o
o is a particle in Toki Pona used to express desires and wishes, as well as to call out to a listener.
  | |
| Pronunciation | /o/ |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Particle |
| Codepoint | U+F1944 |
Functions
Instructions and commands
o can be followed by a verb, in which case the sentence is interpreted as a command or imperative. The subject of the sentence is omitted.
o kamao kama!
Come!
o pakala ala e ijo-mio pakala ala e ijo mi!
Do not break my things!
Calling by name
o can follow a noun to show that the speaker is addressing that person, place, or thing. This is known as a vocative. The o phrase can go either at the start or the end of a sentence.
toki jan-ale otoki, jan ale o!
Hi, everybody!
soweli mi o sina moku e lipu mi tan semesoweli mi o, sina moku e lipu mi tan seme?
Doggo, why did you eat my homework?
If o comes before the addressee instead, it becomes a command to be or personify them. For example, o jan ale! means "Be everyone!" and o soweli mi! means "Be my pet!"
Wishes and desires
o can replace li to indicate that the speaker wishes or hopes for something, or believes that it's better for something to be the case. This is known as an optative sentence. In many cases, it can be translated with "should" or with sentences starting with "may". In some cases it is used to express "must" or "have to", a meaning that is traditionally covered by wile.
o can be used with mi and sina, in which case it comes immediately after the pronoun and before the predicate.
mi o lapemi o lape.
I should sleep. (i.e. It would be better if I went to sleep)
sijelo sina o kama ponasijelo sina o kama pona.
May your body become good/healthy. (i.e. I wish for your body to become healthy)
I hope you get better!
Optative constructions can also be used to combine imperative and vocative meanings into one sentence. For example, if you want to address someone called Moja and tell them to come, "jan Moja o kama" is more commonly used than "jan Moja o, o kama".["More commonly used than"?]
External links
Resources
- Toki Pona: The Language of Good: Lesson 10
- jan Kekan San: Instructions with o
- jan Lentan: Lesson 7
- jan Misali: tokiponization (toki pona lesson three)
- soweli Tesa: Lesson 13
- Jonathal Gabel: Interjections and Commands
- nasin toki pona: the particle o