grammar review
The grammar in this lesson is covered in chapter 10 in pu, lesson 9 in Pije, and page 7 in Lentan.
a is used as an interjection, to add emotion, emphasis or laughter
- aaa - ha ha ha
- ike a! - ew, gross!
mu stands in for any animal sound, or to express the unexpressible
- mu - 拈花微笑
o is a particle that has three use cases. The first is after the subject to get their attention. Note that this can be considered a complete sentence in itself.
- jan Piku o! - hey Piku!
The second use is at the start of a sentence. It take the place of the subject and implies a command.
- o awen e mi! - wait for me!
The third case combines the last two, effectively taking the place of li. It also could be seen as softening the tone to that of a request.
- jan Piku o awen e mi! - hey Piku please wait for me!
interjections o and mu
a and mu function as normal blocks, but their special grammatical usage means they can appear in interesting places throughout the sentence blocks. They are both quite recognizable logograms and their meaning is quite interpretive, so don’t be afraid to be creative in the way you use them.
using o
The different uses of o in toki pona are clear cases on their own, but when combined they can lead to multiple possibilities. You ultimately have a lot of flexibility in how to use o in your glyphs, and understanding the options will help you pick the most appropriate one for the context.
inline block
The most simple option is to use the o glyph with normal block structure rules. Just remember this is always an option for any glyph in any context, to simply revert to inline block rules.
When giving a command an inline o works similar to the first sentences we learned to draw with mi or sina as the subject. Think of o as operating in place of the subject.
o as a predicate container
Another option is to use o as a container for the predicate.
When operating as a container for the predicate, you can think of o as following the same block order rules as li.
o as a subject container
The third option, when addressing someone, is to use o as a container for the subject. The subject glyph, including a cartouche if present, all go within the o.
It is different from the containers we have see so far since o is containing the glyphs that come before it.
choosing how to use o
addressing the subject
When we are addressing others, but not giving direct orders, o as a subject container works well.
The o is still connected to the person who is being address, so this is what we infix in the o. Everything that comes after the o is a complete sentence with its own subject, and can follow the normal block order rules.
When used this way, it is often not necessary to include a comma.
addressing and giving commands
When both addressing someone by name while giving a command, o fulfills two roles, and the predicate container often feels like the more natural choice
no strict container rules
With the many roles that o can play, I have found that absolute rules about when to choose which option don’t always work well. Just like so many things in toki pona, context matters, and should be your ultimate guide.
For instance, look at these two examples. They both translate to jan Ome o toki! but which one would you use for “Hi Ome!” and which for “Talk Ome!”? My choices are in the practice examples below.
translate into toki pona (hover or tab through to reveal the answer):
These examples were taken directly from jan Ote’s jan Kikamesi: