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== Language rules ==
# '''[[Phonology]]''': Letters are pronounced as in the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]]. Stress is on the start of each word. {{Indent|Most of the consonants are intuitive to English speakers. {{tp|j}} is an {{tp|i}} with a swash tail, pronounced like English Y as in "fjord" and "hallelujah". Vowels are pronounced as in languages like Spanish, Japanese, and Esperanto.}} {{Indent|There are well-defined [[phonotactics]], but that only matters for transliterating [[name]]s.}}
#: Most of the consonants are intuitive to English speakers. {{tp|j}} is an {{tp|i}} with a swash tail, pronounced like English Y as in "fjord" and "hallelujah". Vowels are pronounced as in languages like Spanish, Japanese, and Esperanto.
#: There are well-defined [[phonotactics]], but that only matters for transliterating [[name]]s.
# '''Multiple subjects''' are separated with {{tp|[[en]]}}.
# '''Predicates''' come after all subjects. {{tp|[[li]]}} starts each predicate, with two exceptions: If the subject is only {{tp|mi}} ("I", "we") or only {{tp|sina}} ("you"), {{tp|li}} is dropped. {{Indent|The main word of the predicate can be analyzed as a verb. By this analysis, Toki Pona has dynamic and stative verbs. In the sentence {{tp|mi moku}}, the word {{tp|moku}} can be dynamic, "to eat", or stative, "to be food".}}
# : '''Modifiers''' (adjectives or adverbs) come after their heads (nouns or verbs). {{Indent|In {{tp|<u>toki</u> pona}}, {{tp|toki}} ("language") is the head, and {{tp|pona}} ("good") is the modifier. {{tp|<u>sike</u> loje mi}} is literally "<u>ball</u> red my", and means "my red <u>ball</u>". This is typically the opposite of English, but there are counterexamples like "<u>someone</u> special", "<u>anything</u> new", "<u>time</u> immemorial", and "<u>Alcoholics</u> Anonymous". }}▼#: The main word of the predicate can be analyzed as a verb. By this analysis, Toki Pona has dynamic and stative verbs. In the sentence {{tp|mi moku}}, the word {{tp|moku}} can be dynamic, "to eat", or stative, "to be food".
# : '''Phrasal modifiers''' start with {{tp|[[pi]]}}, which groups the rest of the phrase. {{Indent|{{tp|tomo telo nasa}} means "strange water room", perhaps "weird washroom"; {{tp|tomo}} is modified by {{tp|telo}} and {{tp|nasa}}. {{tp|tomo pi telo nasa}} means "strange-water room", perhaps "pub", because alcohol is a liquid that makes people strange; {{tp|tomo}} is modified by {{tp|telo nasa}}, wherein {{tp|telo}} is modified by {{tp|nasa}}. }} {{Indent|{{tp|pi}} is a can of worms. Many speakers [[pin't|avoid it]].}}▼# '''Modifiers''' (adjectives or adverbs) come after their heads (nouns or verbs).
# : '''Direct objects''' come after their respective verb. {{tp|[[e]]}} starts each direct object. {{Indent|A basic sentence is {{tp|ona li sona e toki pona}}. {{tp|ona}} ("they") is the subject, {{tp|sona}} ("to know") is the verb marked by {{tp|li}}, and {{tp|toki pona}} is the direct object marked by {{tp|e}}. }}▼▲#:In {{tp|<u>toki</u> pona}}, {{tp|toki}} ("language") is the head, and {{tp|pona}} ("good") is the modifier. {{tp|<u>sike</u> loje mi}} is literally "<u>ball</u> red my", and means "my red <u>ball</u>". This is typically the opposite of English, but there are counterexamples like "<u>someone</u> special", "<u>anything</u> new", "<u>time</u> immemorial", and "<u>Alcoholics</u> Anonymous".
# : '''Prepositional phrases''' use no special particle. {{Indent|{{tp|[[kepeken]]}}, {{tp|[[lon]]}}, {{tp|[[sama]]}}, {{tp|[[tawa]]}}, and {{tp|[[tan]]}} have [[preposition]] definitions. {{tp|e}} can still change a preposition to a transitive verb. {{tp|mi tawa ma}} means "I go to the land"; {{tp|mi tawa e ma}} means "I move the land", or "{{tp|mi}} makes the {{tp|ma}} into {{tp|ma tawa}}". }}▼# '''Phrasal modifiers''' start with {{tp|[[pi]]}}, which groups the rest of the phrase.
# : '''[[Names|Proper names]]''' are modifiers and require a descriptive [[Headnouns|head]]. {{Indent|[[Sonja Lang]] becomes {{tp|jan Sonja}}, "the person Sonja". Canada becomes {{tp|ma Kanata}}, "the place Canada". }}▼▲#: {{tp|tomo telo nasa}} means "strange water room", perhaps "weird washroom"; {{tp|tomo}} is modified by {{tp|telo}} and {{tp|nasa}}. {{tp|tomo pi telo nasa}} means "strange-water room", perhaps "pub", because alcohol is a liquid that makes people strange; {{tp|tomo}} is modified by {{tp|telo nasa}}, wherein {{tp|telo}} is modified by {{tp|nasa}}.
#: {{tp|pi}} is a can of worms. Many speakers [[pin't|avoid it]].
# '''Direct objects''' come after their respective verb. {{tp|[[e]]}} starts each direct object.
▲#: A basic sentence is {{tp|ona li sona e toki pona}}. {{tp|ona}} ("they") is the subject, {{tp|sona}} ("to know") is the verb marked by {{tp|li}}, and {{tp|toki pona}} is the direct object marked by {{tp|e}}.
# '''Prepositional phrases''' use no special particle.
▲#: {{tp|[[kepeken]]}}, {{tp|[[lon]]}}, {{tp|[[sama]]}}, {{tp|[[tawa]]}}, and {{tp|[[tan]]}} have [[preposition]] definitions. {{tp|e}} can still change a preposition to a transitive verb. {{tp|mi tawa ma}} means "I go to the land"; {{tp|mi tawa e ma}} means "I move the land", or "{{tp|mi}} makes the {{tp|ma}} into {{tp|ma tawa}}".
# '''[[Names|Proper names]]''' are modifiers and require a descriptive [[Headnouns|head]].
▲#: [[Sonja Lang]] becomes {{tp|jan Sonja}}, "the person Sonja". Canada becomes {{tp|ma Kanata}}, "the place Canada".
# '''Commands''' use {{tp|[[o]]}} in place of {{tp|li}}. If the subject is only {{tp|sina}}, that subject can be dropped.
# '''Yes-or-no [[question]]s''' are formed with "verb {{tp|ala}} verb", or with {{tp|anu seme}} at the end. The main way to answer "yes" is to repeat the verb.
# : '''[[Preverb]]s''' (auxiliary verbs) come before their main verb. {{Indent|Only certain words have preverb definitions, mainly {{tp|[[awen]]}} ("to continue"), {{tp|[[kama]]}} ("to come", as in {{tp|kama sona}}, "to come to know", "to learn", or {{tp|kama jo}}, "to come to have", "to get"), {{tp|[[ken]]}} ("to be able"), {{tp|[[lukin]] / [[alasa]]}} ("to try"), {{tp|[[sona]]}} ("to know how"), and {{tp|[[wile]]}} ("to need / want"). }}▼# '''[[Preverb]]s''' (auxiliary verbs) come before their main verb.
▲#: Only certain words have preverb definitions, mainly {{tp|[[awen]]}} ("to continue"), {{tp|[[kama]]}} ("to come", as in {{tp|kama sona}}, "to come to know", "to learn", or {{tp|kama jo}}, "to come to have", "to get"), {{tp|[[ken]]}} ("to be able"), {{tp|[[lukin]] / [[alasa]]}} ("to try"), {{tp|[[sona]]}} ("to know how"), and {{tp|[[wile]]}} ("to need / want").
# '''Context phrases''' come before the main sentence. {{tp|[[la]]}} ends each context phrase.
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