ki

The subject of this article is an experimental or hypothetical style that is not understood by most speakers, or is used only in specific small communities. Learners should avoid using it.

ki is an obscure post-pu particle that marks a relative clause. It is almost never used due to its implications for Toki Pona grammar, making sentences much more complex.

ki
Pronunciation	/ki/
Usage	2023: Obscure (2% → ) Most speakers don't understand this word.2022: Obscure (2%)
Book and era	No book (post-pu)
Part of speech	Particle

Etymology

The word ki is derived from French qui, meaning "who". It was coined by akesi kon Nalasuni and jan Atenaja in 2020.

Function

ki acts like a relative pronoun, similar to English "which", "who", or "that".

jan ki moku e kili

jan ki moku e kili

the man who eats fruit

Many details about how ki works have never been decided on, since it is almost never used in practice. For example, the sentence "jan ki moku kili li tawa li pona" could mean either "the man who eats fruit moves and is good" or "the man who eats fruit and moves is good". This ambiguity can be avoided in sitelen pona by marking the scope with an underline extending from the glyph (see #sitelen pona).

Alternatives

In standard Toki Pona, ni ("that") can be used to refer to the upcoming sentence, causing it to function similarly to a relative clause.

sitelen pona

A proposed sitelen pona glyph for ki (kiki) is derived from that of pi and functions the same way, but the left side is in the shape of a left-facing angle bracket, resembling a flipped li (lili) connected to the low line. It was designed by nimi Elemenopi in January 2021.

Further reading

• "ki" on lipu Linku