sona pona

ona vs. ni: Difference between revisions

Page Discussion

ona vs. ni (edit)

Revision as of 13:24, 8 March 2024

83 bytes added ,  2 months ago
m
idsp
VisualWikitext
mNo edit summary
m (idsp)
 
(4 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 1:
{{DISPLAYTITLE:{{tp|ona}} vs. {{tp|ni}}}}<!-- {{tp title|ona|ni}} results in a broken title. -->
The pronouns {{tp|[[ona]]}} and {{tp|[[ni]]}} are used differently depending on context and is sometimes misunderstood by learners. The word {{tp|ona}} is a {{w|third-person pronoun}}. It can contain the information about a content phrase. While {{tp|ni}} is a demonstrative pronoun, similar to English's ''this'' / ''that''.
{{Needs work|formatting}}
How to use '''{{tp|ona}}''' and '''{{tp|ni}}''' and their differences:
 
{{Example
{{tp|ona}} is a third person pronoun, similar to English's ''it, they, she, him, themselves, etc''.
|mi kepeken ilo. <mark>ona</mark> li pona.
{{Example|mi kepeken ilo. ona li pona.|I'm using a tool. It [the tool] is good.}}▼
|mi kepeken ilo {{idsp}} <mark>ona </mark>li pona
}}
 
{{Example
{{tp|ona}} can contain the information of a noun phrase (a head noun plus its modifiers), here are some examples:
|jan Alu li moku e kili <mark>ona</mark>.
▲{{Example|mi kepeken ilo. ona li pona.|I'm using a tool. It [the tool] is good.}}
|Someone is eating <mark>their</mark> [Alu's] fruit.
{{Example|jan Mimi li moku e kili ona.|Mimi is eating her [Mimi's] fruit.|jan [moku insa mi ijo] li moku e kili ona}}
|jan [ale luka uta] li moku e kili <mark>ona</mark>
{{Example|kasi mute li lon. ona laso li pona.|There are many plants. The blue ones [plants] are good.}}▼
}}
{{Example
|kasi mute li lon. <mark>ona laso</mark> li pona.
▲{{Example|kasi mute li lon. ona laso li pona.|There are many plants. <mark>The blue ones</mark> [plants] are good.}}
|kasi mute li lon {{idsp}} <mark>ona laso </mark>li pona
}}
 
Besides being able to contain the information of a noun phrase, itthe canpronoun {{tp|ni}} may also hold the information of an entire sentence. Not only that, the information that {{tp|ni}} contains can come after it is said, examples:▼
{{tp|ni}} is a demonstrative pronoun, similar to English's ''this, that, these, and those''.
 
{{Example
▲Besides being able to contain the information of a noun phrase, it can also hold the information of an entire sentence. Not only that, the information that {{tp|ni}} contains can come after it is said, examples:
{{Example|mi kepeken ilo. ni li pona.|I'm using a tool. This [using a tool] is good.}}
|I'm using a tool. This [using a tool] is good.
{{Example|jan Mimi li moku e kili ni: ona li loje walo li tan ma Pasiju.|Mimi is eating this [information will come] fruit: it [the fruit] is whitish red and it comes from Brazil.|jan [moku insa mi ijo] li moku e kili ni>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ona li loje walo li tan ma [pilin awen sona insa jan uta]}}
}}
{{Example|mi wile kama sona e toki Alapi. mi o ni.|I want to learn the Arabic language. I should do this [learn the Arabic language].}}
 
Note that when {{tp|ona}} is used, the phrase {{tp|[ijo] ni}} can be used instead, with {{tp|ijo}} being substituted with any [[content word]]:
{{Example|mi moku e kili. ona li pona.|I eat a fruit. It [the fruit] is good.}}▼
{{Example|mi moku e kili. kili ni li pona.|I eat a fruit. This fruit is good.}}▼
 
{{Example
Notice in the first example of each ({{tp|mi kepeken ilo}}), how substituting {{tp|ona}} for {{tp|ni}} changes the meaning of the second part. Here are more examples of the difference {{tp|ona}} and {{tp|ni}} can make in a sentence:▼
{{Example|mi wile ala moku e kili. ona.|I don't want to eat herli fruitpona.}}
▲{{Example|mi moku e kili. ona li pona.|I eat a fruit. It [the fruit] is good.}}
{{Example|mi wile ala moku e kili ni.|I don't want to eat this fruit.}}
}}
{{Example|mi sona e toki mute. ona li pona.|I know many languages. They [the languages] are good.}}▼
{{Example
{{Example|mi sona e toki mute. ni li pona.|I know many languages. This [knowing many languages] is good.}}▼
|mi moku e kili. kili ni li pona.
▲{{Example|mi moku e kili. kili ni li pona.|I eat a fruit. This fruit is good.}}
}}
 
▲Notice in the first example of each ({{tp|mi kepeken ilo}}), how substituting {{tp|ona}} for {{tp|ni}} changes the meaning of the second part. HereFor areexample, more examples ofcompare the difference {{tp|ona}} and {{tp|ni}} can make in afollowing sentencesentences:
 
<div style="column-count: 2;">
{{Example
|mi wile ala moku e <mark>kili ona</mark>.
|I don't want to eat <mark>her fruit</mark>.
}}
{{Example
|mi wile ala moku e <mark>kili ni</mark>.
|I don't want to eat <mark>this fruit</mark>.
}}
</div>
<div style="column-count: 2;">
{{Example
|mi sona e toki mute. <mark>ona</mark> li pona.
▲{{Example|mi sona e toki mute. ona li pona.|I know many languages. <mark>They</mark> [the languages] are good.}}
|mi sona e toki mute {{idsp}} <mark>ona </mark>li pona
}}
{{Example
|mi sona e toki mute. <mark>ni</mark> li pona.
▲{{Example|mi sona e toki mute. ni li pona.|I know many languages. <mark>This</mark> [knowing many languages] is good.}}
|mi sona e toki mute {{idsp}} <mark>ni </mark>li pona
}}
</div>
[[Category:Grammar]]
Retrieved from "https://sona.pona.la/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/4663...13786"