ijo)
- waso li lon palisa kasi.
  The bird is sitting on the tree branch.
- mi tu li kama wan lon tenpo suno pini.
  We got married yesterday.
2. onto a destination — tawa (ijo)
- soweli mi li tawa ilo mi.
  My cat just sat on the keyboard.
3. active, functioning — open
- suno li open.
  The lights are on.
4. on and on — sike, mute
- ona li toki sike e akesi.
  They rambled on and on about lizards.

The preposition "on" frequently occurs in phrasal verbs. Seek translations of those as a unit.

on foot

by means of one's legs — kepeken noka
- noka anu soweli anu ilo la sina tawa ma Sikako kepeken seme?
  Did you go to Chicago on foot, by horse, or by car?

one

1. the number 1, single — wan
- mi jo e kili luka tu tu li weka e kili wan la, mi jo e kili pi mute seme?
  If I have nine apples and I lose one apple, how many apples do I have?
2. first — nanpa wan
- World War 1
  utala suli nanpa wan
3. anyone, (generic) you — jan
- pali suli ala la jan li ken ala kama lon ma Moto.
  One does not simply walk into Mordor.

onion

fruit — kili
- selo mute li lon kili ni.
  There are many layers on this onion.

only

sole, alone — taso
- sina taso li sona e ona.
  You're the only one it's obvious to.

open

1. to uncover — open
- mi open e poki la waso mute insa li kama tawa mi!
  When I opened the drawer, hundreds of bats came flying at me!
2. free of objects — (ijo) ala li lon; supa
- tenpo musi li pini la ma Alikanka li kama supa suli pi ijo ala.
  When the fun fair is over, the Heiligengeistfeld becomes an open plane.
3. (of a store) currently selling goods — open; li pana e ijo
- tomo moku ni li lape. o alasa e tomo ante ni: ona li open a.
  This restaurant is closed. Let's look for one that is open.
4. not covert or hidden — len ala
- mi len ala e tonsi mi.
  I'm open about being trans.
5. (of software) with the source code publicly available and free to use — (nasin la) ale li ken pana tawa (ijo)
- mi pali pi nasin ni e ilo lipu: ale li ken pana tawa ona li ken pona e ona li ken weka e pakala.
  I'm making an open-source document reader.

opinion

a subjective thought or idea — pilin
- pilin mi la jan ala li ken toki pona.
  In my opinion, nobody can speak clearly enough.

opposite

1. completely different — ante (ale)
- ma Oselija en ma Kanata li kama lete lon tenpo pi ante ale.
  Australia and Canada get colder at opposite times.
2. located across from — poka ante
- soweli li lukin e tomo tawa ala la ona li tawa poka ante pi nasin suli.
  When the deer saw no cars, it went to the opposite side of the street.
3. alongside — lon poka
- sitelen tawa suli 'utala moli musi pi wile moku' la jan So Atuson li musi lon poka pi jan Senipa Lowen.
  In 'The Hunger Games' Josh Hutcherson played opposite Jennifer Lawrence.

or

1. forming a question of two or more options — anu
- suwi anu namako la moku seme li pona tawa sina?
  Do you prefer sweet or spicy food?
2. forming a statement of two or more options — anu, ken
- o kama suli anu weka!
  Grow up or leave!
- ken la soweli li moli. ken la ona li moli ala.
  The cat is either dead or alive.

orange

1. fruit — kili
- mi weka e selo kili li moku e insa.
  I peel the orange and eat it.
2a. colour similar to both red and yellow — loje, jelo
- suno li weka lon tenpo kama poka li kama loje.
  The setting sun has turned an orange hue.
2b. colour distinct from red and yellow — loje jelo, jelo loje
- ma Netelan la loje jelo li kule suli.
  The colour orange has cultural significance for the Netherlands.

order

1. to arrange items in a manner that is organized. — nasin e
- mi nasin e pana ale pi lipu Kemeka.
  I'm ordering the submissions of lipu Kemeka.
2. to rank items based on a qualification. — nanpa e, toki e ni: seme li nanpa seme
- mi nanpa e jan tan wawa ona.
  I ordered the people based on how strong they were.
- sitelen kule, la jan Alisin li toki e ni: seme li nanpa seme tawa ona?
  Alison ordered the paintings based on her preferences.
3. to command someone (to do something) — toki lawa, lawa toki e, lawa e
- mi toki lawa tawa sina, e ni: o moku ala tan kasi sona.
  I ordered you not to eat from the tree of knowledge.
4. to have something delivered to one's self — kama e
- mi kama e pipi kala tan jan pi pali moku.
  I'll order the lobster from the chef.
4a. to use a device to have something delivered to one's self — kama ilo e, kama e ... kepeken ilo
- mi kama ilo e len tonsi tan ilo Amasan.
  I ordered a trans flag on Amazon.
- mi kama e sike soweli pi noka lawa tawa olin mi kepeken ilo.
  I ordered a dog collar for my boyfriend online.
6. something delivered (usually food) — pana, kama
- mi jo e kama mi pi ma Isijopija lon noka mi.
  I have my Ethiopian order in my lap.

other

1. different from surrounding things (often similar things) — ante
- mi wile e telo nasa ante.
  I want the other cocktail.
- jan Keli li sama ala meli ante.
  Kelly isn't like other girls.
2. to define as different or separate, often in a negative way, in order to define the self — kulupu ante e
- jan Pita li toki ike e len lawa ona la pilin ona la jan Pita li kulupu ante e ona.
  When Peter insulted his yarmulke, he felt othered.

out

not inside of — weka
- mi tawa weka.
  I'm getting out of here.

outside

1a. not in a building — lon {ala, weka} tomo, lon ma
- mi wile weka tan tomo.
  I want to go outside.
2. surface — selo
- selo kili li jaki la ona li awen ken pona tawa moku.
  A fruit that's rotten on the outside might still be edible.
1b. surrounding — poka, weka
- kon li tawa wawa lon poka tomo.
  There's a storm outside the flat.

over

1. that does not continue anymore — pini
- tenpo musi li pini. sina o kama lon tenpo pini suli.
  The party's over. You should have arrived a long time ago.
2a. located closely above but not directly upon — (lon) sewi (pi)
- mun li lon sewi mi.
  The moon is over our heads.
2b. moving through the space above something — tawa {sewi,waso} lon sewi (pi)
- musi ni la jan lili li tawa sewi lon sewi pi jan lili ante.
  In this game, kids will jump over other kids.

overt

able to be seen by others, open, without hiding — len ala
- ona li len ala e pilin ike ona pi kulupu Jejusi.
  He is overt about his anti-Semitism.
- mi luka e lawa sina la pilin pona sina pi len ala li suwi a.
  When I pat you on the head, your overt enjoyment is delightful.

own

1. (emphasizes possession of the object it modifies) — ∅, a
- mi wile ala kepeken ilo sina. mi wile kepeken ilo mi.
  I don't want to use your phone; I'd rather use my own phone.
- o lon supa pi sina a.
  Get in your own seat.
2. to possess or hold rights over — mi, lawa
- ni li ilo tawa mi.
  I own that automobile.
- mi lawa ala e tomo.
  I don't own a house.

page through

to skim or look at multiple parts of something, but not the whole. — lukin (e ale ala)
- mi lukin e ale ala pi lipu sina.
  I've paged through your book.

pain

sensation caused by injury (cf hurt) — pilin ike
- sina pakala e luka jan la jan li kama pilin ike.
  If you demolish someone's hand, they'll feel pain.

paint

colorful liquid used to cover walls, vehicles, etc — kule (selo), telo kule

paper

sheet used to store writing — lipu

past

1. time that has already happened — tenpo pini
- mi o kama sin tawa pali mi pi tenpo pini.
  I should return to my past efforts.
2. time long ago — tenpo (pini) weka
- sona pi tenpo weka li kama sin lon lawa mi.
  I have remembered something from the remote past.

pay

to give money in exchange — pana (e mani)
- sina wile e ni la o pana e mani mute mute.
  If you want this, you'll have to pay forty dollars.
- o pana sin e mani a tawa mi.
  Remember to pay me back!

pen

a small plastic or metallic stick-shape tool used to write and/or draw — ilo sitelen, palisa sitelen
- sina jo luka pakala a e ilo sitelen!
  You're not holding your pen correctly!

person

a human being, a sentient or sapient being — jan
- jan mute li sona e nasin pona.
  Lots of people know the right way to do things.

pet

1. domesticated animal, typically for companionship, and not for food or monetary gain — soweli, soweli poka
- soweli suwi mi li lon poka mi lon tenpo ale.
  My pet is always at my side.
2. stroke; apply one's hand to — luka
- o alasa ala luka e soweli.
  Do not attempt to pet the dog.

petrichor

the scent after rain — kon pona pi pini telo
- telo li kama ala tan sewi la kon li pona mute tawa nena mi.
  I love petrichor.

phone

a small, portable electronic device used for calling and other features — ilo, ilo lili, ilo toki
- o lukin e ilo mi.
  Look at my phone.
- mi kepeken ala ilo suli mi. mi kepeken ilo lili mi.
  I'm not using my computer. I'm using my phone.
- ilo toki mi li lon seme?
  Where did my phone go?

physical

1. not on a computer or the internet — poka, sijelo, pi ilo ala, lon ala ilo
- kalama ona li lon sike a lon tomo mi li lon ala insa ilo taso.
  I have their album on a physical CD.
- tenpo pi jaki suli la jan li ken ala poka kepeken sijelo li kulupu kepeken ilo a.
  During COVID, people couldn't meet up physically, so they met up online instead.
2. relating to the body — sijelo
- toki utala li ken ike wawa e jan sama ala pakala sijelo.
  Insults can hurt so much more than physical injuries.

piano

a keyboard instrument composed of hammers that hit strings — ilo kalama, ilo kalama luka, etc
- jan seme li sona e nasin pi ilo kalama?
  Who here knows how to play piano?

It may be useful to discuss one or more of the following traits that sets the piano apart. Pianos are keyboard instruments with black and white buttons. Multiple buttons can be pressed at once. Each button, when pressed, controlls a hammer that hits a string inside, which can contrast it from an electric keyboard, harpichord, organ, harmonium, etc. This also allows the player to control the dynamic (volume) of the notes by increasing or decreasing pressure during the hit. Pianos are almost always very large, and will frequently be the largest instrument in the room or on stage. There are many sizes of pianos, but the smallest common one is still larger than most humans.

picture

photo, image — sitelen
- sina tawa ma weka tawa musi la sina sitelen ala sitelen e ijo?
  Are there pictures from your vacation?

piece

1. one of many parts of a whole — depends, see below; kipisi
- mi moku e kipisi kili.
  I'm eating a piece of apple.
1a. the outer layer of a whole — selo
- selo pi ilo tawa mi li pakala, taso ante li pona, la ilo li awen ken tawa.
  The outer piece of my car is broken, but the rest is fine, so the car can still drive.
1b. an inside component of a whole — insa
- a, mi sona e pakala! insa ni li suli ike.
  Oh, I understand the problem! This piece is too big.
1c. one of many subdivisions of a mass — use the same word as the mass
- pan
  A piece of bread
- o kama e kili mute lili tan kili suli. o pana e kili wan tawa jan lili ale.
  Separate the orange into smaller pieces. Give every child a piece of the orange.
1d. of a puzzle — leko
- jan Oka li wan e leko ale la ona li kama lukin e sitelen pona.
  Olga put together the puzzle pieces and saw a beautiful image.
2. a single unit of something — ∅, wan
- mi toki e wile lipu tawa jan mi pi pana sona la ona li pana e lipu tu tu tawa mi.
  When I told my teacher I wanted paper, he gave me four pieces of paper.
3. any musical, artistic, or literary composition — pana, pali, musi
3a. a musical composition — kalama
3b. an artistic composition — sitelen
3c. a literary composition — lipu
4. a physical object used in a game, such as chess — kiwen, jan, etc
- kiwen tu tu pi kule sina li poka la sina sewi.
  You win when four pieces with your color are together.

Many people use kipisi to mean "piece" (as in "a part of a whole"), but there exists a vocal and small minority of people who avoid it entirely. kipisi works for all meanings of the "a part of a whole" sense of "piece." Be aware that kipisi does not work as a translation of any of the other listed senses of "piece."

In addition to the listed subsenses (outer part, inner component, one of many subdivisions of a mass), many pieces of wholes can be described with other words. For example, a circular piece of a car, like a wheel, could be "sike." A piece of a computer that circulates air, like a fan, could be "ilo pi tawa kon." While kipisi works for all of these, it's also possible to not bring attention to the relationship between the piece and the whole.

likewise, the fourth sense of piece (a piece in a board game) can also be any other toki pona word, depending on what it is. A token representing a person could be "jan."

piece together

1. to arrange and compile physical objects to form a whole — nasin e, wan e, pana e
- o wan e insa ale. o pana e ona tawa selo.
  Piece together the inner components and put them inside the shell.
2. to put together pieces of information in order to reach a conclusion — nasin e, wan e; kama sona
- jan Selokon li wan e sona ale, li kama sona e ni: jan moli li... jan Selokon!
  Sherlock Holmes pieced together all the evidence, and figured out that the killer was... Sherlock Holmes!

pit

1. a hole — lupa
- sina nasin ala e jan lili la ona li wile pali e lupa taso lon weka tomo li wile ala e ijo ante.
  If you don't guide children, they'll decide to just dig a pit in the backyard and won't want to do anything else.
2. where musicians play during a show — tomo, lupa, ma pi jan kalama
- mama mi li sona pana e kon tawa palisa suli kalama. tenpo pi pali wile la ona li ken e ni: mi lon ma pi kalama musi lon pana suli musi.
  My uncle is a saxophone player. When I have free time, he lets me into the pit during big musical shows.
3. an negative emotional state (of despair, etc) — pilin
- ona li pilin ike.
  He was in a pit of despair.
4. the single large seed of various fruits, such as olives, cherries, avocados, and mangoes — insa, kiwen
- kili ni li suwi mute, taso o sona: kiwen li lon insa. sina sona ala e ni la kiwen li ken pini e esun kon sina!
  These fruits are super sweet, but you should know that they have pits. If you didn't know that, maybe one would block your airway!
5. to remove the single large seed from a fruit — weka e kiwen, weka e insa
- taso mi weka e insa pi kili ni li pana e kiwen tawa lupa, la o pilin ike ala. ona li kama ala pini e uta kon.
  But if I pit these fruits and put the pits in a pit, don't enter a pit of despair. It won't block your windpipe.
6. to cause two parties to fight (usually with "against") — kama e ni: ... li utala e ...; kama e utala lon ... lon ...
- jan Ana en jan Emi li ike tawa mi, taso mi wawa lili. ni la mi kama e ni: jan Ana li utala e jan Emi. ni la wawa li weka tan ona tu tan utala, la mi ken kama nanpa wan.
  I hate Anna and Amy, but I'm not very strong. Thus I will pit Anna against Amy. This way, when their energy has been sapped by the fight, I can win.

pizza

a style of flatbread with toppings, usually including tomato and cheese, originating in Italy — pan, pan sike
- ma Newa Jo la pan sike li nanpa wan a!
  In Nueva York, the pizza is the best!

place

1. a location; usually one outside — ma
- soweli li tawa ma pi kasi kili.
  The donkey went to the place with berry bushes.
2. a location (that is a building) — tomo
- esun moku Asi? a, mi sona e tomo ni!
  The grocery store Aldi's? Yeah, i know that place!
3. a state of mind — pilin
- mi pilin nasa.
  I'm in a strange place at the moment.
4. a social role — anpa, suli, lawa
- o toki ala! sina anpa!
  Don't speak up! Know your place!
1. put — pana
- ona li pana e ilo tawa supa.
  It placed the hammer on the counter.

plain

default, the unaltered preset or version — musi ala, nasa ala
- ko walo mi li nasa ala. mi wile ala e ijo lon ona. ko taso.
  My yoghurt is plain. I don't want anything in it. Just yogurt.

plane

1. an airplane; a vehicle that travels in the sky — ilo (pi tawa) sewi, (ilo) waso
- mi tawa ma Nujo kepeken waso.
  I traveled to New York by plane.
2. flat surface — supa
3. two-dimensional space — lipu
- jan li sama pipi lipu.
  Humanity is like a bunch of ants on a plane.

plant

organism, often with branches and leaves — kasi

plastic

a variety of materials usually made from petroleum — selo, kiwen
- mi selo e moku mi.
  I've put plastic wrap on my food.
- poki kiwen ni li jo e ko kule ale mi!
  This plastic container holds all my oil paints!

play

1. to amuse oneself, to perform entertainment, to joke — musi
- ona li musi kepeken ko.
  She played with playdough.
- o pini e musi. mi ale li sona e ni: sina toki e ijo pi lon ala.
  Stop playing, we all know you're just making things up.
1a. to perform music — musi, musi kalama, kalama musi
- mi musi kepeken ilo kalama.
  I'm playing the piano.
- tenpo suno ni la mi kalama musi tawa jan mute.
  Today I'm going to play for a lot of people.
- mi musi kalama lon tenpo mute.
  I play music a lot.
1b. (of entertainment) to be displayed, to be performed — lon
- kalama musi li lon ilo mi.
  There's music playing on my phone.
1c. a theatrical performance — musi, musi toki
- mi tawa musi pi pona mute lon suno ni.
  I went to a great play today.
1d. (of a musical instrument) — pana e kalama
- ilo ni li pana pona a e kalama.
  This guitar plays really well.
2. to deceive, to lie to — toki pi lon ala
- ike Satan li toki pi lon ala tawa sina, tan ni: ona li wile kama jo e kon sina.
  Satan is playing you, because he wants to have your soul.

please

1. (forms polite requests) — (o) ∅
- tawa la luka sina en noka sina o awen lon insa tomo lon tenpo ale.
  Please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.
1. make happy — pona e (pilin)
- ale la mi sona ala pona e pilin sina.
  I never really know how to please you.

point

1. a single location, infinitely small and precise — ma
2. a single unit of a score in a game — nanpa, mani
- mi pana e sike tawa poki pi kulupu ante la nanpa mi li kama suli.
  We scored a goal and our points increased.
- waso ike li pana e mani luka luka lon moli.
  The bat enemies give ten points when defeated.
3. the sharp part of a spike or protrusion — pini
- kasi ni la pini pi palisa ona li ken pakala e jan.
  This plant's thorns have sharp points that can injure people.
4. a visual representation of a dot — sike (lili)
- nanpa li lon insa pi nanpa tu la sina ken pana e sike lili.
  If a number is between two numbers, you can add a (decimal) point.
5. a moment in time — tenpo
- jan tu li awen utala lon tenpo suli la tenpo ni li ken kama: ona wan li kama wawa ala li pini e utala.
  When two people keep fighting for a long time, there comes a point where one of them gets exhausted and gives up.
6. a reason or motive — ... tan seme, ... tawa seme
- mi awen utala tan seme?
  What's the point of us still fighting?
1. to gesture towards something — luka, pana e luka, pana luka
- mi pana e luka mi tawa jan ni: ona li pakala e suno mi.
  I'll point to the person who broke my lamp.
2. to direct — pana e nasin
- sina wile sona e nasin pi tomo jaki, la mi ken pana e nasin pona tawa sina.
  If you want to know where the toilet is, I can point you in the right direction.

point out

to make clear to others — pana lukin
- jan tu li tawa poka. jan nanpa wan li pana lukin e waso ale poka.
  Two people walked together, the first pointing out every bird they passed.

point to

to indicate the effect or cause of an action — toki e
- mi sona e ni: jan Sali li mu ike mute. ni li toki e ni: ona li pilin ike.
  We know that Sally is screaming. This points to her feeling sad.

poor

1. in possession of no or small amounts of money — pi (jo) mani ala, li jo e mani ala
- o lukin e sitelen nanpa ni. nanpa ni li toki e ni: mi kama jo ala e mani.
  Look at these graphs. These data point to the fact that we're losing money.
2. of bad quality — jaki
- tomo ni li jaki a.
  What a poor house.

possible

that could realistically happen — ken
- sina wile jan suli anu seme? ni li ken!
  You want to be a star? It's possible!

potato

1. edible starchy tuber of a potato plant — kili ma, kili pan, pan
- jan li kama jo e kili tan insa ma.
  People dig up potatoes.
2. plant that produces potatoes — kasi
- mi pana e kasi tawa ma pona. tenpo kama la ona o pana e kili.
  I have replanted the potato to better soil, it should grow potatoes eventually.

power

1. energy produced under electrical or mechanical form, that can make a device operational — wawa
- wawa ilo li poka ala.
  Its power is low.
2. the ability to influence one or multiple events — wawa, lawa (ken)
- ike la mute la wawa li jan ike.
  Unfortunately, power is often in the hands of the wrong people.

practice

work towards improving one's skill — (kama) (ken) wawa, sike
- mi wawa e ken mi utala.
  I'm practicing boxing.
- mi sike lon ilo kalama kon.
  I'm practicing the flute.

price

the amount of money required to buy something — mani wile, mute mani
- mi wile esun e suwi ni. mani wile li seme?
  I want to buy these candies. What's the price?

private

1. belonging to a particular person — jan
- lipu linluwi o lanpan ala e sona jan tan ona pi kepeken lipu.
  Websites shouldn't gather private information from users.
2. secretive or not publicly known — len
- ona li len la mi wile ala toki e ona.
  It's something private, so I don't want to discuss.
3. the lowest rank in the army — jan utala
- jan utala Pa li jo e ilo moli ni tan seme?
  Why is Private Pyle holding that weapon?

probably

with considerable likelihood — ken, ken (suli) la
- ona li ken wile e len sin.
  They probably want new clothes.
- ken suli la, ni li ike tawa jan lawa.
  The queen probably won't like that.

process

method, means — nasin
- nasin ni la mi ken weka e jaki tan telo.
  Using this method, we can filter the water.

produce

1. to make or manufacture — pali
- ilo li ken ala pali e olin.
  Technology can't produce compassion.
2. to cause or bring about — kama e
- pilin monsuta kulupu li wawa e nasin kulupu li kama e pilin utala tawa jan ante pi kulupu ala.
  Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.
3. agricultural goods (especially fruits and vegetables) — kili
- kili pi tenpo sike ni li pona tawa tenpo sike pini.
  This year's produce was better than last year.

property

1. thing owned by someone — ijo {mi, sina, ...}, ijo jo
2. piece of real estate — ma
3. quality or nature of something — kule, poki, nasin

public

accessible and free for all citizens — (pi) jan ale
- ni li ma kasi pi jan ale.
  This is a public park.

purpose

reason — tan
- jan ale sina li awen lon ma sina li jo ala a e tan!
  All of your people sit around your camp and have no purpose!

put

1. place — pana
- o pana e len tawa poki.
  Put the clothes in the drawer.
- kulupu lawa li pana e ona tawa tomo awen.
  The government put him in jail.
2. perform an action — ∅
- ona li wan e kiwen lili.
  She put the shards back together.
- o pona e tomo!
  Put your house in order!
- jan li moli e soweli la pakala ona li pini.
  They put the animal to death to end their suffering.

question

a need for information — wile sona
- mi wile sona e ijo mute.
  I have a lot of questions.

quick

1. in little time, fast — lon tenpo lili
2. (used in polite requests, to suggest that the request won't take up much time) — ∅
- o lukin e pakala lon lipu mi.
  Can you look at my letter real quick?

raccoon

an animal in the procyonid family known for stealing garbage from humans — kijetesantakalu, soweli
- kijetesantakalu li wile moku.
  The raccoon wants to eat.
- soweli li weka e moku tan poki.
  The raccoon stole food from the container.

rag

a small cloth used for cleaning — len, len pi weka jaki
- "len pi weka jaki li lon seme?" "a, poki ni."
  "Where can I find the rags?" "Oh, in that cabinet."

rag on

to criticize someone — toki ike e
- ona li toki ike e mi li pini ala a!
  She won't stop ragging on me!

rain

1. water droplets that have fallen from condensed clouds — telo sewi
- len ale mi li kama jo e telo tan sewi a...
  All of my clothes were soaked from the rain...
2. to have rain fall — pana e telo
- suno ni la sewi li pana e telo mute.
  It's raining a lot today.

random

1. unpredictable — ken ala sona e {nanpa} kama
- leko li pana ni e nanpa: mi ken ala sona e nanpa kama.
  The dice provides random numbers.
2. silly, tending to non sequiturs — nasa
- nasin mi la mi musi tan ijo nasa lon tenpo mute.
  I have a very random sense of humour.

read

receive information through writing — lukin

reason

motivation — tan
- jan li utala e mi, taso mi sona ala a e tan!
  People keep arguing with me, but I don't know the reason!

reason with

to convince — kama e pilin sama lon
- mi sona ala e nasin ni: mi ken kama e pilin sama lon mama mi.
  I don't know how to reason with my dad.

red

red — loje
- sijelo jan li jo e telo loje. sijelo kala pi noka mute li jo e telo laso.
  Humans have red blood, and squids have blue blood.

remember

1. retain knowledge, continue to know — awen sona
- mi awen sona e ijo sama ni pi tenpo majuna.
  I still remember similar things from the past.
2. forget but regain the knowledge — sona sin
- mi alasa sona sin e ni: lipu suli mi li lon seme?
  I'm trying to remember where I put my documents.

reptile

a grouping of terrestrial and semi-aquadic vertibrates that usually excludes birds, mammals, and amphibians — akesi
- akesi ni li jo e selo kiwen.
  This reptile carries a hard shell.
- mi wile ala moku e akesi tan ni: mama mi la ni li nasa.
  I don't want to eat reptiles because my parents told me it would be weird.

respect

1. positive opinion — pilin {pona, wawa, suli}
- pali ona li wawa tawa jan mute.
  He's well-respected for his work.
2. deference — anpa tawa...
- sitelen ni la jan pan o anpa tawa jan utala.
  In the movie, farmers are supposed to show respect to knights.
3. have a positive opinion, be impressed by — pilin {pona, wawa, suli}
- pali ona pi kulupu mi li wawa tawa mi.
  I respect the work she's been doing for our community.

rest

1. relax, sleep, put on pause — lape
- o lape pona.
  Have a good rest.
2. euphemistically about death — moli
- o moli pona.
  Rest in peace.
3. everything else, the remainder — ale ante
- jan wan li toki tawa jan ale ante.
  One person is talking to the rest.

return

1. come back somewhere — kama sin
- ma mi la waso li weka lon tenpo lete li kama sin lon tenpo seli.
  Where I live, birds leave for the winter and return in the summer.
2. give something back — pana sin
- sina jo e lipu tan tomo lipu la o pana sin e ona tawa tomo.
  If you borrow a book from the library, please return it.

rice

1. plant that grows in water — kasi (telo)
2. seeds of this plant which are eaten by humans — pan, pan walo, ko

right

1. true, correct — lon
2. morally or ethically acceptable — pona
3. true, I understand — lon, sona
4. confirming the listener's agreement — anu seme
- kulupu o toki e nasin mani lon tenpo suno kama. pona anu seme?
  Let's discuss the budget tomorrow. Sounds like a plan, right?

When translating right in contrast with left, it's often preferred to explain the property of a situation which makes the distinction necessary. For example, when referring to using one's right hand, consider whether it may be more effective to translate dominant hand:

o jo e ilo kepeken luka wawa sina. Hold the tool in your dominant hand.

river

a large stream of water — nasin telo
- tenpo la telo pi mute ike li kama lon nasin telo, li pakala e ijo poka.
  Occasionally, too much water flows in a river, causing a flood.

road

a large pathway for vehicles — nasin
- mi wile ala a tawa poka ante nasin.
  I don't want to cross the road.

rock

a stone made of a formation of minerals — kiwen
- mi wan wawa e kiwen tu la kalama suli li kama.
  If I powerfully strike two rocks together, it'll produce a loud sound.

rocket

a vessel used for space travel — tomo, tomo pi weka ma, ilo (tawa mun)
- jan li tawa mun la ona li kepeken tomo suli.
  When people set foot on the moon, they used huge rockets.

room

a subdivision of a building, made of a floor and at least three walls, if only partial ones — tomo
- a tomo sina li suwi a!
  Your room is so cozy!

rope

sturdy kind of string — linja

rub

1. move something across a surface with high tension, especially in order to clean it — tawa (lon supa), weka e jaki
2. masturbate — unpa

rule

1. to have authority over — lawa
- tenpo suli la jan pi ma Loma li lawa e ma Inli.
  For a long time, the people of Rome ruled England.
2. a regulation, law — lawa
- ma ni la lawa wan taso li lon: o awen pona tawa jan ante.
  This place only has one rule: be good to others.
3. a period of rule — tenpo lawa
- tenpo lawa pi jan Elisape nanpa tu li awen lon sike mute mute mute luka luka.
  The rule of Queen Elizabeth the Second lasted seventy years.

run

1. move with great force — tawa wawa
- mi wile pona e sijelo mi. mi kama tawa kepeken wawa.
  I decided to get back into shape. I have gotten into running.
2. flee — weka
- ona li jo wawa e poki mi li weka.
  He snatched my purse and ran.
3. flow in the manner of a liquid — tawa
- telo li tan ma nena li tawa ma anpa.
  Rivers originate in the highlands and run to the lowlands.
4. persist across time or space — awen
- kulupu ni li awen lon sike mute a!
  This community has been running for years!
5. make use of software — kepeken
- mi kepeken ilo Winto.
  I'm running Windows.
6. be in charge of — lawa
- jan seme li lawa e kulupu ni?
  Who runs this community?
7. compete in a race — utala (tawa)
- jan luka luka tu li utala tawa.
  12 people ran the marathon.

sacred

1. to be religious or related to religion — sewi
- kalama musi sewi li pona ala tawa mi tan ni: mi, la sewi li lon ala.
  I don't like sacred music because I'm an atheist.
2. to be important to a group of people — suli
- ilo ni pi kalama musi li suli a tawa kulupu ni.
  This instrument is sacred to these people.

sad

feeling sorrow, unhappy — (pi) pilin ike
- mi pilin ike tan moli.
  Death makes me feel sad.

safe

that is not dangerous, that protects from danger — pona, (ken) ike ala
- mi pilin e ni: tomo ona la ken ike li ala.
  I feel safe in her home.

salt

sodium chloride, a rock often used in powdered form in cooking — ko (pi weka telo)
- telo ni li wawa lili la mi o pana e ko lili tawa ona.
  This broth is pretty weak, so I think I'll add some salt to it.

same

1. indicating agreement with an opinion — mi sama, mi pilin sama
- telo ni li pona tawa mi. / mi pilin kin e ni!
  I like this drink a lot. / Same!
2. alike, without differences — sama
- n kalama ni tu li sama tawa kute mi.
  Those two clips sound the same to me.

sanguine

of or relating to blood — pi telo sijelo, pi telo loje
- monsuta pi telo loje li moku e telo loje mute.
  The sanguine horror consumed vast amounts of blood.
- mi moku e moku pi telo sijelo li pilin pona.
  I savored the sanguine delicacy.

say

to communicate verbally — toki
- ona li toki e ni: ma li supa!
  He said that the Earth was flat!

school

1. knowledge community — kulupu sona
- ni li jan pi kulupu sona mi.
  This is my schoolmate.
- tan jaki Kowi la kulupu sona ale li lon ilo li lon tomo ala.
  Due to Covid, all schools are virtual and not in physical buildings.
2. institution of knowledge or learning — tomo (pi kama) sona
- jan lili mi li tawa tomo sona kepeken ilo pi sike tu.
  My child goes to school using a bicycle.
- tenpo pini la mi kama sona lon tomo lon poka pi jan lili ante.
  In the past, I learned at school with other children.

sea

large body of water — telo (suli)
- mi tawa lon selo telo kepeken supa.
  I'm travelling the seas on a raft.

seat

furniture to sit on — supa, supa monsi
- jan pi soweli tomo o kepeken supa monsi ni.
  People with dogs should use this seat.

second

1. after the first but before the third — nanpa tu
- kulupu poka ona li wile e mani. ni la ona li open e pali ona nanpa tu.
  To sustain the family she had to take a second job.
2. a very short period of time — tenpo lili
- o awen lon tenpo lili o pilin e sona sin.
  Let's pause for a second to review what we've learned today.

secret

1. a piece of knowledge that is hidden — sona len
- mi ken ala toki e ni. ni li sona len.
  I can't tell you. It's a secret.
2. hidden, not to be revealed — len
- mi toki e nimi len tawa ona.
  I told him the secret password.

secular

not related to religion — sewi ala
- lipu ni li lipu nanpa wan pi sewi ala lon ma Elopa. tenpo pini la lipu ale li sewi.
  This was the first secular book in Europe. Before that, all books were sacred.

see

1. witness with the eyes — lukin
- sitelen ni la sina ken lukin e soweli.
  In this picture you can see a cat.
2. form a mental picture of — sona
- sina sona ala sona?
  Do you see what I mean?
- tenpo kama la sina kama sona.
  One day you'll see.

seed

1. small pebble that plants grow from — sike (mama), kiwen (kili)
- kiwen ni li ken mama e kasi sin.
  This seed can grow into a new plant.
2. an initial idea, precursor — nasin open
- ona li lukin e sitelen ni: sike soweli li lon lawa jan. ni li open e nasin lon lawa ona.
  She saw photos of a person wearing a collar and it planted a seed in her brain.

seem

to appear as something — lukin la, tawa lukin
- lukin la ona li kama pilin monsuta li kama pilin ike.
  He seemed both angered and frightened.
- ona li kama pilin monsuta li kama pilin ike tawa lukin.
  He seemed both angered and frightened.

self

1. one's personality, demeanor — {mi, sina, ona}, nasin
- sin la ona li kama musi mute sama ona pi tenpo pini.
  He's back to being his old cheerful self.
2. (component of reflexive pronouns in English) — ∅
- mi toki tawa mi.
  I'm talking to myself.
- pilin ona la ale ona li ike.
  He hates himself.

send

to emit one object outwards or to something or someone — pana
- mi pana e sitelen tawa tawa sina.
  I sent you the video.

sense

1. manner of perception — ken pilin, nasin pilin
- jan li ken ala lukin la nasin pilin pi lukin ala li suli.
  For someone that can't see, the non-visual senses are important.
2. meaning — sona
- sona ala li lon toki sina anu seme?
  What you're saying doesn't make any sense!
3. to feel, perceive — pilin
- mi pilin e ike taso lon tomo ni a!
  I sense nothing but evil in that house!

serious

1. earnest or sincere as opposed to being humorous or deceiving — musi ala, lon
- ona li musi ala. ona li toki e lon tawa sina!
  He is being serious. He's telling you the truth!
2. significant or important — suli
- ijo mute pi suli wawa la mi ken toki musi taso.
  There are things that are so serious that you can only joke about them.

sex

sexual activity, to have a sexual intercourse — unpa
- unpa li pona tawa jan mute.
  Many people enjoy (having) sex.

shark

a large carnivorous fish — kala suli
- sama kala suli la mi alasa!
  Like a shark, I hunt!

sharp

spiky, piercing — (jo e) nena (ike)
- o sona: kasi ni li jo e nena mute ni: ona li ken open e selo sina!
  Beware, this plant is very sharp, and can pierce your skin!

shoe

receptacle or apparel for the foot — len noka, poki noka
- o esun: poki noka tawa lili. sin ale.
  For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.

short

small in size, particularly in height — lili
- jan poka mi li lili.
  My brother is short.

should

1. issuing an instruction, recommendation — o
- tenpo ale la sina moku e telo suwi. o moku e telo pi suwi ala.
  You drink juice all the time. You should drink water.
2. as far as I know; expectation from previous knowledge — sona mi la
- sona mi la tenpo ni la ona li kama.
  He should be there by now.

show

1. display, demonstrate — pana
- tenpo ale ala la soweli li pana e olin tawa jan ona. taso ona li awen olin.
  Cats don't always show their love and affection, but they care.
2. be apparent — sona, ken lukin
- sina nasa. jan ale li sona e ni.
  You're out of touch, and it shows.
1. entertaining performance, seen in person or broadcast — sitelen, musi
- tenpo lon la sitelen musi li lon ala lon ilo pana?
  Are there any good shows on TV these days?
- jan mute li kama li lukin e musi.
  A lots of people attended the show.

shower

1. to clean one's body with water, usually while standing or sitting. water typically flows continuously from above (cf bathe) — telo e selo, kama kala
- jan Pasi li telo e selo ona.
  Patty showered.
- mi o kama kala. taso ni li pini la mi kama sin.
  I have to take a shower real quick, but after that's done I'll come back.
2. a receptacle for cleaning one's body (cf bath) — poki telo, poki kala
- mi lon poki telo.
  I'm in the shower.

sibling

1. someone who shares at least one parent, usually two — jan sama, jan poka, pata
- jan sama mi li sona e toki Epanja.
  My sibling knows Spanish.
2. someone who shares at least one parent, usually two, but is specified to be nonbinary — tonsi sama, tonsi poka
- mi olin e tonsi sama mi.
  I love my nonbinary sibling.

side

1. a half — poka
- mi o pana e pan tawa poka seme supa?
  What side of the tray should I put the cookie on?
2. an edge of a two-dimensional shape — palisa, linja
- sitelen ni la linja tu tu li lon.
  This figure has four sides.
3. an aspect — ken, ijo
- o sona e ken pona!
  Look on the bright side!
4. part of a dish not the main entree — moku poka
- ona li pana e pan. poka la kasi en kili li lon.
  She served rice with vegetables and fruits on the side.

simple

1. easy, requiring little effort — wile e wawa lili, wile e tenpo lili, wile e pali lili
- musi ni li wile e tenpo lili a.
  This puzzle is quite simple.
2. lacking complexity — lili
- ilo ni li lili, taso ona li pana e sona mute.
  This program is simple, but it outputs a lot of information.

sing

to vocalize musically — mu, kalama (kepeken uta)
- mi lon kulupu mu. kulupu ni la jan li nasin e kulupu kepeken luka.
  I'm in a singing group. In this group, the conductor conducts us with her hand.

sister

someone who shares at least one parent, usually two, but is specified to be female — meli sama, meli poka
- jan Pita en meli sama ona li kama li jo e len mani.
  Peter and his sister arrived clad in expensive attire.

sit

to be in a state of rest with the buttocks against a horisontal surface — (lon) monsi
- mi monsi e supa.
  I'm sitting on a table.

size

the amount of space something takes up — suli

size up

to assesss the efficacy or power of something or someone — alasa e wawa
- weka tomo la jan pi pali ike li alasa e wawa pi jan noka.
  Outside, criminals size up pedestrians.

skin

the outer layer of an animal (including humans), fruit, or vegetable — selo
- mi wile weka e selo pi kili ni la mi wile e wawa mute.
  If I wanted to take the skin off this fruit, I'd need to be very strong.
- mi anpa tan ilo tawa la selo mi li kama pakala.
  I fell off my bike, so I got a cut in my skin.

sleep

1. to rest in a state of reduced consciousness — lape
- mi lape ala la lawa mi li kama nasa.
  Sleep deprivation makes me go loopy.
2. to have sex — unpa
- pimeja pini la mi tu li unpa lon tenpo nanpa wan.
  Last night we slept together for the first time.
3. (of an electronic device) to enter a low-power state — lape (lili)

slow

1a. to happen over a long period of time — tenpo suli
- jan li wile kama sona e toki sin la ni li wile e tenpo suli.
  Learning a new language is a slow process.
1b. moving with little speed — wawa ala
1c. only able to move with little speed — wawa ala
- akesi pi wawa ala li kama lon pini nasin la soweli wawa li awen lape lon insa.
  As the slow tortoise finished the race, the quick hare was still sleeping in the middle.
2. lacking activity — musi ala
- suno mute la ijo musi ala li lon.
  Many days were slow.

small

of low size level — lili
- soweli mi li moku e telo walo lili tan poki.
  My pet aardvark drinks a small portion of milk from a saucer.

smell

1. to sense the smell of — pilin e kon
- mi pilin e kon pan la sijelo mi li kama wile a moku.
  When I smelled the rice, I got really hungry.
2. scent given off by something — kon
- kon jaki ni li seme
  What is that gross smell?

smile

a facial expression of happiness, in which the sides of the mouth are turned up — sinpin pi pilin pona
- mi toki e nimi ona la ona li pana e sinpin pi pilin pona.
  When I said her name, she lit up with a smile.

snow

atmospheric water that froze into ice crystals forming small white flakes — ko, ko lete, ko walo
- ko lete li kama la jan ale li pilin pona.
  Everyone is happy when snow comes.

so

1. expressing cause and effect — ni la, tawa ni, tan ni
- mi wile kama sona e ijo waso. ni la mi tawa tomo lipu.
  I wanted to learn about ornithology, so I went to the library.
2. emphasising the extent of something — a
- lon a.
  You're so right.
3. also, too, in addition to — kin
- My mom can cook, and so can my dad.
  mama meli mi li ken pali e moku. mama mije mi kin li ken.

soap

a thick substance used for cleaning — ko, ko pona, ko pi weka jaki
- sina telo e luka sina la o kepeken ko.
  When you wash your hands, use soap.
- ko laso li ken weka e jaki tan ilo moku. ko walo li ken weka e jaki tan luka.
  The blue soap is for washing dishes. The white soap* is for washing hands.
- o esun e ko pona sin lon tenpo poka.
  Purchase more soap soon.

society

a large network of humans — kulupu
- jan Soka li toki e ni: "mi lon kulupu."
  The Joker says that we live in a society.

soft

1. not firm; changing its shape when touched — ko, suwi, pona
- mi wile lape lon ko lon ala kiwen.
  I want to sleep on something soft, not something hard.
2. pleasant — suwi
- suno suwi li lon ale tomo.
  There was a soft glow filling out the room.
3. emotionally weak, effeminate — wawa ala, mije ala
- mije ale pi kulupu mi li kama wawa ala!
  The men of this generation have gotten so soft!

soldier

someone who fights a war on the ground — jan utala
- jan utala mute li moli tan utala pi wile ala.
  Many soldiers die in unwanted wars.

some

an unspecified amount — ∅
- sina wile ala wile e telo?
  Would you like some water?

something

an unspecified object — ijo
- mi wile e ijo ni: ona li pona tawa soweli mi.
  I want something that'll please my pet.

sometimes

at multiple periods or instances with low to moderate frequency — tenpo
- tenpo la mi moku e kala. taso ona li pona pi suli ala tawa mi.
  Sometimes I eat fish, but it's not amazing.

son

a masculine child — jan ni: mi mama e ona
- mi mama e jan Kiso.
  Quiztoc is my son.

song

music performed with voice — kalama (uta)
- mi alasa kalama kepeken uta mi la mi pana e kalama ike.
  When I try to sing, it comes out wrong.

soon

1. in the near future — tenpo poka, tenpo kama poka
- ale o kama pona lon tenpo kama poka.
  May everything get better soon.
2. in a little bit — tenpo kama lili
- tenpo lili kama la, jan olin sina li lon poka sina!
  Soon your partner will be with you!
3. in the proximal time — tenpo poka
- mi weka tan sina li tawa ma Tawi lon tenpo poka.
  I will leave you and go to Thailand soon.

sorry

1. brief acknowledgement of one's mistake or misbehavior — a, ike (mi), pakala
2. requesting that someone repeats themself — o toki sin (e ni), mi kute ala (e ni)

Like in other languages, minor mistakes only require brief apology. More serious misdeeds will warrant a longer apology, potentially including a show of remorse and a promise to not repeat one's mistakes.

sort

to put into an order — nasin
- o nasin e lipu kepeken nimi ona.
  Please sort the books by name.

sort of

1. to some extent but not entirely; partially, somewhat — lili
- mi ken sona lili e toki ni.
  I sort of understand that comment.
2. similar to another kind of thing — sama
3. somewhat similar to something else — sama, lili la … sama
- lili la kili loje li ken sama kiwen
  Apples can be sort of like rocks.
4. type of; kind of — nasin; seme
- sina jan pi nasin seme / sina jan seme
  What sort of person are you?

soul

1. the core essence of something alive — kon
- sijelo li moli la kon li weka.
  When the body dies, the soul leaves it.
2. an individual person — jan
- jan pi mute seme li lon ilo tawa?
  How many souls are on board?

sound

1. solid, secure — ken ala pakala
- nasin ni li ken ala pakala.
  This method is sound.
2. healthy, as in safe and sound — pona, pona sijelo
- ona li awen pona lon pini utala.
  She remained safe and sound after the conflict.
3. an auditory sensation caused by vibrations in the air — kalama
- ona li kute e kalama la ona li alasa e tan.
  When he heard the sound, he searched for the source.
4. to seem, auditorily — tawa kute
- kalama ona li suwi a tawa kute.
  His music sounds beautiful.
5. to produce a sound — kalama

soup

liquid with vegetables used as food — moku, telo (kili)
- mi pana e kili ante mute tawa insa telo li seli e ona li moku e ona.
  I prepared a vegetable soup and ate it.

south

1. equatorial (in relation to the Northern hemisphere) — ma seli
- ma Sonko la ma seli en ma lete la pan li ante.
  The south of China produces a different kind of grain than the north.
2. polar (in relation to the Southern hemisphere) — ma lete
- sina lon ma Oseja li tawa lete la sina kama lukin e waso nasa.
  If you travel south from Australia, you'll encounter penguins.

space

1a. a location — lon, ma
1b. a region or area — ma
2. outer space — ma mun, ma pi kon ala, ma pimeja
- mun pi mute a li lon weka pimeja.
  There are many stars in outer space.
3. (typography) whitespace — weka sitelen
- pakala la weka sitelen tu li lon insa pi nimi 'jan' pi nimi 'suli'. o pona e ona.
  There are, mistakenly, two spaces in between 'old' and 'person.' Fix it.

specific

1a. referring to a particular thing — ni a
- mi wile tawa tomo moku ni a pi ma Palata.
  I want to go to this specific Indian restaurant.
1b. elaborated description — toki mute
- mi sona ala. o toki mute e ona.
  I don't understand, be more specific.

spell

(of a word) write or say the letters of — sitelen, pana e sitelen
- jan li sitelen seme e nimi 'kijetesantakalu'?
  How do you spell 'kijetesantakalu'?

spring

1. a small stream of water — telo, nasin telo, telo lili
- jan lili li lape lon poka pi nasin telo lili. mi kama lukin e ni lon sinpin sina: ona li moku mute e telo.
  The child slept next to the spring. I saw all over their face that that they had drank a lot of the water.
2. the time of year when warmth causes plants to sprout from the earth — tenpo pi kama kasi, tenpo pi kama seli, tenpo kasi
- tenpo lete li kama pini la tenpo kasi li kama a!
  When the winter ends, the spring begins!
3. a component used to hold and release energy, used in all sorts of contraptions — (ilo) sike
- ilo sitelen mi li jo e sike lon insa. mi luka e sewi ilo la sike li esun e ni: ilo li ken ala ken sitelen?
  My pen has a spring in it. When I press the top of the pen, the spring swaps out the pen's ability to write.

For the time of year: keep in mind that seasons vary a lot depending on location. Many places do not have a "spring," but they may still have a time of year where plants come up from the ground after a long period of that not happening, so the same description may work.

square

1. four-sided regular polygon — leko
1. in the shape of a square — leko

star

1. celestial object, light — mun, suno
- mun li suno wawa lon tenpo ni.
  The stars are bright tonight.
2. concave pointy shape, usually with five points — mun, sitelen mun, sitelen suno
- sitelen mun li lon selo lipu.
  A star was on the outside of the book.
3. a celebrity, usually an actor or musician — jan, jan wawa
- jan wawa li mu wawa tawa kulupu suli a!
  The star sang to the gigantic crowd!

start

1a. the beginning — (tenpo) open
- lon tenpo open pi pali mi ni la mi sona e ala a.
  At the start of my career, I knew jack squat.
1b. to begin — kama (as preverb), open
- mi o kama pali e moku!
  Let's get started with cooking!
- sina wile ala wile kama kalama lon kulupu tawa musi?
  Do you want to start a band?
2. to turn on a machine or program — open
- mi open e musi Manka la ale la ona li pini tan pakala.
  Every time I start Minecraft, it ends up crashing.

state

1. condition of being — nasin, (pi tenpo) lon, ∅
- jan li ken ala lon tomo pi tenpo lon.
  You can't really enter the building in its current state.
- mi ken ala ken pona e kalama pi ike ni...?
  I don't know if I can save my song from this awful state...
- jan ilo li lukin e sina la ona li weka e nasin lape li kama lon nasin utala.
  When the AI robot sees a player, it changes its state from idle to attacking.
2. a government or the place that it rules — (kulupu) lawa; ma
- sewi o wawa ala! lawa o wawa ala! mije o wawa ala!
  No gods, no state, no patriarchy!

steam

a kind of hot gas — kon (seli)

step

1. one of many tasks needed to reach a goal — pali
- mi kute e ale pi nasin lipu. taso mi sona ala pali nanpa pini.
  I've followed the instructions all the way, but I'm struggling with the last step.
2. part of a staircase — supa

still

1. continuing past an expected endpoint — awen
- sina awen a pali anu seme?
  Are you still working?
2. nevertheless — awen
- mi sona ala e toki ni, taso mi awen sona e toki ante.
  I don't know this language, but I still know other languages.
3. unmoving — tawa ala
- anpa nena la sike li kama tawa ala.
  At the bottom of the hill, the ball became still.

stomach

1. body part that digests food — poki moku, insa (moku)
- mi moku ike la insa mi li ike.
  I ate something bad and my stomach is upset.
2. to process an emotion — weka e pilin, kama pilin ala
- jan li toki e moli ona tawa mi la mi pilin ike suli. mi ken ala weka e pilin ni.
  I couldn't stomach the news of him dying.

stone

1. a hard mineral — kiwen
- sinpin kiwen li pini e nasin.
  A stone wall blocks the way.
2. to throw stones — pana kiwen
- mije anu meli ale pi toki moli anu wawa nasa o moli. ona o kama moli tan pana kiwen. telo sijelo ona li lon ona.
  A man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard shall be put to death; they shall be stoned to death; their blood is upon them.

stop

1. cease moving — kama tawa ala
- ilo li pana e suno loje la o kama tawa ala.
  If the traffic light is red, stop.
2. to no longer continue — pini
- telo sewi li pini.
  The rain stopped.
3. place where people await vehicles — ma awen, tomo awen
- tomo ni awen li wile e supa sewi.
  This bus stop needs a roof.
4. to not continue to do something — awen ala
- pipi li lon pan. o awen ala moku e ona!
  There are bugs in the cake. Stop eating it!

store

1. building that sells things — esun
- tan seme la sina esun e len lon esun moku a!?
  Why are you buying clothes at the soup store!?
2. to place in a container — (pana tawa) poki, poki e; jo, lon
- mi o pana e kili ni tawa poki o moku lon tenpo kama.
  Let's store these veggies for later.
- poki ni li jo e len mi.
  This drawer is where I store my clothes.

Translations with jo and lon focus on the object simply being in a container, as opposed to someone storing it there.

story

narrative — toki
- mi o pana e toki.
  Let me tell you a story.

straight

1. without curves or other turns — sama palisa
- luka ona li sama palisa.
  Her arms were straight.
2. attracted to the gender opposite one's own (cf 'gay') — olin e meli/mije
- mi mije li olin e meli.
  I am a straight man.

street

road — nasin

string

1. long and flexible object, often used to make clothes — linja
2. data type in programming — toki, sitelen, nimi

strong

1. powerful — wawa
- jan wawa o jo e supa ni o tawa e ona.
  We need a strong person to pick up this cupboard and carry it.
2. intense — wawa
- mi pilin e suwi wawa lon kon.
  The air had a strong sweet scent.

stuff

a mass of one or more objects or materials — ijo
- ijo mute li lon tomo mi la o kama ala.
  There's a lot of stuff in my apartment, so don't come over.

submission

something given as a proposal — pana

submit

1. to give in to the will of another — anpa
- mi anpa tawa wile pi akesi suli.
  I submit to the will of the great dragon.
2. to give or turn in something in response to a request or demand — pana
- awen la sina pana ala e pali sina tawa mi!
  You still haven't submitted your homework to me!
- o pana e nimi ken akesi lon ni.
  Please submit your tortoise name ideas here.

such

1. like this — (sama) ni
- ilo pakala sina en ilo sama li ken ala lon tomo ni.
  Your slingshot and other such devices are not allowed at school.
- ni li nasin pipi.
  Such is the way of the worm.
2. (an intensifier) — wawa, a
- a, pan ni li pona wawa a!
  Mmh, this is such a good cake!

suggest

to utter a plan, idea — (toki e) nasin ken
- nasin ken li ni: mi meli e e mije ni lon wile ona ala.
  I suggest that we forcefem this man.

sun

the star closest to Earth; sunshine, sunlight — suno
- suno li kama pini la mute suno li kama lili.
  When the sun starts setting, the daylight will run out.

surface

1. the outer layer of an object — selo
- tan seme la selo pi sike ni li nasa tawa pilin?
  Why does the surface of this ball feel weird?
2. the top layer of the Earth — selo (ma)
- tenpo mute la pipi linja li awen lon anpa ma, taso tenpo la jan li ken lukin e ona lon selo.
  Most of the time, worms stay underground, but occasionally, you can see them on the surface.
3. the top side of a flat object — selo, supa
- mi pana e telo ni tawa poki la, selo li pana e sike lili mute.
  When I pour this drink into a cup, the surface emits lots of little bubbles.

surprise

1. emotion felt when something unexpected happens — (pilin) nasa (tan sona sin)
- jan tu pi kulupu mi li kama mama e jan la mi pilin nasa a tan sona sin ni.
  I was really surprised when my friends told me they were having a baby together.
2. the unexpected thing — ijo ni: mi sona ala e kama ona
- toki pi mama mi la ona li pana ala e ijo tawa mi lon suno mi. suno mi li kama la ona li pana a e kiwen luka suwi.
  My parents gave me a surprise bracelet for my birthday.

swim

move through water — tawa lon telo, kala

system

1. a method of organization — nasin
- jan poka mi li wile awen sona e ijo la ona li kepeken nasin pona tawa ni.
  My friend has a good system for when he wants to remember something.
2. operating system on a computer — ilo
3. a plural group in one brain — kulupu

table

furniture with a top side for various uses, especially food — supa (moku)
- o pana e moku tawa supa.
  Please set the dishes on the table.
- mi tu li awen lon poka supa.
  The two of us sat at the table.

tail

a cord-like appendage on something's rear — linja monsi
- soweli mi li pilin pona la linja monsi ona li tawa wawa.
  When my dog is excited, it wags its tail.

take

1. to acquire sth. — kama (jo) e
- mi kama jo e pan tan mama.
  I'll take some of my father's bread.
1a. to acquire sth., and remove it from somewhere (take away) — weka e
- mi weka e ken sina pi pali pan.
  I've taken away your baking privileges.
1b. to acquire sth., copying it — sin e
- mi sin e pilin sina lon mi.
  I'm gonna take that opinion as my own.
4. an opinion — pilin, toki
- pilin mi la jan ale o weka tan tomo lon tenpo suno.
  My take is that everyone should leave the house when the sun is out.
- mi toki tawa jan San. toki nasa ona li utala e mi.
  I talked to John and his hot takes disturbed me.

The English word "take" is very idiomatic and many of its usages with specific nouns may not be covered in this dictionary.

talk

communicate with language — toki

tall

large with regard to height — suli (sijelo), sewi
- esun pi mute ala li pana e len tawa jan pi sijelo suli.
  Few stores sell clothes for tall people.

taste

1. to sense with the tongue — uta, moku (lili)
- o moku lili e pan suwi ni a!
  Taste this cookie!
2. to exhibit a taste — tawa uta
- nasa la pan ni li sama kili tawa uta.
  Strangely, this bread tastes like a fruit.

tea

1. a plant — kasi
2. the dried and crushed leaves of this plant — ko (pi telo seli)
- mi wile ken pali e telo seli la mi o esun e ko sin.
  I've gotta buy some new tea if I wanna keep making it.
3. hot liquid made with the leaves — telo seli kasi
- mi pali e telo seli tawa mi. sina wile ala wile moku kin?
  I'm making myself tea. Do you want some too?

teach

to give knowledge — pana e sona
- mi suli la mi wile pana e sona ilo.
  When I'm older, I want to teach Computer Science.

teacher

one who teaches, one who gives knowledge — jan pi pana sona
- jan pi pana sona li pali ala la ona li awen lon tomo sona anu seme...
  When teachers aren't working, do they stay at school...

teal

1. dark cyan coloured — laso
- laso li kule pi pona nanpa wan tawa mi.
  My favourite colour is teal.
2. a kind of wild duck — waso (telo)
- waso li moku e pan mi!
  A teal ate my bread!

tear

1. liquid produced by the eyes — telo lukin
- mi tu e kili la lukin mi li kama pali e telo.
  My eyes started tearing up when I cut the onion.
2. to rip, destroy — pakala
- a. ike. len mi li pakala.
  Oh crap, my shirt got torn.

test

1. an exam in an academic setting — lipu, utala
- jan Pola li lukin e lipu ona li pilin ike.
  Flora looked down at her test and felt terrible.
2. to judge character or ability — alasa
- sewi li alasa e pona pi jan Awajan.
  God tested Abraham.
3. to try something to see if it works — alasa
- mi alasa kepeken ilo nasa sina.
  I'll try out your weird invention.

testosterone

substance used in masculinizing hormone therapy — {misikeke, kiwen, ko, ...} mije; moku mije
- mi mije e sijelo mi kepeken ko.
  I'm making my body more masculine with testosterone.

than

(used in comparisons) — tawa
- sijelo mi li suli tawa sijelo sina.
  I'm taller than you.

thank

1. to appreciate; to have gratitude for — pilin pona tan (ijo), (ijo) li pona
- jan lawa mi li toki e ni: "sina pali e ilo ni la, sina pona."
  My boss thanked me for writing that new script.
2. to blame, particularly for something bad — tan
- tan kulupu suli la, sina ken ala esun e ijo li jo e ona.
  You can thank big corporations for not letting you own the things you buy.

thank you

grateful or polite response to someone doing or giving something — pona; sina pona; ∅
- o pana e ko moku ... pona.
  Pass the salt ... thank you.
- esun moku la sina pona a.
  Thank you for buying me lunch.
- mi tu li kule pona e sinpin pi tomo mi a! mi o kama moku o kama lape.
  Thank you for helping me paint my room! Let's rest and have a snack.
- ale la sina suwi tawa jan ale pi kulupu sina! ni li pona mute tawa mi.
  Thank you so much for always being so kind to everyone around you!

Like in other languages, minor assistance is often only acknowledged briefly. More genuine displays of gratitude can involve naming the favor one received, reiterating how it was helpful, and (extralinguistically) offering a favor in return.

thanks

short for 'thank you' — see thank you

thanks to

because of — tan
- wawa!! tomo mi li kama pona sin! ni li ken tan pali sina taso.
  Amazing!! My house is clean again! And it's all thanks to your help.

that

1. (proximate far article) — ni
- ni li pona a!
  That's good!
2. (direct conjunction) — e ni:
- ona li toki e ni: telo mute li kama.
  They said that it will rain a lot.

the

(definite article) — ∅; ni
- o lukin! mi lon tomo sama len tomo.
  Check it out, I'm in the house like carpet.

then

1. at that time — kama, (tenpo) ni
- sewi li kama pana ala e telo.
  The rain then stopped.
2. after that, following that — (ni) la; ∅
- o pana e telo tawa poki. o pana e pan tawa insa telo.
  Put water in a pot. Then put noodles in the water.

there

1. at that place — lon (ma) ni
- lipu sina li lon supa ni.
  Your book is on the table there.
2. a previously named place — ona
- mi wile tawa sin tawa ma Sikako. ijo suwi mute li lon ona...
  I wanna visit Chicago again. There's many lovely folks there...
3. "there is", something exists — (ijo) li lon
- ale la nasin mute li lon.
  There are many approaches to everything.
4. present — lon
- soweli mi li lon ala la mi pilin ike.
  I get sad when my dog isn't there.

they

1. (3rd person plural pronoun) — ona {mute, ale}
- waso ni li tawa ala lon sewi. ona li tawa lon telo.
  Penguins don't fly. They swim.
2. (3rd person singular non-gendered pronoun) — ona (wan)

thing

1. object, stuff — ijo
2. something genuine, something that "is a thing" — {ijo} lon
- nasin toki pi nimi lili? ni li ken ala ken lon?
  A language with less than 150 words? Is that an actual thing?
3. a practice or custom — nasin, li tawa...
- kule sinpin li tawa ala meli taso a!
  Make-up isn't just a thing for girls!
4. a unit e.g. a container of something — poki
- mi esun e poki pi ko moku.
  I'm gonna get a thing of whipped cream at the store.

think

1. to perceive within one's brain — toki (insa), sitelen insa, pilin
- jan Teka li toki insa e ni: mi toki la mi lon.
  Descartes thought, "I think, therefore I am."
- toki sina la mi kama lukin insa e sitelen ni: kalama pona wan la ona li lon sinpin.
  Your description makes me think of one album cover.
2. to be of an opinion, to believe — pilin
- pilin mi la kulupu mi o ante e nasin ona.
  I think society should change.

Different translations may be more or less appropriate depending on the type of thinking (e.g. internal communication, imagining pictures or scenes, brainstorming).

this

(proximate close article) — ni

though

despite that, but — taso
- mi wile ala ni. taso nasin ni li pona a!
  I don't feel like it. Still a good idea though

thought

an idea — pilin, sona

thousand

1. a large amount — mute
- ma Mewika la jan pi mute ike li moli tan ilo utala.
  Thousands of people in the US die every month from firearms.
2. precisely ten hundred — luka luka ale
- tenpo sike pini LLA anu poka la jan Wilijan li kama lon ma Inli li anpa e ona li kama lawa e ona.
  A thousand years ago or so, William invaded and conquered England.

luka luka ale (abbreviated LLA) follows the nasin nanpa pona principle, which is adopted by most proficient speakers. Before NNP the common principle would yield ale ale ale ale ale ale ale ale ale ale.

Expressing numbers in the thousands can feel counterintuitive. For example, 8 = LTW and 1000 = LLA, but 8000 = MMMMA, not LTWLLA. This is because nasin nanpa pona relies on integer powers of 100. It helps to think of numbers such as 8000 not as eight thousand, but as eighty hundred.

three

one more than two — tu wan
- soweli tu wan la o jo e ona wan taso.
  You may choose one of three pokemon.

through

1. by entering something and leaving it again — lon (insa), tawa insa, li kama li weka
- o pana e palisa tawa insa len.
  Pass the needle through the cloth.
- mi tawa ma Minken la mi kama lon ma Panpu li weka sin.
  Traveling to Munich takes you through Frankfurt and back out.
2. by means of — kepeken, tan
- sona mi pi pali len li tan lipu sona li tan pakala mute mi.
  I learned how to sew through tutorials and many mistakes.

throw

1. to toss, to hurl; to release with force — pana (wawa), weka
- o pana e sike tawa mi!
  Throw me the ball!
- mi weka e kiwen tawa telo suli.
  I threw the pebble into the lake.
2. (of a game) to play badly — ike
- seme la, ona li ken musi pi ike ni a?
  How could they have thrown the game like that?
3. (of a computer) to trigger an error — pana (e ike), pini (tan ike)
- ilo li alasa kipisi e nanpa tawa ala la, ona li pini li mu e ike.
  When the program tries to divide by zero, it stops and throws an error.

throw off

to confuse, disorient — nasa
- pali ni la, nasin sina li nasa tawa mi.
  On this problem, your process threw me off.

throw on

(of clothing) to put on quickly — see wear

throw out

to discard, to throw away as trash — weka
- sina jo e poki ni lon tenpo suli. o weka e ona.
  You've had those boxes for a while now. Please throw them out.

time

duration, period, moment — tenpo
- pali ni li wile e tenpo suli.
  This job takes a long time to do.
- tenpo seme la sina ken kama?
  At what time can you come?

tired

with low energy due to lack of sleep — wawa ala, wile lape

to

1. towards, in the direction of — tawa
- ona li lukin tawa tomo la ona li kama lukin e kasi suli.
  When he looked towards the house, he saw a huge tree.
2. with the destination of, to arrive at — tawa
- mi wile ala tawa esun a!
  I don't want to go to the store!
3. in order to, for the purpose of — la ... (ken)
- mi pana e mani mute la mi ken tawa insa.
  I paid a lot of money to go inside.
4. in the opinion of — tawa
- lukin la, pona tawa mi.
  Looks okay to me.

today

1. the current day — (tenpo) suno ni, (tenpo) suno lon
- suno ni la mi lukin e akesi suli a.
  Today I spotted a large lizard!
2. nowadays — tenpo lon
- tenpo lon la jan lili ale li lukin e ilo ona.
  Kids today are always on their phones.

together

as a group — lon kulupu; ale, sama; ∅
- mi kama kulupu lon tomo mi li pali e pan.
  We met up at my house and made pizza together.

The word "together", when modifying a verb, typically implies multiple subjects performing a task. When this plurality is apparent elsewhere in the sentence, it need not be stated again in Toki Pona.

toilet

a receptacle for stool removal — poki jaki
- jan ale o pona telo e selo pi poki jaki ona lon mun ale.
  Everyone should clean their toilet once a month.

tomorrow

the coming day — (tenpo) suno kama
- ike la mi ken ala toki uta. taso suno kama la ken.
  Unfortunately I cannot join the voice chat, but maybe tomorrow.

tongue

organ in the mouth — uta, palisa uta
- palisa pi uta mi li suli nanpa wan lon nasin ni pi tomo jan.
  I have the longest tongue on this residential block.

too

1. likewise, also — kin
- mi kama lukin e lipu pona. sina kin o lukin.
  I've found this cool book, you should check it out too.
2. to an excessive degree — (mute) ike
- sina suli ike la sina ken ala tawa insa pi tomo ni.
  You cannot enter this vehicle if you are too tall.
- mi ken ala moku e telo ni. ona li suwi pi mute ike.
  I can't drink this tea, it's too sweet.

too much

an excessive amount — mute ike
- tenpo pi mute ike la jan lili sina li kepeken ilo.
  Your child spends too much time on their phone.

tooth

a hard structure in the mouths of many animals — kiwen uta
- jan li weka e kiwen tu tu tan uta mi.
  The surgeon removed four teeth from my mouth.

top

1. the upper part of something — sewi
- lawa li lon sewi sijelo.
  The head is on top of the body.
- tawa suli li pini la la mi kama lon sewi nena.
  After a long climb, we reached the top of the mountain.
2. garment that covers the torso — len (sijelo)
3. outperform, excel — wawa sin, wawa sama, anpa e
- kalama ona li wawa a! kalama mi li ken ala ken wawa sin tawa kulupu kute?
  Her performance was amazing! Will I be able to top it?

touch

1. to make physical contact with — pilin, luka
- mi pilin lili e sinpin ona.
  I softly touched his face.
- mi luka e soweli la ona li pilin ike li utala e mi.
  When I touch the cat, he gets upset and fights me.
2. a small amount — lili
- o pana lili e ko jelo tawa moku.
  Add a touch of saffron to the dish.

town

a small, permanently inhabited, named, built-up region — ma (tomo)
- ona li weka tan ma tomo ona li tawa tomo sona.
  They left their hometown to go to university.

train

1. a vehicle for transportation that drives on a set track — ilo tawa (linja), tomo tawa (linja), linja tawa
- mi esun e lipu kama pi ilo tawa linja,
  I purchased a train ticket.
1. to work repeatedly with the goal to get better, practice — kama wawa, kama pona, (li) utala e {mi,sina,ona}
- mi utala e mi la mi ken wile mi.
  I'm training so that I can be how I want to be.

trans

transgender, identifying with a gender that differs from one's gender assigned at birth — tonsi; kama {meli, mije, tonsi}
- mi mije tonsi.
  I'm a trans man.
- tenpo ale la mi meli lon pilin. ni la mi ante e sijelo mi li kama meli lon sijelo kin.
  I've always felt like a woman. Because of this, I'm changing my body to become a woman in body as well.

Not every transgender tokiponist identifies as tonsi, with some people using it to refer to any type of gender nonconformity while others use it for only the non-binary. When in doubt, ask the person being talked about.

translate

to alter a word, sentence, paragraph, or longer text such that it is presented in a new language, but maintains the meaning — ante e toki, toki {language} e (ijo)
- lipu ni li ante e toki pi nimi mute.
  This page translates many phrases.
- mi toki Epelanto e lipu ni.
  I've translated that document into Esperanto.

treasure

something valuable, often protected or hidden — mani
- o tawa ma pi sitelen loje. ona la mani li lon anpa ma.
  Go to the spot with the red X and you will find treasure.

tree

a large plant with a trunk and leaves — kasi (suli)
- mi lili la mi en jan poka mi li tawa lon kasi suli li alasa e ni: jan seme li ken kama sewi nanpa wan?
  When I was young, my friends and I would climb trees and try to find out who could get the highest.

triangle

1. a shape with three sides — selo pi linja tu wan, sijelo pi palisa tu wan
- o sitelen e selo pi linja tu wan. linja ale o suli sama.
  Draw a triangle in which all the sides have the same length.
- nasin ni li wawa li ken awen lon sewi telo tan ni: jan li pali e noka ona kepeken sijelo mute pi palisa tu wan.
  This bridge is strong and able to stay above the river because its foundation was made of triangles.
2. a system with three interrelated objects or forces — kulupu (pi ijo tu wan)
- kulupu ni: jan tu li olin e jan nanpa tu wan li olin ala e ona ante
  love triangle

true

factual, conforming with reality — lon
- ona li toki e ijo tu wan. ijo wan taso li lon.
  She spoke three things, but only one was true.

try

attempt, make an effort to do something, regardless of success — alasa, lukin (as preverbs)
- mi lukin seli e pan, taso pilin mi la seli li lili ike.
  I'm trying to bake this bread, but I feel like heat may be too low.
- jan mute li alasa kama sona e toki Kanse, li kama sona pona!
  A lot of people try to learn French and succeed.

turn

1. to rotate — tawa sike
- sina wile ante e suli kalama la o tawa sike e nena.
  Control the volume by turning the knob.
2. opportunity to act in an activity with multiple participants — tenpo, pali
- tenpo sina li lon, o kalama uta!
  It's your turn to sing!
- mi jo ala e lipu musi. pali mi li pini.
  I've run out of cards, my turn is over.
- jan Kiki li pona e tomo jaki lon tenpo esun pini. tenpo ni la sina o pali.
  Kiki cleaned the bathroom last week, now it's your turn.

two

(number) — tu
- jan tu li lon tomo ni.
  Two people are in that building.

type

1. class or category of things — poki, kule
- kule tu wan pi ilo lukin li lon poki ni.
  There are three types of glasses in this box.
- tenpo ale la jan li alasa pana e jan ante tawa poki.
  People are always trying to separate other people into types.
2. to input using a keyboard — pana
- mi pana e nimi "toki".
  I type the word "toki".

ugh

(exclamation/interjection of annoyance) — a
- a, mi o weka tan tomo.
  Ugh, I need to get out of the house.

under

1. located beneath — lon anpa
- soweli mi li awen lon anpa pi supa mi.
  My cat stays under my desk.
2. less in number than — lili, mute lili

united

having come together — wan
- mi ale li wan lon wile ni.
  We are all united in this request.

until

up to the time of (something) — tawa (ni)
- soweli li awen tawa kama pi jan Sanson.
  The horse waited until Sampson arrived.
- o awen tawa wawa e ko pi sike waso tawa ni: jelo en walo li wan a.
  Keep whisking the egg until the yolk and white are completely combined.

up

1. at or toward the top — (tawa) sewi
- o lukin e sewi!
  Look up!
2. toward the top of (something) — tawa sewi (pi)
- mi tawa sewi pi kasi suli.
  I am going up a tall tree.
3. to increase — suli (e)
- mi o suli e mute sina pi moku meli.
  We're going to need to up your estrogen dose.
1. above, on the top — (lon) sewi
- poka pi nimi mute o sewi.
  The side with all the words on it should be up.
2. (of a server, application, or website) running, working, functioning — open
- jan Luna o, ma pi musi Manka li open ala open?
  Hey Luna, is the Minecraft server up?
3. having increased — kama suli
- mute esun pi ilo lili li kama suli.
  Phone sales are up.
4. at one's turn to do something — tenpo ... li kama
- tenpo sina li kama!
  You're up!

The preposition "up" frequently occurs in phrasal verbs. Seek translations of those as a unit.

update

to publish a revision — sin
- jan pali li sin ala e ilo lon tenpo suli.
  The creator has not updated the software in a long time.

ups and downs

positive and negative things or events — (ijo) pona en (ijo) ike
- sike ni la ijo pona en ijo ike li lon.
  This year, we've had ups and downs.

use

1. apply, utilise — kepeken
- mi kepeken lipu Wikipesija.
  I use Wikipedia.
2. usefulness, benefit — pona
- jan ala li kute e lawa la pona lawa li seme?
  What's the use of a law that nobody follows?

used to

1. formerly — tenpo pini la
- tenpo pini la ma ni li suli li kasi. tenpo ni la ni li esun taso.
  There used to be open fields here. Now it's a shopping mall.
2. to be accustomed to, to be accepting of — tenpo mute la, ike ala
- mi weka e jaki pi jan ante lon tenpo mute. ni li ike ala tawa mi.
  I am very used to cleaning up other people’s mess.

value

1. to consider of high worth or importance — suli (tawa)
- ilo tenpo ni li suli mute tawa mi.
  I value this watch greatly.
2. quantified worth of something — (mute) mani
- poki ni li mani seme?
  What's the value of this box?

very

1. to a great extent — mute
- kala ni li suli mute.
  The whale is a very large animal.
2. (emphasis) — a
- mi esun a e tomo!
  I bought my very own house!

video

a series of images creating the appearance of motion — sitelen (tawa)
- sina lukin ala lukin e sitelen tawa pi jan Misali?
  Haven't you seen jan Misali's video?
- ilo li pana e sitelen e kalama.
  The device is transmitting video and audio.

view

1. to look at — lukin
- sina lukin tu wan e sitelen ni.
  You have viewed that video three times.
1. sight, vista, the opportunity to see (something impressive) — ken lukin
- ma sewi la mi ken lukin pona e ma poka ale.
  From the vantage point, we had a great view of the surrounding area.
2. instance of an online post being viewed — lukin
- jan pi mute lili taso li lukin e pali mi sin.
  My new video got fairly few views.

voice

the sound produced by someone's vocal chords — kalama (uta)
- mi pilin ike a tawa kalama uta mi.
  I hate my voice.

wait

to refrain from doing something such as going away until something happens — awen
- mi awen tan pini ale.
  I am waiting for the end of the universe.

wake

to stop sleeping — weka tan lape, kama lape ala, etc
- mi kute e mu wawa sina pi pilin ike a! ona li kama e ni: mi weka tan lape.
  I heard your scream! It woke me up!

walk

to move using one's feet — tawa (noka)
- mi tawa sina lon tenpo ni.
  I'm walking to where you are right now.
- jan Kopi li tawa noka lon tenpo mute.
  Kofi walks a lot.

wall

a substantial horizontal surface — sinpin (tomo)
- jan meli li pilin nasa ike tan kule selo jelo pi sinpin tomo.
  The woman was put off by the yellow colour of the walls.

want

1. a feeling of desire for something — wile
- wile mi pi lipu ni li suli.
  My want for this book is significant.
2. to enjoy if something were to happen or come — wile
- sina wile ala wile e ni?
  Do you want this?

war

a large scale conflict between two states — utala
- mama mi li toki e utala suli lon ma Alansi.
  My father tells stories of a war in Atlantis.

warm

of a somewhat high temperature — seli lili, seli pona
- telo sina li awen seli pona.
  Your tea is still warm.

watch

1. to observe, look at — lukin
- mi lukin e sitelen musi lon tomo sitelen.
  We watched a funny movie at a theater.
2. to observe in order to protect — awen
- o awen e poki mi lon weka mi.
  Please watch my bag while I'm away
3. portable timetelling tool — ilo tenpo
- ilo loje li lon luka mi li toki e tenpo.
  I'm wearing a golden wristwatch.

water

a clear liquid found in rain and in all living things — telo
- ale o moku e telo lon suno ale a. o awen e sona ni!
  Remember to drink water every day!
- mi telo e kasi.
  I watered the plants.

way

1. path, road — nasin
- mi wile tawa lon nasin suwi.
  Let's take the scenic way.
2. method, manner — nasin
- mi sona ala e nasin pona tawa sitelen ni.
  I can't think of a good way to organize these stickers.
- mi wile sona toki pona la nasin seme li wile e wawa pi lili nanpa wan?
  What's the easiest way to learn Toki Pona?
3. wish, desire — wile
- mi utala mute, taso mama mi li ken ala e wile mi.
  I screamt and cried a lot, but my parents wouldn't let me have my way.
4. much, a lot — mute
- musi ike Twilight la musi Harry Potter li pona mute a.
  Harry Potter is way better than Twilight.

we

1. multiple people, including the speaker(s). — mi (ale, mute)
- mi ale li wile ala utala!
  We come in peace!
2. people in general — jan
- jan li ni ala lon ma ni.
  We don't do that here.
3. the speaker, on behalf of an organization — (kulupu) mi
- kulupu mi la, nasin ona li pona ala.
  We do not condone their behaviour.

weak

of limited ability or capability — wawa ala
- sijelo ona li kama pakala lon tenpo suno pini la ona li wawa ala lon tenpo ni.
  They got injured yesterday, so they're weak right now.

wear

to cover one's body with — len
- suno ni la ona li len meli e sijelo ona.
  Today she decided to wear a dress.
- o len e lawa sina tan wawa suno.
  You should wear a headdress under such intense sunlight.

The direct object is typically one's body part or self, whereas in English the direct object is typically a clothing item.

website

1. online page, particularly involving reading — lipu, lipu ilo
- lipu Wesi
  (the website called) Reddit
- lipu Wikipesija
  (the website called) Wikipedia
- a, lipu ilo ni li musi a.
  Oh, this website is so much fun.
2. online page with high interactivity, web app — ilo
- ilo Siko
  (the website called) Discord
- ilo Kuko
  (the website called) Google
3. online page, especially as framed as a location — ma, tomo
- ma Siko
  (the "place" called) Discord
- mi lawa e lipu lon ma Nijosite.
  I control a page on (the website called) Neocities.

week

seven-day cycle — (tenpo) suno luka tu, sike pali
- suno luka tu la mi pali lon suno luka.
  I work five days of the week.
- pali mi li pana e mani tu tawa mi lon sike pali ale.
  My work pays me two gold coins a week.

weight

the amount of force an object exerts on the earth or other body; compare mass — suli
- suli pi mama sina li seme?
  How much does your mom weigh?

welcome

interjection said upon someone's arrival — (o) kama pona, kama sina o pona, kama a
- kama pona lon ma ike pi jan ike!
  Welcome to the evil place with the evil people!

well

1. (used at the beginning of a phrase) — ∅, a
2. a pit that links into an underground water reserve — lupa (telo)
- jan pi wasa nasa li awen pakala lon anpa pi lupa telo.
  There is a wizard stuck at the bottom of the well.
3. done in a good way — pona
- sina toki pona e wile pi kulupu esun mi.
  You presented our company's case well.

west

cardinal direction of sunset — poka pi weka suno
- sina kama lon poka tomo la o lukin e suno. o tawa poka pi weka suno.
  When you reach the hut, go west.

When attempting to convey "the West" as in "the Western World," consider instead naming the specific countries or continents you are refering to, or describing the geopolitical block you have in mind using specific historical details.

wheel

a circular object often attatched to an axel or other mechanism — sike
- sike ilo li tawa e ilo a.
  The wheels on the bus move the bus.

when

1. at what time — lon tenpo seme
- tenpo seme la soweli lili li kama lon?
  When were the kittens born?
2. in what circumstance — lon seme
- nimi 'li' o weka lon seme?
  When does the word 'li' get dropped?
3. in the situation that, if — la
- sina tawa lon nasin la o awen lukin pona e ale.
  Be careful when crossing the street.

where

1. at what place — lon seme, lon (ijo) seme
- nena li lon seme?
  Where is the button?
2. to what destination, whither — tawa seme, tawa (ijo) seme
- tomo telo ni li tawa ma seme?
  Where is this ship headed off to?

while

1. during the same time that — la
- ona li lawa e ilo la mi lape.
  While he was driving the car, I was sleeping.
2. an unspecified period of time — tenpo
- ona li awen toki lon tenpo suli.
  They continued lecturing for a long while.

white

a light color — walo

who

what thing or person — (jan) seme
- seme li moku kepeken supa mi?
  Who has been eating off my plate?

why

1. for what reason or purpose — tan seme
- sewi li laso tan seme?
  Why is the sky blue?
2. reason — tan
- mi sona ala e tan.
  I don't know why.

will

1. a document that details who one's belongings are left to after they die — lipu moli, lipu li toki e ni: moli la mani sina li tawa seme
2. (auxiliary verb that marks future tense) — ∅
- pan ala li lon tomo mi. mi tawa esun li esun e ona sin.
  There's no more bread in my house. I*'ll* go the store and buy some more.

Toki Pona doesn't indicate tense grammatically, and time markings are often left to context. In the bread example above, a listener could observe the speaker either leaving or arriving at the house, and thus infer whether the bread-buying has already happened. The timeframe of a story is also often indicated explicitly with phrases like "Yesterday" or "A long time ago", a strategy used by other tenseless languages like ASL.

win

to come first place in a competition or battle — kama nanpa wan
- utala lili la sina anpa e mi. taso utala suli la mi kama nanpa wan!
  You may have won the battle, but I will win the war!

wind

1. the movement of air — kon (tawa)
- ma ni li lon: kon tawa ona li ken wawa la ona li ken anpa e sina.
  There are places where the wind is so strong that it'll knock you over.
2. to wrap or turn a rope or sheet around — pana, sike
- lipu pi sona suli li sike lon kiwen insa.
  The measuring tape is wound around a hard core.

window

1. hole in a wall for letting in light or air — lupa (lukin, suno, kon)
2. UI element on a computer — poki, ilo

Different computer windows may be described metonymically by their function, like using musi for a game window or ilo (pali) for a productivity tool.

with

1. by means of — kepeken
- o moku kepeken ilo.
  Please eat with a fork.
2. alongside, near to — lon poka
- mi musi lon poka pi jan lili.
  I'm playing with a kid.
3. alongside, as well as — en
- mi en jan Kesi li poka pona.
  I am friends with Katie.
4. affected by (an emotion) — tan
- sinpin ona li loje tan pilin utala ona.
  Her face was red with anger.

without

1. not having (in most senses of "have") — (ijo) ala
- mi moku ala e telo wawa lon open suno la mi pilin ike lon ale suno.
  Without my morning coffee, I feel bad the whole day.
2. not doing, not having done — ala
- o alasa kama e nanpa kepeken ala ilo.
  Try solving this without using a calculator.

woman

feminine person, often an adult — (jan) meli
- kulupu meli pi ma Intonesija li wile anpa e nasin ike mije.
  The women's assocation in Indonesia wants to bring down the patriarchy.
- mi meli. taso mi wile ala namako pi pona lukin e sinpin mi.
  I am a woman, but I do not like to wear make-up.

wood

solid, thick parts of a tree — kiwen kasi, kasi kiwen
- supa noka li sama lukin tawa kiwen kasi. taso ona li kasi ala.
  The floor looks like wood, but it is not.

word

a unit or group of morphemes often separated from other units or groups with a space, pause, or other language-specific word boundary marker, or by context. — nimi
- sina sona ala e nimi la o lukin e lipu nimi!
  If you don't know a word, you can look it up on the dictionary!

work

1. expenditure of energy, especially for a particular goal — pali
- ni li wile e pali mute.
  This will require a lot of work.
2. to function as intended — pona, pakala ala
- tomo mi li lete tan ni: ilo seli li pakala.
  Our flat is cold right now because the radiator doesn't work.
- nasin ni li pona ala. mi o nasin ante.
  This plan isn't gonna work. Let's try something else.

worker

a person who dedicates a large amount of time to the creation or maintenance of a good — jan pali
- jan pali pi ma ale o wan!
  Workers of the world, unite!

world

1. everywhere on Earth — ma (ale)
- sina ken tawa ma ale. taso sina ken ala tawa mun.
  You can travel the world, but will never go to another planet.
2. the entire existence — ale
- ale pi sona mi li kama pini.
  It's the end of the world as we know it.
3. group of levels in a video game — ma
- ma lete la palisa lete li lon sewi. ona li ken kama anpa li ken moli e sina.
  In the ice world, there are icicles on the ceilings which can fall and kill you.
2a. planet, plane of existence, or all-encompassing place — ma, ale, mun
- tenpo ale la mi wile tawa mun ante.
  I've always dreamed of visiting other worlds.

would

1. referring to a future point in time from a point in the past — ∅
- sona mi la ona li tawa mute lon open suno.
  To my knowledge, she would often run in the morning.
2a. in a event conditional on another event — ∅
- mi lukin e waso la mi awen e sitelen ona.
  If I saw a bird, I would take a picture of it.
2b. in a hypothetical event with an implied condition — wile, ken
- lukin la pan ni li suwi a tawa uta! mi wile moku e ale ona.
  That cake looks delicious! I would eat all of it.
- nasin ni li ken pona a.
  That plan would be a good one.
2c. used to express a polite request — o
- o pana e namako tawa mi.
  Would you pass the salt?

write

1. to communicate (using symbols) — toki (sitelen)
- mi toki tawa ona lon tenpo mute.
  I've written to him often.
2. to make symbols — sitelen
- mi sitelen e nimi mi.
  I am writing my name.
3. to produce a text — pali (e lipu)
- jan Pilon li pali e lipu mute kepeken toki Epelanto.
  Piron wrote multiple books in Esperanto.

wrong

1. incorrect — ike, lon ala, pakala
- toki sina li pakala. o kute e tan.
  Your explanation is wrong, and here's why.
- ijo pi toki ona li lon ala.
  The things he said are wrong.
2. morally or ethically unacceptable — ike
- mi weka e ijo tan jan pi mani lili la mi ike a!
  It's wrong to steal from a poor person!

yawn

a vocalization made when one is sleepy — mu lape
- mi pali lon lipu Kemeka lon tenpo lape la mi mu lape mute.
  I'm working on lipu Kemeka at my bedtime, so I'm yawning a lot.

year

period related to the Earth orbit — (tenpo) sike
- tenpo sike ale la ona li kama lon kulupu mama ona.
  Every year she visits her family.

yes

1. affirmative answer to a question — (repeat the main verb), ni
- sina moku ala moku? moku.
  Are you eating? Yes.
- sina pali e ilo lon ilo nanpa anu seme? ni a.
  So you write software? Yes, I do.
2. said in excitement — wawa, pona, a
- wawa!!! mi awen alasa la mi kama nanpa wan a!!
  Yesss! I kept trying and I finally came first!!

yesterday

one day ago — (tenpo) suno pini
- tan seme la mi nasa mute e lawa mi lon suno pini?
  Why did I drink so much yesterday?

you

1. the second person pronoun, the addressee of a given statement — sina
- sina a li lukin e toki ni!
  You're reading this sentence!
2. the indefinite pronoun, a person — jan, mi
- jan o pona tawa jan ante.
  You should be good to others.
- seme la mi ken toki e nimi 'you'?
  How do you say 'you'?

young

(someone) that still has important things to learn, that has not reached maturity — lili
- jan lili li kama sinpin mi li toki e: "tan ale li seme?"
  A young child came up to me and asked: "what's the meaning of life?"

zebra

an african furry mammal with black-and-white stripes — soweli, soweli walo pimeja, soweli pi linja walo, soweli pimeja pi linja walo
- mi kama lukin e soweli pimeja walo lon tomo soweli.
  I saw a zebra at the zoo.

zoo

establishment made to care for and show animals to the public — tomo soweli
- tomo soweli li jo e soweli wawa mute.
  The zoo has a lot of impressive animals.