sona pi toki tawa pana pona (politeness theory) li sona pi toki jan. jan Penelopi Pon (Penelope Brown) en jan Tepen Lewinson (Stephen C. Levinson) li pana e sona ni. ona li pana e sona ni lon tenpo sike nanpa 1978.
sona pi toki tawa pana pona li toki e ni: jan ale li wile awen e "sinpin" ona. "sinpin" li sitelen kon pi jan sama lon lawa pi jan ante. jan ale li jo e "sinpin pona" e "sinpin ike". jan li toki tawa jan la jan ken utala e "sinpin" ona kepeken "pali pi utala sinpin" (face-threatening acts (FTA)).
jan ale li kepeken e nasin ante tawa awen e sinpin ona. toki tawa pana pona li ante lon ma ante.