lipu-sona/pages/dictionary.md

% toki pona dictionary
% /dev/urandom
% 2020-07-28

This is a list of all official words in toki pona as described on the pages from
1 to 12, arranged alphabetically. You can click on the words to get to the
lesson they get introduced in. Each word is listed with different meanings
depending on which parts of speech it can be used as.

The "adjective" definition applies to both adjectives and adverbs, as the only
difference between the two in toki pona is if they apply to nouns or verbs.

A noun word can always be used as an adjective with the meaning "of [noun]". For
example, "moku soweli" can mean "animal food" or "meat", depending on context.

> %note%
> This is not a copy of the dictionary as defined in the official book or any
> other course. Some words may be used as parts of speech other than those
> listed here. It also lists some unconventional uses of words, some of which
> are only useful in combination with other words.
> 
> In toki pona, you're welcome to come up with your own phrases and alternative
> meanings of words depending on context. The most important rule is to make
> yourself understood.
>

---

#### [a](7.html)
* particle: (emotional interjection, emphasis or confirmation)

#### [akesi](12.html)
* noun: lizard, reptile

> %warning%
> The word "akesi" used to also mean "'non-cute' animal", but the second
> official toki pona book has removed this meaning.

#### [ala](2.html)
* noun: nothing
* adjective: not, no, empty
* number: zero

#### [alasa](12.html)
* verb: to hunt, to gather
* verb (unconventional): to search, to look for
* pre-verb (unconventional): to try (doing something)

#### [ale/ali](2.html)
* noun: everything, universe
* adjective: every, all, abundant
* number: all/infinite (simple system), 100 (complex system)

#### [anpa](7.html)
* noun (old/non-pu): lower part
* adjective: bowing down, downward, lowly, humble, dependent
* verb w/o obj: to bow down
* verb w/ obj: to conquer, to defeat

#### [ante](5.html)
* noun: difference, change, (unconventional) version
* adjective: different, other, changed
* verb: to change

#### [anu](7.html)
* particle: or

#### [awen](5.html)
* noun (unconventional): stability, safety, wait
* adjective: kept, safe, enduring, resilient, waiting, staying
* verb: keep, stay, endure, protect
* pre-verb: continue (doing something)

#### [e](3.html)
* particle: (specifies an object)

#### [en](5.html)
* particle: and (combines subjects)

#### [epiku](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* adjective: epic, awesome

This word is typically used as a form of slang, and has also found common use in 
"ma pona pi toki pona"'s "acro" games, as the only other non-particle word 
starting with "e" is "esun".

#### [esun](11.html)
* noun: trade, transaction, exchange
* adjective: trade/exchange-related, commercial
* verb: to trade, to exchange

#### [ijo](3.html)
* noun: thing, object, matter
* adjective: material, physical

#### [ike](1.html)
* noun: evil
* adjective: bad, evil, complex, unnecessary
* verb (unconventional): make smth worse

#### [ilo](3.html)
* noun: tool, machine, device
* adjective: useful, (unconventional) electronic, metallic

#### [insa](7.html)
* noun: insides, contents, center, stomach
* adjective: central, inside, between

#### [jaki](8.html)
* noun: dirt, waste
* adjective: dirty, disgusting, toxic, unclean, unsanitary
* verb: to make something dirty

#### [jan](2.html)
* noun: person, people, humanity, somebody
* adjective: human-like, personal

#### [jasima](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: mirror, reflection, echo
* adjective: opposite
* verb: to reflect, to reverse

#### [jelo](8.html)
* noun/adjective: (the color) yellow (and its shades)
* verb: to color smth yellow

#### [jo](4.html)
* noun: (unconventional) possessions, property
* verb: to have/carry/contain/hold

#### [kala](4.html)
* noun: fish, marine animal, sea creature

#### [kalama](5.html)
* noun: sound, noise
* adjective: loud, noisy, sound-making
* verb: to make noise, to recite, to play (an instrument)

#### [kama](10.html)
* noun: event, arrival
* adjective: arriving, coming, future, summoned
* pre-verb: to become, to be in the process of (doing smth), to manage to, to
  succeed in

#### [kasi](4.html)
* noun: plant, grass, herb, leaf

#### [ken](10.html)
* noun: ability, possibility, (unconventional) right, liberty
* adjective (unconventional): able, possible
* pre-verb: can (do smth), may (do smth)

#### [kepeken](6.html)
* noun: use, (unconventional) practice
* verb w/ obj: to use smth
* preposition: (do smth) using, with the help of

#### [kijetesantakalu](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: raccoon or other musteloid

This is one of the "joke words" created by Sonja Lang. It has become very 
popular among tokiponists, as has the sitelen pona character for it.

#### [kili](1.html)
* noun: fruit, vegetable, mushroom

#### [kin](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* particle: very, really, also

In the first official book, this word was merged with "**a**". However, many 
people use it separately from "a". They would only use "a" to emphasize 
someone's feelings.

#### [kipisi](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* verb: to cut, to divide

This is an old word that was not included in the first official book, but which 
many people still use. Those who want to only use *lipu pu* vocabulary might 
want to use "tu", which can also be used as a verb to mean "to divide", the same 
way "wan" means "to unite".

#### [kiwen](4.html)
* noun: hard object, metal, stone, solid
* adjective: hard, metallic, solid

#### [ko](4.html)
* noun: powder, clay, paste, semi-solid

#### [kokosila](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* verb: to speak not in toki pona in an environment where others speak toki pona

This word is taken from an Esperanto verb 
"[krokodili](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/krokodili)", which in turn means to 
not speak Esperanto in an Esperanto environment.

#### [kon](12.html)
* noun: air, essence, spirit, (unconventional) gas
* adjective: invisible, ephemeral, (unconventional) gaseous

#### [ku](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: the Toki Pona Dictionary by Sonja Lang
* verb: to interact with ku

Much like interacting with the first official toki pona book was given the word 
"pu", so does the second book with "ku". In fact, in *lipu ku*, words "ju", 
"lu", "nu", "su" and "u" are all listed as "(word reserved for future use by 
Sonja Lang)", presumably to be given to the next five official toki pona books 
that (in my opinion) should be created in the future.

#### [kule](8.html)
* noun: color, (rare) gender
* adjective: colorful, painted
* verb: to paint smth a color

#### [kulupu](5.html)
* noun: group, community, company, society, nation, tribe
* adjective: communal, social

#### [kute](7.html)
* noun: ear, hearing
* adjective: ...-sounding
* verb: to hear, to listen, to obey

#### [la](9.html)
* particle: "if/when" (introduces context)

#### [lanpan](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* verb: to get, to take, to steal

Without this word, the typical way to express getting or taking something would 
be "kama jo e ..."  (to come into possession of ...), possibly with additional 
adjectives like "ike" or "utala". The word is famously used in the title of 
["lanpan pan"](https://ingwine.neocities.org/conlangs/tokipona/lanpan_pan.html), 
the toki pona translation/summary of Peter Kropotkin's "The Conquest of Bread".

#### [lape](5.html)
* noun: sleep, rest
* adjective: sleeping, restful
* verb: to sleep, to rest

#### [laso](8.html)
* noun/adjective: (the color) blue, green (and its shades)
* verb: to color something blue/green

#### [lawa](7.html)
* noun: head, mind
* adjective: main, primary, controlling, ruling
* verb: to head, to control, to direct, to guide, to lead, to own, to rule

#### [leko](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: square, block, (sometimes) stairs

This is an old word that was not included in the first official book, but which 
is actively used by people, as it's considered hard to express the meaning of 
"square" without it.

#### [len](9.html)
* noun: cloth, clothes, fabric, layer of privacy
* adjective: clothed, made of cloth/fabric
* verb: to clothe, to provide a layer of privacy

#### [lete](9.html)
* noun: cold
* adjective: cold, cool, raw, uncooked
* verb: to cool down

#### [li](1.html)
* particle: (between subj. and verb/adj.)

#### [lili](1.html)
* noun: smallness
* adjective: small, few, young
* verb: to shrink

#### [linja](9.html)
* noun: long flexible object, string, rope, hair

#### [lipu](3.html)
* noun: flat object, book, document, paper, page, record, website
* adjective: flat, used as lipu, lipu-like, of lipu

#### [loje](8.html)
* noun/adjective: (the color) red (and its shades)
* verb: to color smth red

#### [lon](6.html)
* noun: truth, life, existence
* adjective: real, true, present, existing
* verb w/o object: is true, exists
* preposition: in, at, on

#### [luka](9.html)
* noun: hand, arm
* number: 5 (complex system)

#### [lukin](3.html)
* noun: eye, vision
* adjective: ...-looking, visual
* verb: to look, to see, to read
* pre-verb: to seek (to do something)

#### [lupa](10.html)
* noun: hole, door, orifice, window

#### [ma](4.html)
* noun: earth, land, outdoors, territory, country

#### [mama](2.html)
* noun: parent, ancestor, creator, origin, caretaker
* verb: to create, to parent, to take care of

#### [mani](11.html)
* noun: money, large domesticated animal
* adjective: (unconventional) wealthy

#### [meli](2.html)
* noun: woman, female, wife
* adjective: feminine

#### [meso](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: middle, center
* adjective: average, moderate, mediocre

In some ways, this word is similar to "insa", but it also lets people say that a 
thing is moderately X without having to use phrases like "ona li wawa mute ala, 
li wawa lili ala".

#### [mi](1.html)
* noun: i, me, we, us 
* adjective: my, our

#### [mije](2.html)
* noun: man, male, husband
* adjective: masculine

#### [misikeke](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: medicine, cure
* adjective: medicinal
* verb: to cure

This word was invented by Sonja Lang, but was not included as part of *lipu pu*. 
(My personal guess is because "ijo pi pona sijelo" is a rather simple way to say 
"medicine" without it.)

#### [moku](2.html)
* noun: food
* adjective: edible, of food
* verb: to eat, to drink, to swallow

#### [moli](8.html)
* noun: death
* adjective: dead, dying
* verb: to kill

#### [monsi](6.html)
* noun: back, behind, rear, butt
* adjective: back, rear

#### [monsuta](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: fear, monster
* adjective: scary, monstrous
* verb: to scare, to be afraid of, (sometimes) to turn into a monster

The usage of this word can be especially confusing without extra context. Some 
people refer to this confusion as 
["monsutatesu"](https://lipukule.org/post/2021/01/29/monsutatesu).

#### [mu](7.html)
* (any animal sound)

#### [mun](11.html)
* noun: moon, star, night sky object
* adjective: lunar, stellar

#### [musi](9.html)
* noun: game, art
* adjective: entertaining, artistic, amusing
* verb: to amuse, to play, to have fun

#### [mute](5.html)
* noun: quantity
* adjective: many, more
* number: 3 or more (simple system), 20 (complex system)

#### [n](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* interjection: um..., hm... ("thinking noise")

Technically, the word "n" breaks the rules of toki pona by using a non-allowed 
syllable, but as it basically functions as a word on its own, it's allowed. Or 
one can interpret syllable-final "n" as a separate mora, like in Japanese, 
where "n" on its own is apparently [also used as an 
interjection](https://jisho.org/search/%E3%82%93#)...

#### [namako](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: spice, addition
* adjective: additional, extra
* verb: to add, to spice up

In the first official book, this word was merged with "**sin**". However, many 
people keep using it separately from "sin". "sin" is interpreted to mean "new" 
and "namako" to mean "additional".

#### [nanpa](11.html)
* noun: number
* adjective: -th (ordinal indicator), mathematical, numeric, 
    (unconventional) digital

#### [nasa](8.html)
* adjective: weird, unusual, strange, drunk

#### [nasin](10.html)
* noun: path, road, street, directive, way, custom
* adjective: street-, true to the directive/way/custom
* verb (unconventional): to guide, to show the path

#### [nena](10.html)
* noun: hill, mountain, button, bump, nose
* adjective: hilly, mountainous, bumpy

#### [ni](5.html)
* noun/adjective: this, that

#### [nimi](7.html)
* noun: word, name

#### [noka](6.html)
* noun: foot, leg, bottom, lower part, under (smth)

#### [o](7.html)
* particle: (addressing people, commands)

#### [oko](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: eye

In the first official book, this word was merged into "**lukin**". People who 
use this word separately from "lukin" typically use "oko" to mean "eye" and 
"lukin" to mean "sight" or "vision".

#### [olin](3.html)
* noun: love, compassion, affection, respect
* adjective: loved, favorite, respected
* verb: to love, to respect

#### [ona](1.html)
* noun: he, she, they, it 
* adjective: his, her, their, its

#### [open](10.html)
* noun: start, beginning
* adjective: initial, starting
* verb: to start, to open, to turn on
* pre-verb: to begin (doing something)

#### [pakala](5.html)
* noun: damage, mistake
* adjective: broken, wrong
* verb: to break, to make mistakes
* particle: (generic curse)

#### [pali](3.html)
* noun: work, labor
* adjective: working
* verb: to work (on), to make

#### [palisa](9.html)
* noun: long solid object, branch, stick, (unconventional) length
* adjective: long

#### [pan](12.html)
* noun: bread, grain, corn, rice, pizza

#### [pana](3.html)
* adjective: (unconventional) given, sent, released
* verb: to give, to send, to emit, to release

#### [pi](9.html)
* particle: "of" (regroups two or more modifiers)

#### [pilin](12.html)
* noun: heart, feeling, touch, sense
* adjective: feeling, touch-based
* verb: to touch, to think, to feel

#### [pimeja](8.html)
* noun: (the color) black (and its shades), shadow
* adjective: black, dark
* verb: to color smth black, to cast a shadow

#### [pini](10.html)
* noun: end, finish
* adjective: final, completed, finished, past (with tenpo)
* verb: to end, to finish, to close
* pre-verb: to end/stop doing something

#### [pipi](4.html)
* noun: insect, bug

#### [poka](6.html)
* noun: hip, side, nearby area
* adjective: neighboring, nearby, at one's side

#### [poki](11.html)
* noun: box, container, bowl, cup, drawer
* verb (unconventional): to put in a box

#### [pona](1.html)
* noun: good, simplicity
* adjective: good, simple, friendly, peaceful
* verb: to improve, to fix

#### [pu](12.html)
* noun: the official toki pona book
* adjective: as told in the official toki pona book
* verb: interacting with the official toki pona book

> %note%
> The official toki pona book only defines the verb meaning of the word "pu".
> (Although the phrase "pu la" is used in it to mean "in this book".)
> Some people in the toki pona community prefer to only use it in the verb
> meaning, while others use it in others as well.

#### [sama](6.html)
* noun: similarity, (someone's) sibling
* adjective: similar, like, sibling
* preposition: as, like

#### [seli](5.html)
* noun: heat, warmth, chemical reaction, heat source
* adjective: warm, hot
* verb: to heat

#### [selo](9.html)
* noun: outer form, outer layer, shell, skin, boundary
* adjective: outer

#### [seme](7.html)
* particle: what? which? (for questions)

#### [sewi](6.html)
* noun: area above, top, highest part, sky, god
* adjective: high, above, divine, sacred

#### [sijelo](9.html)
* noun: body, physical state, torso
* adjective: physical, of sijelo

#### [sike](11.html)
* noun: circle, ball, cycle, wheel, (with tenpo) year
* adjective: round, circular, spherical, of one year
* verb: to make a circle around, to surround

#### [sin](11.html)
* noun: novelty, addition, (unconventional) update, spice
* adjective: new, additional, fresh, extra
* verb: to add, to update

#### [sina](1.html)
* noun: you
* adjective: your

#### [sinpin](6.html)
* noun: face, foremost part, front, wall
* adjective: of face, foremost

#### [sitelen](4.html)
* noun: symbol, image, writing
* adjective: symbolic, written, recorded
* verb: to write, to draw, to record

#### [soko](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: mushroom, fungus

People who want to only use *lipu pu* vocabulary sometimes also use "kili ma" to 
refer to mushrooms. Alternatively, "kili pi kasi ala" is also possible, since 
"kili" also refers to mushrooms.

#### [sona](10.html)
* noun: knowledge, information
* adjective: known
* verb: to know
* pre-verb: to know (how to do something)

#### [soweli](1.html)
* noun: land mammal, animal

#### [suli](1.html)
* noun: size, greatness
* adjective: big, heavy, tall, great, important, adult
* verb: to grow

#### [suno](11.html)
* noun: sun, light, brightness, light source
* adjective: solar, bright
* verb: to light, to shine

#### [supa](12.html)
* noun: horizontal surface

#### [suwi](2.html)
* noun: (unconventional) sweets, fragrances
* adjective: sweet, fragrant, cute, adorable

#### [tan](6.html)
* noun: cause, reason, origin
* adjective: original
* verb w/ object (unconventional): to cause
* preposition: from, because of

#### [taso](12.html)
* particle (at beginning of sentence): but, however
* adjective: only

#### [tawa](6.html)
* noun: movement
* adjective: moving
* verb: to move
* preposition: to, for, from perspective of

#### [telo](3.html)
* noun/adjective: water, fluid, liquid
* adjective: wet, fluid, liquid
* verb: to water, to clean

#### [tenpo](10.html)
* noun: time, moment, occasion
* adjective: temporal

#### [toki](4.html)
* noun: speech, conversation, language
* adjective: verbal, conversational
* verb: to speak, to talk, to use language, to think

#### [tomo](3.html)
* noun: home, building, structure, indoor space, room
* adjective: indoor

#### [tonsi](13.html) (*nimi ku suli*)
* noun: non-binary person, trans person
* adjective: gender-nonconforming, trans

The word "tonsi" was created by the community after the official book was 
released and, according to [a poll in October of 
2021](https://www.reddit.com/r/tokipona/comments/qa3inn/survey_results_heres_how_real_these_tp_words_are/), 
is the most accepted "new" non-official word.

#### [tu](11.html)
* number: 2
* noun: divide
* adjective: divided
* verb: to divide

> %warning%
> Using "tu" at the end of a noun phrase is generally associated with the number
> 2\. The meaning "divided" is usually specified by using a "li" particle:
>
> kulupu tu -- two communities
>
> kulupu li tu. -- the community is divided.

#### [unpa](8.html)
* noun: sex
* adjective: sexual
* verb: to have sex with

#### [uta](12.html)
* noun: mouth, lips
* adjective: oral

#### [utala](2.html)
* noun: fight, battle, challenge, war
* adjective: aggressive, warlike
* verb: to fight, to battle, to challenge

#### [walo](8.html)
* noun: the color white (and its shades)
* adjective: white, bright/light
* verb: to color something white

#### [wan](11.html)
* number: 1
* noun: part (of smth)
* adjective: united, married
* verb: to unite, to marry

> %warning%
> Using "wan" at the end of a noun phrase is generally associated with the number
> 1\. The meaning "united" is usually specified by using a "li" particle:
>
> kulupu wan -- one community
>
> kulupu li wan. -- the community is united.
>
> kulupu mute wan -- 21 communities (complex numbering system)
> 
> kulupu mute li wan -- many (or 20) communities are united.

#### [waso](4.html)
* noun: bird, flying creature

#### [wawa](2.html)
* noun: strength, power, energy
* adjective: strong, powerful, energetic

#### [weka](12.html)
* noun: absence, remoteness
* adjective: absent, away, remote
* verb: remove, get rid of

#### [wile](10.html)
* noun: want, need, desire
* adjective: desired, needed, required
* verb: to want smth
* pre-verb: to want to do smth

---

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