The document discusses key concepts in toki pona grammar including adjectives, possessives, and adverbs. It provides examples of how to combine words to modify nouns with adjectives and possessives, such as "jan pona" for friend and "ilo moku mi" for my eating utensil. It also explains that adverbs are constructed similarly to modify verbs, for example "utala ike" to fight badly. Sample sentences demonstrate these grammar rules in use.

1. Lesson 5 Lecture
Being Specific

2. • ona li wile moku e kili e telo li wile unpa.
• She wants to eat/drink fruit and water and
have sex.

3. Since toki pona has so few words, we have to
combine words to get a new meaning. Those are
compound words. (such as the toki pona word
for friend: jan pona. literally ‘person good’.)
Let’s see how to combine words, but first let’s
learn how to use adjectives!

4. Adjectives
• Use this formula:
– noun + adjective
• mi wile moku e moku
pona.
• (I want to eat good food.)
• Can also use verbs
– jan pakala – injured
person
– ilo moku – eating tool
• You can add as many
adjectives/verbs to the
noun to make the
meaning you want.
– ilo – tool
– ilo moku – eating utensil
– ilo moku jaki – dirty
eating utensils
– ilo moku jaki mute –
many dirty eating
utensils

5. Possessives
• For my/your/his, you
take the pronoun and
use it as an adjective:
– noun + pronoun
– ilo moku mi
• (my eating utensil)
• Other words are treated
the same way
– jaki tomo
• The house’s trash

6. Adverbs
• Adverbs are like
adjectives for verbs, so
if the adjective follows
the noun in toki pona,
the adverb also follows
the verb in toki pona.
– Verb + adverb
– utala ike – fight badly
• ona li wile mute e ni –
He really wants that.
• mi mute li lukin lili e
ona – We barely saw it.
• ona mute li wile moku
lili e kili ike – they barely
want to eat bad fruit.

7. Sample sentences
• tomo mi li seli mute.
• jan utala pona li wile
moku mute.
• kili ike ni li jaki.
• utala li ike.
• tomo pakala li tomo mi.
• My house is really warm
• The good soldier wants
to eat a lot.
• This bad fruit is nasty.
• War is bad.
• The destroyed house is
mine.