Talk:ala
From Toki Pona
Explanation
ala is how you say "no, not". It can be used alone:
ala No.
It can be added after a verb to express a negative sentence:
mi ken ala kute I cannot hear. I am deaf.
o toki ala Be silent.
sitelen ni li sin ala That painting is old.
It can also be placed after an isolated verb as a negative answer to a question:
sina jo ala jo e mije olin? Do you have a boyfriend?
jo ala No, I don’t.
As a modifier, ala can be placed after a noun to mean “no, not, un-, zero”:
jan ala li kama Nobody came.
It can be used the same way to express an opposite:
mama mama mi li sin ala. My parent’s parent is not young. My grandma is old.
As a noun, ala means “nothing”:
tomo li jo e ala ala li lon tomo There is nothing in the room. The building is empty.
