Musician in the video
🔤 1. How names work in Toki Pona
Toki Pona doesn’t “translate” proper names; it approximates them phonetically using its small sound set:
a, e, i, o, u, j, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, w.
So you adapt your name to fit those sounds, optionally simplifying long or awkward syllables.
The standard way to say “My name is…” is:
mi jan [name]
(I am person [name])
🧍 2. Transliteration for “Matt” and “Matthew Meyer”
Let’s fit each to Toki Pona’s sound rules:
| English name | Possible Toki Pona form | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Matt | ma or matu | “Matt” ends with a hard t, which is fine; you could shorten it to “ma” or use “matu” to make it more Toki Pona-ish. |
| Matthew | matiju | “th” → t, “ew” → ju. |
| Meyer | maje or maja | “mey-er” approximates to ma-je or ma-ja. |
| Adrian | atelijan | “dr” → tli or li, “an” stays an. Simplified as atelijan or atejan. |
🧠 3. Putting it together
| Version | Toki Pona | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Short | mi jan Matu. | “I am Matt.” |
| Full | mi jan Matiju Maje. | “I am Matthew Meyer.” |
| Longest | mi jan Matiju Atelijan Maje. | “I am Matthew Adrian Meyer.” |
If you want to be extra correct stylistically, Toki Pona names are often capitalized but not “toki ponized” internally (so “jan Matthew” is also perfectly fine).
💬 4. Alternative casual forms
- nimi mi li Matu. → “My name is Matt.”
- mi jan Matthew. → also acceptable and simpler.
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