Food and eating
The root komi is both food and eating, and pipe is drink and drinking. These are the basis for a lot of food-related words, though there are some other relevant roots too.
Food and drink roots
| Pikotika | Meaning |
|---|---|
| komi | food; to eat |
| pipe | a drink; to drink |
| pomo | fruit, a berry, a seed |
| riso | grain — rice, wheat, any staple starch |
| karne | meat |
| raten | milk, dairy, cream |
| tuke | sweet, sugar |
| sapor | taste, flavor |
| sares | salt, salty |
| oren | oil, fat, grease |
| aku | water, any liquid |
General rules
A compound is head-final: the last root says what kind of thing it is, and the earlier roots narrow it down. Six roots do most of the heading.
| Head | Names | Example |
|---|---|---|
| komi | a dish, a prepared food | akukomi water-food soup |
| pipe | something you drink | neropipe black-drink coffee |
| pomo | a fruit or nut | ruspomo red-fruit tomato |
| riso | a grain or starch | yororiso yellow-grain wheat |
| karne | a meat | aviskarne bird-meat chicken |
| aku | a thin liquid | arpoaku plant-water tea |
Length is a generality gradient, and food is where you see it most clearly. You can say as much as you need to be clear, given the context.
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pomo | fruit | any fruit |
| yoropomo | yellow-fruit | a yellow fruit — usually a banana, but could be a lemon |
| ronkayoropomo | long-yellow-fruit | a banana, unmistakably |
Things to eat
Staples and dishes:
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| risokomi | grain-food | bread |
| yanorisokomi | flat-grain-food | flat bread, a tortilla, a pita |
| ankariso | white-grain | rice |
| orenankariso | oil-white-grain | fried rice |
| akuriso | water-grain | porridge, congee |
| terariso | earth-grain | potato (think "starch") |
| akukomi | water-food | soup |
| vertekomi | green-food | vegetables |
| avisnino | bird-offspring | an egg |
| ruskomi | red-food | tomato sauce |
Meat and fish:
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| aviskarne | bird-meat | chicken, poultry |
| ratenpestekarne | milk-animal-meat | beef |
| rusankapestekarne | red-white-animal-meat | pork |
| pikoratenpestekarne | small-milk-animal-meat | lamb |
| akupeste | water-animal | fish |
There is no root for cow, pig or sheep — the animal is named the same way the meat is, by what it is for: a cow is ratenpeste milk-animal. Put karne on the end and you have the meat.
Fruit and nuts:
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| rotunpomo | round-fruit | an apple |
| ronkayoropomo | long-yellow-fruit | a banana |
| rusyoropomo | red-yellow-fruit | an orange |
| nontukeyoropomo | not-sweet-yellow-fruit | a lemon |
| ruspomo | red-fruit | a tomato |
| tunarpo | down-plant | root |
| rusyorotunarpo | red-yellow-down-plant | a carrot |
| sorinpomo | hard-fruit | a nut |
| terasorinpomo | earth-hard-fruit | a peanut |
Sweet things and dairy:
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tukekomi | sweet-food | a dessert, a sweet |
| rikusraten | ice-milk | ice cream |
| ratenoren | milk-oil | butter |
| sorinraten | hard-milk | cheese |
Things to drink
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| aku | water | water |
| arpoaku | plant-water | tea |
| rikusarpoaku | cold-plant-water | iced tea |
| neropipe | black-drink | coffee |
| pomoaku | fruit-water | juice |
| raten | milk | milk |
| woaku | fire-water | alcohol, usually wine |
| pomowoaku | fruit-fire-water | wine |
| risowoaku | grain-fire-water | beer |
| ankarisowoaku | white-grain-fire-water | sake |
Cold or warm?
Rikus sive wo, ker?How it tastes
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tuke | sweet | sweet |
| nontuke | not-sweet | sour |
| sares | salt | salty |
| wosapor | hot-taste | spicy |
| ponasapor | good-taste | delicious, tasty |
| saporkosa | taste-thing | a spice |
| nerosaporkosa | black-taste-thing | pepper |
| wosaporkosa | hot-taste-thing | a chili pepper |
| Pikotika | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tis ri meka ponasapor. | This is delicious. |
| Tis ri wosapor, ker? | Is it spicy? |
| Tis ri non tuke; tis ri piko nontuke. | It isn't sweet; it's a little sour. |
| Eko ri kusta a nontuke. | I like sour things. |
| Pam sapor a wun. | Try one. |
| Komi ri nova. | The food is fresh. |
sapor is the taste itself, and as a verb it is tasting on purpose. tentar try, test works too, and carries a little more of ‘see what you think’.
Hungry, thirsty, full
Wanting is vori, and what you want goes in front of it; hunger and thirst are just wanting food or drink.
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| komivori | food-want | hungry |
| pipevori | drink-want | thirsty |
| venterpan | stomach-all | full, had enough |
| Pikotika | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Nino kum eko ri komivori. | The child and I are hungry. |
| Eko ri mas pipevori. | I'm thirsty again. |
| Eko ri venterpan. Tis ri meka komi. | I'm full. That was a lot of food. |
| Eko ri komi vin. | I've eaten. |
| Eko ri komi sista. | I'm still eating. |
Meals
A meal is named for the part of the day it falls in — morning, midday, evening with komi on the end.
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| komitempo | food-time | a meal, mealtime |
| suryankomi | up-sun-food | breakfast |
| metseyankomi | middle-sun-food | lunch |
| tunyankomi | down-sun-food | dinner, supper |
| pikokomi | small-food | a snack |
Is breakfast included?
Suryankomi ri in moni, ker?But come at seven, and we can eat first.
Sets pam veni in 7 ora, kum ekomen ri kan yer komi.Cooking
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| komivake | food-make | to cook |
| komivakeomo | food-make-person | a cook, a chef |
| komivakeroko | food-make-place | a kitchen |
| vakeparte | make-part | an ingredient |
| orenvake | oil-make | fried |
| wovake | fire-make | baked, roasted, grilled |
| akuvake | water-make | boiled |
| tenekomi | have-food | groceries, provisions |
My mother makes good food.
Eko vemapari ri vake a pona komi.What's in it?
Vakeparte ri ker?Where you eat
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| komiroko | food-place | a restaurant |
| piperoko | drink-place | a bar, a café |
| komikomparroko | food-buy-place | a food market, a grocery |
| komiorten | food-sequence | a menu |
| serviomo | help-person | a server, a waiter/waitress |
Ordering
Ordering is just wanting out loud: vori want or toma take, with what you want after a. (Remember that in Pikotika, it's not abrupt or rude to simply "want" something; you don't need to soften it as you would with words like "would like" in English.)
| Pikotika | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tapur por 2 omo, pam. | A table for two, please. |
| Eko ri kan toma a komiorten, ker? | Could I have the menu? |
| Pits tu ri yervin, ker? | Are you two ready to order? |
| Ker komi ri pona? | What's good? |
| Tis ri ker? | What is this? |
| Eko ri vori a akupeste, pam. | I'll have the fish, please. |
| Kum 2 akuvaso aku, pam. | And two glasses of water, please. |
| Eko ri vori a sam komi. | I'll have the same. |
| Tu ri vori a arkosa, ker? | Would you like anything else? |
| Nem arkosa, mersi. | Nothing else, thank you. |
| Moniorten, pam. | The check, please. |
Note the difference between non and nem at a table: Non rikus, pam asks for it warm, while Nem rikus, pam asks for no ice. See Negation.
At the table
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| komiyano | food-flat | a plate |
| komivaso | food-box | a bowl, a dish |
| akuvaso | water-box | a glass, a cup |
| komiuter | food-tool | cutlery, eating utensils |
| rompeuter | cut-tool | a knife |
| rotunuter | round-tool | a spoon |
| rineuter | line-tool | a fork |
| tomauter | take-tool | chopsticks |
| komiropa | food-cloth | a napkin |
Please eat with utensils.
Pam komi in komiuter moto.A utensil is a means, not a companion, so it takes in … moto and never kum — see Prepositional phrases.
What you don't eat
| Pikotika | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Eko ri non komi a karne. | I don't eat meat. |
| Eko ri nonkarnekomiomo. | I'm a vegetarian. |
| Tu ri tene a non karne komi, ker? | Do you have anything without meat? |
| Karne ri in tis, ker? | Is there meat in it? |
| Eko ri tene a sorinpomo korpononakor. | I have a nut allergy. |
| Eko ri non kan komi a yororiso. | I can't eat wheat. |
| Tu ri tene a nemyororisokomi, ker? | Do you have gluten-free food? |
| Eko ri kan voritika ver komivakeomo a tis ri tiven non wosapor. | I can ask the cook to make it not spicy. |
korpononakor body-not-agree is an allergy — the body disagreeing with something. What you react to goes in front of it, as with any modifier.
Courtesies
| Pikotika | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pona komi. | good food | Enjoy your meal. (bon appétit) |
| Pam komi. | please eat | Please eat. Help yourself. |
| Eko ri kompar. | I RI buy | It's on me. |
| Meka mersi. Tis ri ponasapor. | very thank. this RI good-taste | Thank you — it was delicious. |
A whole conversation
Lena and Mary are having dinner out.
| Pikotika | English | |
|---|---|---|
| Serviomo: Pona tunyan. Tapur por 2 omo, ker? | Server: Good evening. A table for two? | |
| Rena: Si, pam. | Lena: Yes, please. | |
| Serviomo: Tis ri komiorten. Pits tu ri yervin, ker? | Server: Here's the menu. Are you two ready to order? | |
| Meri: Nir. Tisnemyan, ker komi ri pona? | Mary: Almost. What's good tonight? | |
| Serviomo: Akupeste ri nova. Kum akukomi ri meka ponasapor. | Server: The fish is fresh. And the soup is very good. | |
| Rena: Eko ri non komi a akupeste. Tu ri tene a non karne komi, ker? | Lena: I don't eat fish. Do you have anything without meat? | |
| Serviomo: Si. Ekomen ri tene a ankariso komi kum vertekomi kum avisnino. | Server: Yes — we have a rice dish with vegetables and eggs. | |
| Rena: Eko ri vori a tis. Tis ri wosapor, ker? | Lena: I'll have that. Is it spicy? | |
| Serviomo: Piko. Eko ri kan voritika ver komivakeomo a tis ri tiven non wosapor. | Server: A little. I can ask the cook to make it not spicy. | |
| Rena: Non, piko ri pona. | Lena: No, a little is fine. | |
| Meri: Kum eko ri vori a akupeste, pam. Kum 2 akuvaso aku. | Mary: And I'll have the fish, please. And two glasses of water. | |
| Serviomo: Rikus sive wo, ker? | Server: Cold or warm? | |
| Meri: Rikus, pam. | Mary: Cold, please. | |
| Serviomo: Meka pona. Pona komi! | Server: Very good. Enjoy your meal! | |
| Tikakosaomo: Komitempo ri vin… | Narrator: The meal is over… | |
| Meri: Eko ri venterpan. Tis ri meka ponasapor. | Mary: I'm full. That was delicious. | |
| Rena: Ves! Tu ri vori a tukekomi, ker? | Lena: It was! Do you want dessert? | |
| Meri: Non, mersi. Sets eko ri vori a neropipe. | Mary: No, thank you. But I'd like a coffee. | |
| Rena: Serviomo, wun neropipe kum moniorten, pam. | Lena: Server — one coffee and the check, please. | |
| Meri: Eko ri kompar! | Mary: It's on me! | |
| Rena: Meka mersi. | Lena: Thank you very much. |