Disclaimer: this is my own understanding of Esperanto. I am a long way from
being an expert in the language, or even reasonably fluent. If you are a real
expert, and have spotted any egregious errors in what follows, please let me
know, and I will put it right.
Additional Disclaimer: This quick reference is based on my own
notes, some of which were simply copied from other webpages. Unfortunately,
these notes were compiled over a period of several years, and I no longer know
which parts are copied, nor where from. I apologise for the resulting lack of
acknowledgements. If I have copied anything from your website, and you would
either like it removed, or would like an acknowledgment, please let me know.
A Quick Reference of Esperanto Grammar
-o
noun
amo
"love"
-a
adjective
ama
"loving"
-e
adverb
ame
"lovingly"
-n
direct object of a verb
amon
"love"
-j
plural
amoj
"loves"
-jn
plural of the direct object
amojn
"loves"
-i
verb, infinitive
ami
"to love"
-u
verb, imperative
amu
"love!"
-is
verb, past tense
amis
"loved"
-as
verb, present tense
amas
"loves"
-os
verb, future tense
amos
"will love"
-us
verb, conditional
amus
"would love"
A verb can be made emphatic with the particle ja (indeed):
mi ja esperas
I do hope
mi ja esperis
I did hope
Pronouns
A complete list of pronouns. As in English, the plural "you" is identical to
the singular and does not take the plural suffix. Possessives take the
adjectival form by adding the -a suffix (hence, mia, my).
mi
I
vi
you
li
he
ŝi
she
ĝi
it
ni
we
ili
they
oni
one
ci
thou (archaic)
si
reflexive - refers back to subject
ri
he or she (genderless, neoligism)
Participles
Participles commonly appear in English as '-ing' words (my apologies to any
linguistics who are now cringing at this hopelessly simplistic explanation).
For example, I am writing a letter, where writing is the participle.
(Don't confuse this with the writing in the writing on the wall, which is
actually a different word -- English manages to conflate two concepts, and
thus trip up English speakers who try to learn other languages where these two
ideas are expressed separately...)
These participles can form what are known as compound verbs when they follow
the auxiliary "esti" (where they take the adjectival suffix), or they can take
adjectival, adverbial or noun forms on their own (with the appropriate
grammatical ending).
PASSIVE
ACTIVE
PAST
-it-
-int-
PRESENT
-at-
-ant-
FUTURE
-ot-
-ont-
CONDITIONAL
-ut-
-unt-
Some examples to make it more obvious:
estis ...inta
had done
estis ...anta
was doing
estis ...onta
was about to
estis ...unta
was intending to
estas ...inta
have done
estas ...anta
am doing
estas ...onta
am going to do/about to do
estas ...unta
am intending to
estos ...inta
will have done
estos ...anta
will be doing
estos ...onta
will be about to
estos ...unta
will be intending to
estus ...inta
wanted/intended to do
estus ...anta
want/would to be doing
estus ...onta
would be about to do
estus ...unta
???
mi estis skribinta leteron
I had written a letter
mi estis skribanta leteron
I was writing a letter
mi estis skribonta leteron
I was about to write a letter
mi estis skribunta leteron
I was intending to write a letter
vi estas skribinta leteron
you have written a letter
vi estas skribanta leteron
you are writing a letter
vi estas skribonta leteron
you are about to write a letter
vi estas skribunta leteron
you are intending to write a letter
ŝi estos skribinta leteron
she will have written a letter
ŝi estos skribanta leteron
she will be writing a letter
ŝi estos skribonta leteron
she will be about to write a letter
ŝi estos skribunta leteron
she will be intending to write a letter
li estus skribinta leteron
he had wanted to write a letter
li estus skribanta leteron
he wants to write a letter
(The last two possibilities, estus skribonta and estus skribunta, are so
convoluted and unlikely in meaning that I can't think of a sensible translation
for them -- in fact, I am not entirely sure what they would mean).
The basic principle of the participles may be illustrated with the verb fali
(to fall). Picture Wile E. Coyote running off a cliff. Before gravity kicks in
(after all, this is a cartoon), he is falonta (about to fall). As he drops, he
is falanta (falling). After he impacts the desert floor, he is falinta
(fallen).
Active and passive pairs can be illustrated with the transitive verb haki (to
chop). Picture a woodsman approaching a tree with an axe, intending to chop it
down. He is hakonta and the tree is hakota. As he swings the axe, he is
hakanta and the tree hakata. After the tree has fallen, he is hakinta and
the tree hakita.
One tricky point to note is that the participle when used in a compound verb is
an adjective (note the '-a' ending). This is most easily seen (in English) in
the very last example above. After the tree has fallen, it is a felled tree:
arbo estas hakita (the tree has been felled), in other words, it is
arbo hakita (a felled tree). Note that a 'fallen tree' would be
arbo hakinta.
Finally, in normal conversational Esperanto, many of these subtleties should
probably be avoided. Don't say (or write) mi estas skribanta leteron, just
use mi skribas leteron.
Correlatives
Any combination of the prefix and suffix will form a small word describing
something.
-
-
-
-o
thing
-
-
-
-u
person
indefined
(some-)
i-
-a
kind
demonstrative
(that-)
ti-
-es
possession
interrogative
(what-)
ki-
-e
place
collective
(every-)
ĉi-
-am
time
negative
(no-)
neni-
-om
quantity
-
-
-
-al
reason
-
-
-
-el
way, manner
Numbers
Numbers follow a consistent pattern, best illustrated by example.
nulo
zero
dek unu
eleven
unu
one
dek du
twelve
du
two
dek tri
thirteen
tri
three
dudek tri
twenty three
kvar
four
kvindek ok
fifty eight
kvin
five
cent sesdek
a hundred and sixty
ses
six
sepcent okdek
seven hundred and eighty
sep
seven
dekmiliono
ten million
ok
eight
nau
nine
dek
ten
cent
hundred
mil
thousand
miliono
million
miliardo
billion (thousand million)
Prefixes
All the prefixes precede the stem of the word, many are in fact word stems
themselves. Many may be compounded with other prefixes and suffixes. Many are
rather flexible in their definition.
al-
approach, towards, bringing closer
al
"towards"
veni
"to come"
> alveni
"to arrive"
iri
"to go"
> aliri
"to approach"
porti
"to carry"
> alporti
"to bring"
paroli
"to speak"
> alparoli
"to address"
See also: for-
bo-
relative by marriage
patro
"father"
> bopatro
"father-in-law"
ĉef-
chief
ĉefo
"a chief"
urbo
"town"
> ĉefurbo
"capital city"
ministro
"minister"
> ĉefministro
"prime minister"
dis-
separation, dispersal
doni
"to give"
> disdoni
"to distribute"
sendi
"to send"
> dissendi
"to transmit"
ek-
commencement, suddenness
ek!
"commence!"
brili
"to shine"
> ekbrili
"to flash"
iri
"to go"
> ekiri
"to set off"
sidi
"to sit"
> eksidi
"to sit down"
See also: -ad- re-
eks-
former
eksa
"former"
prezidanto
"president"
> eksprezidanto
"ex-president"
fi-
shameful or immoral
fi!
"shame!"
viro
"man"
> fiviro
"scoundrel"
for-
away
for
"away"
iri
"to go"
> foriri
"to go away"
esti
"to be"
> foresti
"to be absent"
See also: al-
ge-
both sexes together
frato
"brother"
> gefratoj
"siblings"
patro
"father"
> gepatroj
"parents"
sinjoro
"Mister"
> gesinjoroj
"Mr and Mrs"
See also: vir- -in-
mal-
opposite
malo
"opposite"
alta
"high"
> malalta
"low"
vero
"truth"
> malvero
"falsehood"
ami
"to love"
> malami
"to hate"
forta
"strong"
> malforta
"weak"
See also: mis- "ne"
mis-
wrongly
kompreni
"to understand"
> miskompreni
"to misunderstand"
paso
"a step"
> mispaso
"a blunder"
See also: mal- "ne"
pra-
of great antiquity, remoteness of relationship
praa
"primitive"
tempo
"time"
> pratempo
"the ancient past"
nepo
"grandson"
> pranepo
"great-grandson"
See also: -id-
re-
repetition, return
ree
"again"
si vidas
"she sees"
> si revidas
"she sees again"
ni venas
"we're coming"
> ni revenas
"we're coming back"
See also: ek- -ad-
sen-
without
sen
"without"
koro
"heart"
> senkora
"heartless"
forta
"strong"
> senforta
"strengthless"
helpa
"helpful"
> senhelpa
"helpless"
kompata
"merciful"
> senkompata
"merciless"
See also: -ac- -eg- -et-
vir-
masculine
viro
"man"
bovo
"ox"
> virbovo
"bull"
porko
"pig"
> virporko
"boar"
cevalo
"horse"
> vircevalo
"stallion"
See also: ge- -in- -ic-
Suffixes
All these suffixes follow the stem of the word and precede the grammatical
ending, which defines the role the word will play. Many may be compounded with
other suffixes and prefixes. Some are in fact word stems themselves.
-aĉ-
disparagement
aĉa
"awful"
domo
"house"
> domaĉo
"hovel"
hundo
"dog"
> hundaĉo
"cur","mongrel"
ridi
"to laugh"
> ridaĉi
"to sneer"
See also: -eg- -et- sen-
-ad-
action, particularly prolonged or repeated
paroli
"to speak"
> paroladi
"to make a speech"
penso
"thought"
> pensado
"(the process of) thinking"
memoro
"memory"
> memorado
"the fact of remembering"
See also: ek- re-
-aj-
A thing, having the quality or substance of ...
ajo
"a thing"
nova
"new"
> novajo
"news", "novelty"
okazi
"to happen"
> okazajo
"event"
arto
"art"
> artajo
"objet d'art"
porko
"pig"
> porkajo
"pork"
See also: -ec- -a -em-
-an-
member of a group; inhabitant
ano
"member"
urbo
"town"
> urbano
"townsman"
Novjorko
"New York"
> novjorkano
"New Yorker"
polico
"police"
> policano
"member of the police force"
lando
"country"
> landano
"citizen"
See also: -ar- -ul-
-ar-
collective, group
aro
"group","set"
vorto
"word"
> vortaro
"dictionary", "vocabulary"
homo
"human being"
> homaro
"mankind"
studento
"student"
> studentaro
"the student body (of a school)"
kuracisto
"doctor"
> kuracistaro
"the medical profession"
See also: -an-
-ebl-
possibility
ebla
"possible"
havi
"to have"
> havebla
"available"
ami
"to love"
> amebla
"possible to love"
See also: -ind-
-ec-
having the characteristics of ...
eco
"a quality","a characteristic"
infano
"child"
> infaneca
"childish"
> infaneco
"childhood"
sola
"alone"
> soleca
"lonely"
> soleco
"loneliness"
ruga
"red"
> rugeca
"reddish"
libera
"free"
> libereco
"freedom"
viro
"man"
> vireco
"virility"
unu
"one"
> unueco
"unity"
See also: -aj- -a -em-
-eg-
augmentative
ega
"huge"
bona
"good"
> bonega
"excellent"
bela
"beautiful"
> belega
"splendid"
urbo
"town"
> urbego
"a large city"
labori
"to work"
> laboregi
"to work hard"
See also: -et- -ec- sen-
-ej-
place (often collective)
ejo
"a place"
dormi
"to sleep"
> dormejo
"dormitory"
lerni
"to learn"
> lernejo
"school"
-em-
tendency
emi
"to be inclined to"
paroli
"to speak"
> parolema
"talkative"
agi
"to act"
> agema
"active", "enterprising"
timi
"to be afraid"
> timema
"fearful", "timid"
See also: -a -ec- -aj-
-end-
passive obligation
enda
"that must be"
pagi
"to pay"
> pagenda
"payable"
solvi
"to solve"
> solvenda
"that must be solved"
-er-
small particle of a whole
ero
"a particle"
pano
"bread"
> panero
"crumb"
ceno
"chain"
> cenero
"link"
pluvo
"rain"
> pluvero
"raindrop"
-estr-
leader
estro
"leader"
stacio
"station"
> staciestro
"station master"
urbo
"town"
> urbestro
"mayor"
lerni
"to learn"
> lernestro
"schoolmaster"
-et-
diminutive
eta
"tiny"
virino
"woman"
> virineto
"little woman"
bela
"beautiful"
> beleta
"pretty","cute"
See also: -eg- -ec- sen-
-ic-
male
ico
"a male"
instruisto
"teacher"
> instruistico
"male teacher"
See also: vir- -in- ge-
-id-
descendant of
ido
"offspring"
koko
"rooster"
> kokido
"chick"
porko
"pig"
> porkido
"piglet"
bovo
"ox"
> bovido
"calf"
cevalo
"horse"
> cevalido
"colt"
rego
"king"
> regido
"prince"
See also: pra-
-ig-
causative
igi
"to make"
granda
"big"
> grandigi
"to enlarge"
forta
"strong"
> fortigi
"to strengthen"
facila
"easy"
> faciligi
"to facilitate"
scii
"to know"
> sciigi
"to inform", "to make known"
stari
"to stand"
> starigi
"to set up"
kontenta
"glad"
> kontentiga
"satisfactory"
See also: -ig-
-iĝ-
become ...
iĝi
"to become"
proksima
"near"
> proksimiĝi
"to draw nearer"
stara
"standing"
> stariĝi
"to stand up"
viro
"man"
> viriĝi
"to become a man"
rapida
"quick"
> rapidiĝo
"acceleration"
See also: -ig-
-il-
implement, tool
ilo
"a tool"
labori
"to work"
> laborilo
"tool"
veturi
"to travel"
> veturilo
"vehicle"
-in-
female
ino
"a female"
knabo
"boy"
> knabino
"girl"
viro
"man"
> virino
"woman"
patro
"father"
> patrino
"mother"
instruisto
"teacher"
> instruistino
"female teacher"
See also: vir- ge- -ic-
-ind-
worthiness
inda
"worthy"
ami
"to love"
> aminda
"deserving love"
vidi
"to see"
> vidinda
"worth seeing"
havi
"to have"
> havinda
"worth having"
See also: -ebl-
-ing-
holder
ingo
"a holder","a socket"
glavo
"sword"
> glavingo
"scabbard"
plumo
"pen"
> plumingo
"pen-holder"
-ism-
pattern or system
ismo
"an ism"
protekti
"to protect"
> protrektismo
"protectionism"
alkoholo
"alcohol"
> alkoholismo
"alcoholism"
-ist-
habitual occupation, profession
isto
"professional"
instrui
"to teach"
> instruisto
"teacher"
labori
"to work"
> laboristo
"worker"
polico
"police"
> policisto
"policeman"
See also: -ul-
-obl-
multiple
oble
"-fold"
du
"two"
> duobla
"double"
kvar
"four"
> kvaroble
"fourfold"
-on-
fraction
ono
"a fraction"
du
"two"
> duoni
"to halve"
ses
"six"
> sesono
"a sixth"
-op-
collective numeral
tri
"three"
> triopo
"triplet"
unu
"one"
> unuope
"one by one","in the manner of one-ness"
-uj-
container
ujo
"receptacle"
sukero
"sugar"
> sukerujo
"sugar basin"
papero
"paper"
> paperujo
"wallet"
mono
"money"
> monujo
"purse"
-ul-
a person
ulo
"fellow","chap"
juna
"young"
> junulo
"a youth"
forta
"strong"
> fortulo
"a hefty guy"
drinko
"alcoholic drink"
> drinkulo
"drunkard"
trinko
"drink"
> trinkulo
"one who drinks"
See also: -ist- -an-
-um-
related to in some way (no fixed meaning though)
malvarma
"cold"
> malvarmumi
"to catch a cold"
plena
"full"
> plenumi
"to fulfill"
plando
"sole of foot"
> plandumo
"sole of shoe"
cerbo
"brain"
> cerbumi
"to puzzle over"
Prepositions, Conjunctions and other words with no grammatical ending
Short words which do not have any grammatical ending are used very often. They
are prepositions, conjunctions, interjections and even adverbs, and a real pain
to always be looking up in a dictionary. Here is a fairly complete list of all
you will likely meet.
esperanto