This is a summary of the current version of the grammar, explained in (hopefully) clear terms. I'm using this transcription between colons.

There is no grammatically-mandatory marking on anything. If you can drop something without causing confusion, you can. However, as a beginner I recommend learning what you can safely drop as you go, especially because compounds are used so extensively.

The default grouping of units is in the order presented here, i.e. brackets, then punctuation, then prefixes, and so on. Some terms will be referenced before they are defined.

• A character is a single character.
• A phrase is some number of consecutive characters, possibly one.
• A unit is a phrase that is a bracketed group, punctuation, a prefixed unit, or one of the other characters.
• A noun is what most things are by default. It names a thing.
• An adverb phrase is a noun followed by a marker (both optional in certain contexts).
• A clause is a series of adverb phrases. The details of the action described are inferred from the combination of these marker phrases.

Brackets

• :small_red_triangle: begins a group.
• :small_red_triangle_down: ends a group.

These units force units between them to be grouped together. If they are used in a situation where they don't clarify grouping at all, they indicate quotation, for example :small_red_triangle no_mouth small_red_triangle_down: refers to :no_mouth: as a character rather than its usual meaning, "emoji".

Punctuation

• :curly_loop: is a small break. It can be used for pauses that aren't meant to separate statements.
• :wavy_dash: is a large break (like "." or, after a noun marker, ":"). It can be used to separate related or unrelated statements.

Combining these two characters gives the rest of the puncutation, for example :wavy_dash wavy_dash: is a hard stop and :curly_loop curly_loop: is "…".

Prefixes

These change how the following character is interpreted, forming a larger "unit". Multiple prefixes can be used on top of each other.

• :point_right: indicates the following unit's unique "literal" meaning, which is always a noun. :point_right inbox_tray: means "inbox".
• :black_circle: indicates that the following unit should have its usual meaning, but functions like a noun grammatically. :black_circle inbox_tray: means "target".
• :red_circle: indicates that the following unit should be interpreted as a suffix. :red_circle inbox_tray: means "thing that targets <noun>".
• :white_circle: indicates that the following unit's effect as a suffix should be inverted. :white_circle inbox_tray: means "thing that <noun> targets".

Nouns

Noun units can be joined together to form compounds. The meaning of a compound is based on that of the last element modified by what comes before, like in English, so a compound like "rock animal" would be a creature of rock (somehow), whereas "animal rock" would be a rock of animals or something.

Suffixes, unlike prefixes, can be used in compounds like regular noun units, but they generally have a precise systematic meaning that doesn't change from compound to compound. Suffixes only perform this function when they appear after the normal units.

There is one basic interrogative, :white_large_square:, meaning "what", that is used as a noun. Its presence in a clause turns that clause into a question. It can be combined with other nouns to form more complex interrogatives such as "what person" for "who", "what time" for "when", and so on.

Adjectives

Adjectives are formed by putting an adjectivizer after a noun. They come before the nouns they modify.

• :bangbang: ends a quality adjective, which indicates the quality described by the noun phrase it is built from.
• :interrobang: ends a relevance adjective, which indicates relevance to the noun phrase it is built from.

Markers

Markers attach to (optional) nouns similarly to adjectivizers, except that the result is a adverb phrase (which modifies the whole clause rather than the following noun).

• :question: marks the topic, something with a key role.
• :fist: marks the agent, something that is responsible for the action.
• :outbox_tray: marks the source, the origin of the action.
• :inbox_tray: marks the target, the destination of the action.
• :splayed_fingers: marks the patient, something that is affected by the action (and no other role really fits).
• :key: marks the means, the thing used to do something.
• :triangular_flag_on_post: marks the intent.

You can also mark other details with :exclamation:, for example :alarm_clock exclamation: marks the time, and :round_pushpin exclamation: marks the place.

For "Today, for the party, they sent me a letter from Japan.", the translation would be something like

today :exclamation: party :triangular_flag_on_post: they :fist: Japan :outbox_tray: I :inbox_tray: letter :splayed_fingers:

In this case, the verb is implied because it's clear what the action is, based on the last adverb phrase.

Verbs

Nouns are used as verbs by putting them at the end of a clause. There is no proper distinction between nouns and verbs, but nouns will often be subtly reinterpreted to make useful verbs. For example, :shirt: means "clothing"/"to wear", and :fork_knife_plate: means "food"/"to eat".

Clause markers

A Clause marker ends a subclause, which then functions grammatically as a noun. You can use adjectivizers (see above) to make it clear how the subclause is being used.

• :grey_exclamation: ends a basic subclause, taken as-is.
• :grey_question: ends an embedded question. For instance in "I know who stole the cookie.", "who stole the cookie" would translate to the question "Who stole the cookie?" followed by :grey_question:.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments or on Discord. A more extensive tutorial series with better examples and vocabulary is forthcoming, once the language is complete/stable enough. The basic syntax outlined here, however, shouldn't change as I continue development.