Prepositions

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Prepositions.

A preposition is a type of content word used to express spatial or temporal relations or to mark various semantic roles. The phrase formed by a preposition together and the complement that follows it is called a prepositional phrase. In Toki Pona, the words that can act as prepositions are kepeken, lon, sama, tan, and tawa.

Prepositions can be difficult to grasp for multiple reasons: these words have specific meanings depending on whether they are being used as prepositions or as transitive verbs. In terms of grammar, it is often ambiguous whether a word is being used as a preposition or as a simple modifier.

Prepositions vs. transitive verbs

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Difference between the phrases mi tawa tomo and mi tawa e tomo.

In the sentence A li B e C, the subject A causes the direct object C to become C B.

So, in the sentence ona li tawa e telo, the subject ona causes the telo ("water") to become telo tawa ("going water"); the sentence translates as "They move the water".

In ona li tawa telo, the word tawa instead acts as a preposition. Given that tawa telo is a prepositional phrase meaning "toward water", this sentence translates as "They go to the water".

For another example:

kasi li lon ma ale

kasi li lon ma ale.

Plants exist at all of the land.
Plants are everywhere.

kasi li lon e ma ale

kasi li lon e ma ale.

Plants cause all the land to exist.
Plants created the Earth.

Modifiers

Like preverbs, prepositions are most often modified by a limited group of semiparticles.

ona li tawa ala telo

ona li tawa ala telo.

They don't go to the water.

Ambiguity

Because prepositions are not marked with any particle in standard Toki Pona, they are a bit ambiguous. For example, in ona li tawa telo, tawa telo can be taken as a prepositional phrase ("toward water"), or a noun phrase ("the going of water"; "fluid motion") if telo is taken as a modifier.

Word order

Some speakers limit prepositions to the end of a sentence, while some apply it freely.

This is an example of a free preposition placement:

waso lon telo li pilin musi　

waso lon telo li pilin musi.

The ducklings in the pond are having fun.

However, this could also mean:

The existent water ducklings are having fun.

Using la, the preposition could be shifted to the start of the sentence.

tan pakala sina la moku mi li weka a　

tan pakala sina la moku mi li weka a.

Because of your mistake, my food is gone!

Transitive prepositional phrases

Some speakers allow an entire prepositional phrase to be used as a transitive verb followed by e.

This can be thought of in the same way as a normal transitive verb. In the sentence A li prep B e C, the subject A causes the direct object C to become C prep B.

ona li tawa telo e waso

ona li tawa telo e waso.

It moves birds to the liquid.
They sent a bird to the water.

kasi li lon ma ale e kon pona

kasi li lon ma ale e kon pona.

Plants cause good air to exist at all of the land.

Table of prepositions

Word	Sense
	Preposition prep ijo	Intransitive preposition li prep ijo	Transitive verb li prep e ijo	Transitive preposition li prep A e B
kepeken	using	to use	(controversial) see kepeken e	to make B use A
lon	at/in/on	to exist at/in/on	to create	to make B be at/in/on A
sama	like	to be like	to make alike	to liken B to A
tan	from	to be/come from	(rare) to blame	to make B be/come from A
tawa	toward	to go to	to move	to move B to A