Frequently asked questions

This page links frequently asked questions about Toki Pona to relevant articles.

General

• Is Toki Pona a real language?
  Yes.
• How fast can you learn Toki Pona?
  There are some bold claims about this. Learning any language takes time and practice. Proficiency might take a few months, and fluency can take longer. You'll learn faster by practicing with other speakers, who can also catch mistakes.
• How many words does Toki Pona have?
  Depends. Toki Pona: The Language of Good (2014) advertises 120 words. Toki Pona Dictionary (2021) advertises "137 essential words". As of 2022, 134 words are in common use.
• What is the philosophy of Toki Pona?
• If Toki Pona is minimalistic, why does it have…?
• Where can I learn Toki Pona?
• What do all of the grammatical terms mean?

Grammar

• What order do words go in?
  A basic sentence is "subject li predicate (e object)." Modifiers go after their heads.
• How do particles like li / o, e, pi, and la work?
• How do you say "and"?
  Repeat the corresponding particle. Between multiple subjects, use en.
• How does anu work?
• How do you ask questions in Toki Pona?
  seme means "what". Yes-or-no questions use "verb ala verb" or "…anu seme?"
• How do prepositions work?
• Is kepeken e correct?
  Debatably. It's uncommon. Be careful putting e after prepositions: it turns them into transitive verbs, changing their meaning.
• How do preverbs work?

Vocabulary

• How do you say "please"?
  There is no politeness marker. Directness and sincerity are better appreciated.
• How do you say "hello" and "goodbye" / "thank you" / "sorry"?
  Toki Pona: The Language of Good gives some example phrases. You can create other options for specific situations.
• What is the word / phrase for…?
  There aren't fixed phrases for most concepts, by design. Describe things dynamically, and refer back to those descriptions.
• What would this phrase mean?
  It all depends on context.
• Can I coin a new word for…?
  A few extra words have entered common use, but you should be proficient before proposing big changes. Communication takes two, so expect to define rare words with the core vocabulary, and to explain the purpose or benefit of using them.

Expression

• How do you talk about things without their own words?
  Think about what it means to you. If you don't understand it well enough, research! Break it down into as many full sentences as you need.
• How do I fit this idea into a sentence?
  It won't be very clear. Feel free to use multiple sentences.
• How do I choose a name in Toki Pona?

Usage

• Give me a break.  Show me the bibliography.
• Show me the speaking language community.
• Is Toki Pona on Duolingo?
  No (as of July 2023), but there are Duolingo-like resources.
• What makes for good handwriting or fonts for sitelen pona?