Toki Pona proverbs
proverbs in the minimalistic language Toki Pona
Toki Pona is a constructed language known for its small vocabulary. It was designed by translator and linguist Sonja Lang and first published online in 2001.
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The proverbs with the translations listed below are taken from pp. 72–78 of the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good and pp. 11 of Toki Pona Dictionary by Sonja Lang.
a
edit- ale li jo e tenpo.
- Translation: "Everything has a time. There is a time and place for everything. Everything in its right context."
- ante li kama.
- Translation: "Change comes. Times change."
- ale li pona.
- Translation: "All is good. Life is great. Life is beautiful. Everything will be OK."
i
edit- ike li kama.
- Translation: "Bad things will happen."
j
edit- jan li suli mute. mani li suli lili.
- Translation: "People are more important than money."
- jan lili li sona ala e ike.
- Translation: "Children do not know evil."
- jan sona li jan nasa.
- Translation: "A sage is a fool. A genius thinks unconventionally."
- Non-ableist translation: "A sage is a strange person."
- Translation: "A sage is a fool. A genius thinks unconventionally."
l
edit- lape li pona.
- Translation: "Sleep is good."
- lupa meli li mama pi ijo ale.
- Translation: "A woman's womb is the mother of all things."
m
edit- meli li nasa e mije.
- Translation: "Women will make men crazy."
- Non-ableist translation: "Women will make men impulsive."
- Translation: "Women will make men crazy."
- mi pona e ale mi, la mi pona e mi.
- Translation: "When I improve all areas of my life, I improve myself."
- mi weka e ike jan, la mi weka e ike mi.
- Translation: "When I erase somebody's faults, I cleanse myself of negativity."
n
edit- nasin ante li pona tawa jan ante.
- Translation: "Different ways are good for different people. Different strokes for different folks."
- nasin pona li mute.
- Translation: "The good ways are many. There are many right ways of doing things. All roads lead to Rome."
o
edit- o olin e jan poka.
- Translation: "Love thy neighbour."
- o pana e pona tawa ma.
- Translation: "Love the earth. Take care of the planet."
- o sona e sina!
- Translation: "Know thyself!"
p
edit- pali li pana e sona.
- Translation: "Actions give knowledge. One learns by experience."
- pilin pona li pana e sijelo pona.
- Translation: "Positive feelings grant good health. Mind over matter."
s
edit- sina pana e ike, la sina kama jo e ike.
- Translation: "If you give evil, you will receive evil. What negativity you send out will return to you."
t
edit- telo li pona.
- Translation: "Water is beneficial."
- toki li pona.
- Translation: "Communication is good."
- toki pona li toki pona.
- Translation: "Toki Pona is a good language."
u
edit- utala li ike.
- Translation: "Fighting is harmful."
w
edit- wawa li lon insa.
- Translation: "Energy is within."
- weka lili li pona tawa lawa.
- Translation: "Temporary isolation is good for guidance. It is good for the mind to remove itself momentarily from something."
- wile sona li mute e sona.
- Translation: "Curiosity multiplies wisdom. One learns by asking questions."
See also
editReferences
edit- Lang, Sonja (2014). Toki Pona: The Language of Good. Tawhid. pp. 134. ISBN 978-0978292300. OCLC 921253340.