e
e is a particle used to introduce the direct object of the sentence, that is, the target of the action in the sentence.
  | |
| Pronunciation | /e/ |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Particle |
| Codepoint | U+F1909 |
Function
e marks the direct object of the verb. The direct object is the thing to which the action is done.
mi moku e telo.mi moku e telo.
I drink water.
soweli li lukin e kili.soweli li lukin e kili.
The animal looks at the fruits.
Multiple objects
When more than one direct object is used in a sentence, the particle e is repeated.
meli li open e lupa loje e lupa laso.meli li open e lupa loje e lupa laso.
The girls open the red door and the blue door.
Definitions
pu
In the "Official Toki Pona Dictionary" section, the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines e as:
PARTICLE (before the direct object)
Misconceptions
The biggest confusion around e comes from not knowing what the direct object is. For example, in the sentence below, the direct object is sina, meaning that the subject is talking about someone, instead of to someone. The correct sentence would be mi toki tawa sina.
mi toki e sinami toki e sina.
I talk to you.
I talk about you, I mention you.
Remembering what is what isn't as hard as it seems; in English, the direct object never has a preposition. So if in the sentence you're translating, the "object" has a preposition before it (such as to, for, from, etc), it's not the direct object.
Further reading
Resources
- Toki Pona: The Language of Good: Lesson 5
- jan Kekan San: Objects with e
- jan Lentan: Lesson 3
- jan Misali: objects (toki pona lesson two)
- soweli Tesa: Lesson 4
- nasin toki pona: the particle e
- Jonathan Gabel: Direct Objects
Dictionaries
- "e" on lipu Linku
- "e" on lipu Wikipesija
- "e" on English Wiktionary