ken

meaning

can, may, ability, permission; possibility, maybe; allow, enable; (preverb) to be able to

semantic space · lipamanka

ken is all about abilities. These could be inherent abilities, like the ability to fly, walk, or swim. These could also be external, like permission to use the bathroom. If I can blow bubbles with bubble gum because I'm not around anyone who I don't want to annoy, that ability is a ken. Unlike some languages, toki pona has a single word that contains all abilities. ken can also refer to a probability or a possibility. The throughline here is almost saying that an event is able to occur, but that doesn't mean it necessarily will or won't. These ideas of possibility and ability are two sides of the same coin.

ku translations

able¹⁰⁰, potential⁹⁴, ability⁹³, capability⁹², capable⁹⁰, may⁸⁸, possible⁸⁶, could⁸¹, eligible⁸⁰, can⁷⁹, possibility⁷⁵, permission⁶⁹, likelihood⁶⁰, chance⁵⁷, probability⁵⁶, available⁵³, maybe⁵³, opportunity⁵³, possibly⁵⁰, odds⁴⁵, patentially⁴⁰, perhaps⁴⁰, liberty³⁶, enable³³, might³³, option³³, viable³³, privilege³¹, allow³⁰, likely³⁰, freedom²⁷, prospect²⁷