Translation Question

mi open toki pona.

So I ask in english, would “sijelo ike tenpo ale” be a working translation for “lifelong illness”?

2 points · 2 comments · view on lemmy.world

2 Comments

november@lemmy.vg · 4 pts · 1y

Remember that each modifier word modifies the entire phrase that came before it. "sijelo ike" is a sijelo that is ike. "sijelo ike tenpo" is a sijelo ike that is tenpo. "sijelo ike tenpo ale" is a sijelo ike tenpo that is ale. You'd want to use the particle "pi" to regroup the modifiers: sijelo ike pi tenpo ale.

janLolen@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y

On top of what's already been said, I'd like to add that "ike sijelo" (bodily problem) works in more cases than "sijelo ike" (problematic body)