ala - not, none; nothing
ale or ali - everything, all
ken - can, to be able to; possibility
lape - to sleep; sleep
musi - to have fun, to amuse; game, fun
pali - to do, to make, to work; activity, work
sona - to know, to know how to; wisdom
wawa - strong, intense; energy, power
tawa musi - dance
Negation
In English, you make a verb negative by adding doesn't or don't in front of the verb, as in the sentence We don't talk. However, Toki Pona puts its negative word, ala, after the verb.
mi lape ala. -- I sleep not. (literally) -
mi musi ala. -- I'm not having fun.
mi wawa ala. -- I'm not strong.
mi wile ala tawa musi. -- I don't want to dance.
Keep in mind that these ala sentences can often be translated in a variety of ways. For example, the sentence mi musi ala can also be translated as I'm bored; mi wawa ala could be translated as I'm weak. You just have to be flexible.
ala can also be used as an adjective.
jan ala li toki. -- Nobody is talking. (literally: person none (li) talks.)remember not use ala with ijo:
This is incorrect:
ijo ala li jaki. -- No thing is dirty. (literally: thing none (li) dirty.
This is correct:
ala li jaki. -- Nothing is dirty.
If not behind a verb, ala already essentially means nothing by default, and so using ijo just doesn't fit in.
The use of ali as negation
It might seem odd that I have put the words for everything in with the lesson that's about negation! However, despite the differences in meaning, ala and ale / ali as adjectives are used the same way.
jan ali li wile tawa. -- Everybody wants to travel.
ma ali li pona. -- All nations are good.
Also like ala, it's best not to use ijo and ali together:
ali li pona -- Everything is okay.
Making Yes - No Questions
To ask a question that can be answered by saying yes or no use this simple pattern :
.The verb, then ala, then repeat the verb
sina pona ala pona? -- (literally: you good not good ?) Are you okay ?
Here are more examples:
suno li suli ala suli? -- Is the sun big?
len sina li telo ala telo? -- Are your clothes wet?
tomo tawa sina li pakala ala pakala? -- Is your car messed up?
sina ken ala ken lape? -- Can you sleep?
ona li lon ala lon tomo? -- Is he in the house?
ona li tawa ala tawa ma ike? -- Did he go to the evil land?
sina pana ala pana e moku tawa jan lili? -- Did you give food to the child?
pipi li moku ala moku e kili? -- Are the bugs eating the fruit?
Answering Yes - No questions
If someone asked you sina wile ala wile moku? Do you want to eat ?
you could answer either yes or no.
wile -- Yes
wile ala -- No
If you want to say yes, you simply repeat the verb of the sentence. If you want to say no, you repeat the verb and add ala after it.
sina lukin ala lukin e kiwen? -- Do you see the rock?
lukin -- Yes
lukin ala -- No
sina sona ala sona e toki mi?
Do you understand my talking? -- Do you understand what I'm saying?
sona -- Yes
sona ala -- No
Special use of tan
mi sona ala e tan. -- I don't know the reason.
The Pirate Party (PiratPartiet , Sweden)
