Personal pronouns
  | |
| Pronunciation | /mi/ (listen) |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% → ) 2022: Core (100%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Content word |
| Codepoint | U+F1934 |
  | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsi.na/ (listen) |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% → ) 2022: Core (100%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Content word |
| Codepoint | U+F195E |
  | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈo.na/ (listen) |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Core (100% ↗ ) 2022: Core (99%) |
| Book and era | nimi pu |
| Part of speech | Content word |
| Codepoint | U+F1946 |
The personal pronouns in Toki Pona are mi (first-person), sina (second-person), and ona (third-person). In terms of morphology and syntax, pronouns act the same as any other content word.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The word mi is derived from Esperanto mi, itself from the third-person oblique pronoun in Romance and Germanic languages, and English me; sina from Finnish sinä, meaning "you";[1] and ona from Serbo-Croatian ona / она, meaning "she".[2]
Number[edit | edit source]
Pronouns are generally unmarked for number. They can be either singular or plural:
mimi
I/me
we/us
sinasina
you
you (plural)
onaona
it, she/her, he/him, singular they/them
they/them
If number must be specified, it can be added as a modifier:
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Possessives[edit | edit source]
When used as modifiers, personal pronouns almost always imply possession:
ijo miijo mi
my stuff
our stuff
ijo sinaijo sina
your stuff
ijo onaijo ona
their stuff
Distinction[edit | edit source]
Pronouns are not marked for gender. One can narrow down the referent of a pronoun by using any quality as a modifier.
ona jeloona jelo
the yellow one(s) of them
sina suli o!sina suli o!
Hey, the tall one(s) of you!
li dropping[edit | edit source]
If the subject of a sentence is only mi or only sina, the particle li, that would usually follow it, is dropped.
mi pona ijo mi li ponami pona. ijo mi li pona.
sina pona sina kin li ponasina pona. sina kin li pona.
mi en sina li ponami en sina li pona.
ona li ponaona li pona.
Other pronouns[edit | edit source]
Apart from personal pronouns, the words ni ("this, that") and seme ("what") also are pronouns, as they stand in for a content word or phrase.
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Similarly to other content words, mute is generally reserved for three or more individuals. If "we" refers to two people it is more common to use mi tu or just mi instead of mi mute.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Word Origins. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Toki Pona.
- ↑ jan inwin. nimi ale pona (2nd ed.). Google Sheets. Retrieved 13 October 2023.