Common lexicalizations
An important part of toki pona philosophy is that the speaker must think about what something is at its core before they can talk about it. Fixed phrases for specific things (also known as lexicalizations) are frowned upon, as they sidestep that aspect, while also forcing other speakers to memorize such combinations and making it difficult to use them to refer to other things. Nonetheless, some lexicalizations do creep into common usage. This page aims to catalog them and provide ideas for alternatives (which doesn't mean you shouldn't try to think of your own).
Featured in pu
| Phrase | Meaning | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| toki pona[1] | the language of good by Sonja Lang | toki ni, toki pi jan Sonja, toki lili, toki pi nimi lili |
| tomo tawa[2] | car | ilo tawa, poki tawa, soweli ilo |
| telo nasa | alcoholic drink | telo pan, telo ike, telo pona |
| jan pona | friend | jan poka, jan olin (for close friends), jan mi |
| jan lili | child | jan kili (if as in offspring), jan sin (if as in young) |
Time phrases
Other
| Phrase | Meaning | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| ma pona | the Discord server ma pona pi toki pona | ma ni, ma pi suli nanpa wan, ma pi akesi Jan |
| jan sin | newbie, especially in a toki pona context | jan pi kama sona, jan pi sona lili |
| nimi sin[1] | word created after (sometimes even before) pu/ku | nimi namako, nimi pi [pu/ku] ala, nimi nasa |
| kasi nasa | marijuana and its derivatives such as edibles, vapes | moku nasa, moku pi lawa weka, kasi pi pilin nasa, kasi pi wile moku |
| pana sona | to teach, teaching, education | mi pana e sona, sina kama sona tan mi |
| soweli tomo | pet | soweli pona, soweli poka, soweli mi, soweli jan |
| ken la | maybe | ni li ken |
| supa lape | bed | ilo lape, supa ko |
| kalama musi | music | musi kalama, kalama nasin, kulupu kalama, kalama pona |
- ↑ Often merged into nimisin, itself a new word.