lesson 15: with and like
With and like
In lesson 8, we learned three prepositions: tawa, lon, tan, which are all about location and direction. Toki Pona actually has two more prepositions:
using, by means of
similar to, same as
Let’s learn a few more words that go well with these prepositions:
to change; different, other
to work, to build
brick, block
Remember, prepositions start prepositional phrases:
same as you
by means of language
with a different tool
And those phrases then go either on the end of a sentence:
mi toki sama sina.
I speak like you.
mi pali e leko kepeken ilo.
I make bricks using a tool.
Or in place of the verb itself:
ona li sama sina.
They are like you.
ona li kepeken ilo.
They use a tool.
Moving a house
Now that you know all five prepositions: tawa, lon, tan, kepeken, and sama, here’s something new about them: these can all be regular nouns, verbs, or adjectives!
to move; movement; moving
true, real, existing
cause, origin
usage
similar, alike
Some of them, like tawa, lon, are used this way very frequently. Others, like tan and kepeken, quite rarely. Let’s look at some examples:
sona mi li sama.
My knowledge is similar.
toki sina li lon.
Your speech is real.
(What you're saying is true.)
mi wile lukin e sitelen tawa.
I want to watch a moving picture. (a video, a film)
mi sona ala e tan.
I don't know the reason.
We often like to shape sentences in such a way that it’s impossible to misread these as “prepositions” notice how there’s no phrase immediately after them!
Sometimes you can make very similar sentences, except one has a verb like tawa or lon, and the other has a preposition tawa or lon! Make sure not to confuse these pairs:
jan li tawa tomo.
Someone goes to the house. (preposition)
jan li tawa e tomo.
Someone moves the house. (verb)
mi lon ma.
I'm on land. (preposition)
mi lon e ma.
I summon land into reality.
I establish a territory. (verb)