pona

pona is a core content word relating to positive qualities, typically glossed as "good".

pona
Pronunciation	/ˈpo.na/
Usage	2023: Core (100% → )2022: Core (100%)
Book and era	nimi pu
Part of speech	Content word
Codepoint	󱥔 U+F1954

Etymology

The word pona is derived from Esperanto bona, meaning "good", itself from Romance languages, ultimately from Latin bonus.

Semantic space

The semantic space of pona includes positive qualities, especially those that are coherent with Toki Pona's philosophy. It covers ideas of goodness, helpfulness, and peace and calm. It is an antonym of ike ("bad").

toki-pona

toki pona

good speech (eloquence, a compliment, etc.)
the language of good

soweli pona li lon tomo mi

soweli pona li lon tomo mi.

A friendly animal is at our house.
We have a pet.

pona can also refer to things related to the Toki Pona language. This treats Toki Pona (lit.literal translation 'the language of good') as a language that is pona by definition.

sitelen-pona

sitelen pona

Toki Pona glyphs

While pona is also often translated as "simple", oversimplification can still be ike. In practice, pona describes the happy medium between overcomplicated and oversimplified. In this sense, something is pona if it limits itself to the relevant and essential.

As a transitive verb, pona refers to causing something to be good, such as improving or beneficially simplifying it.

mi pona e supa pakala.

mi pona e supa pakala.

We fixed the broken furniture.

Subjectivity

Being a value judgment, pona is generally subjective. However, this is often made more explicit by specifying who or what finds something pona.

nasin ni li pona tawa ona

nasin ni li pona tawa ona.

This method is good to them.
They like or benefit from this method.

mi la toki ale li pona　

mi la, toki ale li pona.

As for me, all languages are nice.
I like every language.

Interjection

pona can also be used as a positive interjection, used to indicate the speaker's happiness or acceptance. The "Phrase Book" section of Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines this use of pona as:

great, thanks, OK

pona is also used as a part of many interjections. For example:

kama pona

kama pona!

Welcome!

Other common examples include:

• pona tawa sina: "peace be with you"
• tawa pona: "bye" (said by the person staying), "farewell", "bon voyage"
• ale li pona: "all is well", "life is good", "don't worry"
• lape pona: "good night"
• moku pona: "enjoy your meal", "bon appetit"
• sina pona: "you're cool", "I like you"; "thank you" (acknowledging that "you did something good")

pu

In the "Official Toki Pona Dictionary" section, the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good defines pona as:

ADJECTIVE  good, positive, useful; friendly, peaceful; simple

ku

For Toki Pona Dictionary, respondents in ma pona pi toki pona translated these English words as pona:

good⁵81–100% of respondents, appropriate⁵81–100% of respondents, nice⁵81–100% of respondents, acceptable⁵81–100% of respondents, simply⁴61–80% of respondents, OK⁴61–80% of respondents, fine⁴61–80% of respondents, proper⁴61–80% of respondents, quality⁴61–80% of respondents, valid⁴61–80% of respondents, pleasant⁴61–80% of respondents, friendly⁴61–80% of respondents, positive⁴61–80% of respondents, well⁴61–80% of respondents, simple⁴61–80% of respondents, benefit⁴61–80% of respondents, virtue⁴61–80% of respondents, alright⁴61–80% of respondents, correct³41–60% of respondents, fix³41–60% of respondents, repair³41–60% of respondents, cool³41–60% of respondents, advantage³41–60% of respondents, right (not wrong)³41–60% of respondents, okay³41–60% of respondents, fixed³41–60% of respondents, validity³41–60% of respondents, helpful³41–60% of respondents, kind³41–60% of respondents, merit³41–60% of respondents, successfully³41–60% of respondents, ethical³41–60% of respondents, peaceful³41–60% of respondents, ideal³41–60% of respondents, improve³41–60% of respondents, improvement³41–60% of respondents, correction³41–60% of respondents, fair³41–60% of respondents, grace³41–60% of respondents, heal³41–60% of respondents, ease³41–60% of respondents, successful³41–60% of respondents, supportive³41–60% of respondents, awesome³41–60% of respondents, approval³41–60% of respondents, correctly²21–40% of respondents, adequate²21–40% of respondents, effectiveness²21–40% of respondents, reasonable²21–40% of respondents, decent²21–40% of respondents, thanks²21–40% of respondents, welfare²21–40% of respondents, peace²21–40% of respondents, wonderful²21–40% of respondents, plain²21–40% of respondents, properly²21–40% of respondents, fairly²21–40% of respondents, civil²21–40% of respondents, terrific²21–40% of respondents, improved²21–40% of respondents, worthy²21–40% of respondents, well-being²21–40% of respondents, lovely²21–40% of respondents, natural²21–40% of respondents, resolve²21–40% of respondents, easy²21–40% of respondents, elementary²21–40% of respondents, enhance²21–40% of respondents, efficiency²21–40% of respondents, mercy²21–40% of respondents, useful²21–40% of respondents, justice²21–40% of respondents, elegant²21–40% of respondents, beautiful²21–40% of respondents, courtesy²21–40% of respondents, effective²21–40% of respondents, comfortable²21–40% of respondents, reliability²21–40% of respondents, perfect²21–40% of respondents, please²21–40% of respondents, relieve²21–40% of respondents, basic²21–40% of respondents, better²21–40% of respondents, honest²21–40% of respondents, solve²21–40% of respondents, free²21–40% of respondents, success²21–40% of respondents, fascinating²21–40% of respondents, qualify²21–40% of respondents, morality²21–40% of respondents, easily²21–40% of respondents, excellent²21–40% of respondents, sufficient²21–40% of respondents

sitelen pona

The sitelen pona glyph for pona (󱥔) represents a closed smiling mouth.

It is an upside down version of the glyph for ike. It is usually written wider than tall to make it more clearly distinct from lupa.

It was designed in such a way that the preexisting Toki Pona logo would be reverse compatible as a composite glyph for toki pona (toki-ponatoki-pona).

sitelen sitelen

The sitelen sitelen word glyph for pona (ponapona) is derived from the Toki Pona logo with an emphasized smile, the three bumps on top being equivalent to the emitters of the logo.

In small writing, the "lips" of the pona glyph may be simplified away, leaving a single line for the smile.

Further reading

• "pona" on lipu Linku
• "pona" on lipu Wikipesija
• "pona" on English Wiktionary