communicate, say, think; conversation, story; language
core · pu · 100%
Tok Pisin: tok - talk; English: talk - talk
only, exclusively; (particle) [marks a sentence as qualifying or contradictory], but, however
Tok Pisin: tasol - just, only, but, however; English: that’s all - that’s all
time, event, situation, moment, period, duration
See also: lon
Esperanto: tempo - time; Latin: tempus - time
indoor space or shelter e.g. room, building, home, tent, shack
See also: poki
Esperanto: domo - house; Polish: dom - house; Latin: domus - house; Ancient Greek: δόμος - house
tool, implement, machine, device
Esperanto: ilo - tool; German: -el - (agent suffix)
nonbinary, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, transgender*
See also: meli, mije, kule
common · ku suli · 82%
Mandarin: 同志 (tóngzhì) - comrade (same will/purpose), LGBT+
liquids e.g. water, gasoline, soda, lava, soup, oil, ink
Acadian French: de l’eau - (some) water
see, look, view, examine, read, watch; visual; eye, seeing organ; (preverb) try to
See also: oko, alasa
core · pu · 99%
Tok Pisin: lukim - see, look at; English: look - look; English: him - him
finish, stop, prevent; close, disable, turn off; ended, past; edge, end, conclusion
See also: open, kama
Acadian French: fini - finished, completed; Tok Pisin: pinis - finish (perfective aspect); English: finish - finish
bottom, underside; below, beneath; defeated, humble, lowly
See also: noka
Acadian French: en bas - below
stay, remain, wait, pause; protect, keep safe; continue; (preverb) continue to
Dutch: houden - keep, care for, hold (in a particular state)
disgusting, unclean, unsanitary, toxic, repulsive, rotten
English: yucky - yucky
to produce sound; sound, e.g. sing, thunder, drum, clap, laugh, beep
Serbo-Croatian: галама (galama) - noise (of the human voice)
(particle) [after phrase or at sentence start] too, also, as well, additionally
See also: a
common · ku suli · 83%
Finnish: -kin - too, also, still
hard object e.g. metal, stone, wood
Finnish: kiven - stone (genitive case)
hand, arm, tactile limb, grasping limb; to grasp, interact with, feel using touch; (number) five
Serbo-Croatian: рука (ruka) - hand, arm
earth, land, soil; country, territory, world; outdoors
Finnish: maa - earth, land
parent, ancestor; creator, originator; caretaker, sustainer, guardian
Georgian: მამა (mama) - father
money, currency; thing of value e.g. gold, investment, livestock
See also: esun
English: money - money; Proto-Germanic: fehu - livestock; Latin: pecū - cattle
protuberances e.g. bump, button, hill, nose
Finnish: nenä - nose
experience e.g. emotion, feeling, touch; heart (physical or emotional)
Tok Pisin: pilim - feel; English: -im - him; English: him - him
up, top, above, highest part; divine, sacred, supernatural; awesome, inspiring, excelling
See also: anpa
Georgian: ზევით (zevit) - upwards
body, shape, physical state, torso, substance, form
Serbo-Croatian: тијело (tijelo) - body
motion, e.g. walking, shaking, flight, travel; (preposition) to, for, going to, from the perspective of
See also: awen, kama
English: toward - toward
sex, to have sex with
core · pu · 98%
onomatopoeia
(animal noise or communication, onomatopoeia)
See also: kalama
work, activity; create, build, design; put effort toward, take action on
Esperanto: fari - do, make
flat horizontal surface, especially to put or rest things on e.g. bed, floor, desk, plate, table, platform, stage
See also: sinpin
Esperanto: surfaco - surface; Acadian French: surface - surface; English: surface - surface
thing, object, entity, being, matter, phenomenon
Esperanto: io - something; Romance: i- - (relative pronoun root)
vertical surface e.g. wall, board; front of something e.g. face
See also: monsi
Cantonese: 前邊 (tsin bin) - in front
(preposition) from, because of; cause, origin
Cantonese: 從 (tsung) - from
hunt, forage, search, attempt; (preverb) try to
See also: lukin
Acadian French: à la chasse - hunting, (literally) on the hunt
to have a strong emotional bond with, e.g. affection, appreciation, compassion, respect; platonic, romantic, or familial relationships
Serbo-Croatian: волим (volim) - I love
(particle) [group the following words into one modifier for the previous word]
Tok Pisin: bilong - of; English: belong - belong
arriving, coming, future, summoned; (preverb) to become, manage to, succeed in
Tok Pisin: kamap - event, arrive, happen, become, bring about, summon
can, may, ability, permission; possibility, maybe; allow, enable; (preverb) to be able to
Tok Pisin: ken - can; English: can - can
ear, hearing organ; hear, listen, pay attention to, obey
Acadian French: écouter - listen
(particle) [mark the previous statement as context to the following statement]
Esperanto: la - (definite article); Romance: la - (feminine singular definite article); Acadian French: -la - (proximal & topical suffix)
fear, nervousness, dread; scary, frightening; scary thing e.g. predator, threat, danger
See also: pilin, ike, nasa
common · ku suli · 84%
Japanese: モンスター (monsutā) - monster; English: monster - monster
strange, unusual, silly, abnormal, unexpected; drunk, intoxicated
Tok Pisin: nasau - dunderhead
(particle) [marks the end of a vocative (who is being spoken to)], [marks the start of an imperative (command, wish, instruction)], should
See also: li
Georgian: -ო (-o) - (vocative suffix)
hip, side; next to, nearby, vicinity
Serbo-Croatian: boka (бока) - side, flank (genitive)
same, similar, alike; (adjective) peer, fellow, each other; (preposition) similar to, same as
See also: ante
Finnish: sama - same; Proto-Germanic: *samaz - same, alike; Esperanto: sama - same; English: same - same
knowledge, information, data; know, be skilled in, be wise about; (preverb) know how to
Georgian: ცოდნა (codna) - knowledge
want, desire, wish, require; (preverb) want to
Dutch: willen - want, desire
all, every, everything, entirety, universe; (number) one hundred
See also: ali
core · pu · 93%
Dutch: alle - all
trade, barter, exchange, swap, buy, sell; market, shop, fair, bazaar, place of business
See also: mani, pana, jo
Akan: edwamu - at market
fruit, vegetable, mushroom
See also: kasi, moku, soko
Georgian: ხილი (xili) - fruit
container e.g. bag, bowl, box, cup, cupboard, drawer, folder
Tok Pisin: bokis - box, female genitalia (vulgar); English: box - box
negative quality, e.g. bad, unpleasant, harmful, unneeded
Finnish: ilkeä - bad, mean, wicked
inside, center, between, middle, midpoint, internal
Tok Pisin: insait - inside, center, stomach; English: inside - inside
split, cut, slice; piece, part; sharp, pointy
See also: tu, wan, pakala, mute
common · ku suli · 71%
Inuktitut: kipisi - to cut (intransitive)
head, mind, brain; control, lead, guide; government, leader; rule, law
Serbo-Croatian: glava (глава) - head
cloth, clothing, fabric, textile; covered, hidden, secret, private
Acadian French: linge - clothing
present, existing, real, true; (preposition) located at, in, during, in the context of
See also: tenpo, ma
Tok Pisin: long - at, in, on, (spacial particle); English: along - along
back, behind, rear
Acadian French: mon tchu - my ass (vulgar)
method, doctrine, tradition; path, road, way
Serbo-Croatian: начин (način) - way, method
give, send, emit, provide, put, release
Finnish: panna - put, set, place; Swahili: pana - give to each other
image, picture, representation, symbol, mark, writing
Dutch: schilderen - paint
(number) one; singular; combine, join, mix, fuse
See also: tu, mute
English: one - one
power, energy, strength; confident, intense, forceful; amazing, impressive
Finnish: vahva - strong, powerful, thick
human being, person, somebody
Cantonese: 人 (jan) - person
semi-solid, e.g. paste, powder, goo, sand, soil, clay; squishy, moldable; sticky
Cantonese: 膏 (gou) - cream, paste
(interjection) ah, oh, ha, eh, um, oy; (particle) [placed after something for emphasis or emotion]
See also: kin
(particle) [marks the start of an indicative verb (statement)]
See also: o
Esperanto: li - he; Latin: ille - he; Tok Pisin: i - he; English: he - he
(pronoun) I, me, we, us
Esperanto: mi - I, me; Romance: m- - (1st person singular oblique)
fun, game, entertainment, art, play, amusing, interesting, comical, silly
See also: pona
Esperanto: amuzi - amuse, entertain; French: amuser - amuse, entertain
many, several, very; quantity; (number) twenty
See also: wan, tu, ale
Esperanto: multe - a lot; Latin: multus - a lot
(interjection) hm, uh, mm, er, umm, [indicate thinking or pause]
common · ku suli · 73%
this, that, these, those
See also: ona
Cantonese: 呢 (ni) - this; Tai: 哩 (le) - (continuation of a state/action)
positive quality, e.g. good, pleasant, helpful, friendly, useful, peaceful
See also: ike
Esperanto: bona - good
outer layer, e.g. skin, peel, shell, bark; outer shape, outer form, boundary
Esperanto: ŝelo - skin, peel; German: schale - peel, husk, shell
light, shine, glow, radiance; sun, light source; brightness
See also: mun, pimeja
Esperanto: suno - sun
reptile, amphibian, scaly creature, crawling creature
Dutch: hagedis - lizard
(particle) [separates multiple subjects]
Dutch: en - and
yellow, amber, golden, lime yellow, yellowish orange
English: yellow - yellow
(preposition) using, by means of
Dutch: gebruiken - to use
interacting with the book Toki Pona Dictionary (2021) by Sonja Lang
See also: pu, su
common · ku suli · 67%
a priori
color, pigment; category, genre, flavor; colorful, diverse
Acadian French: couleur - color
medical item or practice e.g. prescriptions, meditation, exercise, bandages, therapy
See also: moku, pona
common · ku suli · 63%
Ojibwe: mashkiki - medicine, drug
foot, leg, organ of locomotion, roots
See also: luka
Serbo-Croatian: нога (noga) - foot, leg
(third-person pronoun) he, she, it, they
See also: ni
Serbo-Croatian: она (ona) - she
begin, start, open, turn on; beginning
See also: kama
English: open - open
interacting with the book Toki Pona: The Language of Good by Sonja Lang
See also: ku, su
core · pu · 95%
Mandarin: 樸 (pǔ) - unworked wood, sincere, honest, inherent quality, simple; English: book - book
hot, warm; heat, fire, flame; burn
See also: lete
Georgian: ცხელი (cxeli) - hot
mouth, lips, throat, consuming orifice
Serbo-Croatian: уста (usta) - mouth
