Word Order and Sentence Building

The standard sentence structure in Tok Pisin is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), which is the same as in English. This makes basic sentence building very straightforward for English speakers.

For example, in the sentence "The man sees the dog," the structure is Man (Subject) lukim (Verb) dok (Object). This SVO order is the foundation for most statements you will make.

While SVO is the standard, Tok Pisin grammar often uses a "predicate marker" i before the verb. This particle almost always follows the subject, especially when the subject is em (he/she/it) or a noun. It is generally not used after mi (I) or yu (you).

This marker helps clarify the structure. For example: Pita i lukim dok. (Peter sees the dog.) Here, i marks the beginning of the verb phrase.

Example Sentences:

• Mi kaikai. (I am eating.)

• Yu wok. (You are working.)

• Em i slip. (He/She/It is sleeping.)

• Ol i toktok. (They are talking.)

• Pita i draivim ka. (Peter drives the car.)

• Maria i ritim buk. (Maria reads the book.)

• Mi laikim kofi. (I like coffee.)

• Yu save long dispela samting? (Do you know about this thing?)

• Ol meri i go long maket. (The women go to the market.)

• Maunten i bikpela. (The mountain is big.)

• Yumi mas go nau. (We must go now.)

Making Positive Statements

Forming positive statements (affirmative sentences) is simple. You follow the SVO structure discussed above.

You begin with your subject (who or what is doing the action), followed by the verb (the action), and then the object (what the action is done to). Remember that the predicate marker i is regularly used after em and noun subjects such as Pita or dok. In careful standard usage, it is also commonly used after subject pronouns other than mi and yu.

Example Sentences:

• Mi stap long haus. (I am in the house.)

• Yu harim mi? (Do you hear me?)

• Em i gutpela. (It is good.)

• Ka i retpela. (The car is red.)

• Manki i pilai. (The boy is playing.)

• Mi pilai gita. (I play the guitar.)

• Ol i stap long Australia. (They are in Australia.)

• Pikinini i laikim ais krim. (The child likes ice cream.)

Forming Negatives and Questions

Use “no” to negate verbs or adjectives (Mi no laikim kopi). Use nogat as an independent ‘no/none,’ in i nogat for ‘there is none,’ or as a standalone answer meaning ‘no’ (e.g., ‘Yu laikim? — Nogat.’).

Example Sentences (Negatives):

• Mi no save. (I don't know.)

• Em i no stap. (He/She is not here.)

• Ol i no kaikai yet. (They have not eaten yet.)

• Wara i no kolpela. (The water is not cold.)

• Yu no mas go. (You must not go.)

• Haus i no bikpela. (The house is not big.)

Example Sentences (Questions):

• Yu save? (Do you know?)

• Em i stap? (Is he/she here?)

• Yu laikim dispela? (Do you like this?)

• Yu laikim dispela, o nogat? (Do you like this, or not?)

• Em i dokta, o nogat? (Is he a doctor, or not?)

• Nem bilong yu Pita? (Is your name Peter?)

• Yu gat mani? (Do you have money?)

• Ka i wok, o nogat? (Is the car working, or not?)

• Em i stap we? (Where is he?)

Nouns: Gender and Number

Tok Pisin nouns are extremely simple because they do not have grammatical gender. Unlike languages like French or Spanish, you do not need to memorize whether a table is masculine or a chair is feminine.

Nouns do not change form. A noun remains the same whether it is the subject or the object.

To make a noun plural, you use the plural marker ol before the noun. Ol means "all" or "plural" and is the same word used for the pronoun "they."

So, dok means "dog" and ol dok means "dogs." Haus means "house" and ol haus means "houses."

Example Sentences:

• wanpela dok (one dog)

• ol dok (dogs)

• Mi lukim man. (I see the man.)

• Mi lukim ol man. (I see the men.)

• dispela pikinini (this child)

• ol dispela pikinini (these children)

• Em i gat buk. (He has a book.)

• Em i gat ol buk. (He has books.)

• meri (woman)

• ol meri (women)

Articles and Determiners

Tok Pisin does not have articles like "a," "an," or "the" in the same way English does. Context usually makes the meaning clear.

For example, Mi lukim dok can mean "I see a dog" or "I see the dog," depending on the conversation.

However, to specify "one" or "a" (indefinite article), you can use the word wanpela, which means "one." Mi lukim wanpela dok. (I see one dog / I see a dog.)

To specify "this" or "that" (demonstratives), you use dispela (from "this fellow"). This is a very common determiner. Mi laikim dispela haus. (I like this house.)

Example Sentences:

• Mi laikim wanpela kofi. (I would like one coffee.)

• Dispela man i tok wanem? (What did this man say?)

• Mi ritim buk. (I am reading a/the book.)

• Em i wanpela gutpela tisa. (She is a good teacher.)

• Dispela ka i retpela. (This car is red.)

• Yu laikim banana? (Do you like bananas?)

• Mi mas baim wanpela tiket. (I must buy one ticket.)

Practice Section

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in each blank with the correct word, letter, or form based on what you learned.

1- Mi lukim tripela ___ (dog/plural) long rot.

2- ___ pikinini i pilai autsait. (One)

True/False

Read each statement carefully and decide if it is True or False.

1- True/False: Tok Pisin uses "a" and "the" exactly like English.

2- True/False: The standard word order in Tok Pisin is Subject-Verb-Object.

Translation

Translate each English phrase or sentence into Tok Pisin.

1- The woman sees the house.

2- I do not like fish.

3- The men are working.