Limitations

The translator can't do the following:

• Translate English into Toki Pona. Here's why.
• Translate compounds as a whole such as translating "tomo tawa" into "vehicle". Here's why.
• Translate Tokiponized proper words into untokiponized words such as translating "Manka" into "Minecraft".
• Infer original names from cartouches with su-style abbreviation.
• Translate every possible translation of the text: There can be valid interpretation that ilo Token doesn't cover.

The following are unrecognized by the translator. The pencil emoji ✏️ means it is a limitation due to being work in progress and it will be lifted soon.

• ✏️ Whole sentences, the translator can only translate phrases (Lifted in the next version!)
• ✏️ "X ala X" constructions
• ✏️ "taso" or "kin" as sentence starting particle
• ✏️ "nanpa X la"
• ✏️ "anu la" or just "anu" before a full sentence
• ✏️ Preverb
• ✏️ Preposition as predicate
• ✏️ Preposition before "la"
• ✏️ Multiline text (Lifted in the next version!)
• Multiple sentences (At most 2 sentences are allowed) Here's why
• Long text (>500)
• Words outside of pu, ku suli, and su (ilo Token will be extendable in the next version via custom dictionary!)
• Non-widespread Toki Pona additions or "nasin"
• Quotation
• Preverb with modifiers other than "ala"
• Preposition with modifiers other than "ala"
• Clause* with both "li" and "o"
• "kepeken" as headword or modifier
• "taso" or "kin" as headword (it can be used as modifier)
• "anu" as content word
• Multiple "pi"

There are even more pedantic limitations listed in the source code: src/parser/filter.ts. Some of the limitations might be lifted later.

*Clause refers to the whole sentence or part of sentence found before and after the "la" particle.

Disclaimer

ilo Token is not authoritative. The accuracy of translations must always be questioned. Errors doesn't mean the Toki Pona text is invalid. The output translations aren't exhaustive: There can be valid interpretation that ilo Token doesn't cover.

While ilo Token can serve as a dictionary, it is not a substitute for high quality dictionaries such as lipu Linku.