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A Summary of Esperanto Grammar
© Copyright, Bernd
Wechner 1993 - 2 Page PDF version also available
Building Blocks of Esperanto
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Following is a list of Esperanto building blocks. Along with a
list of word stems, it should help to interpret and construct
Esperanto words. I should note that some of the prefixes and
suffixes quoted here are rather loose in their definition and may
also appear in word stems on occasion without the cited meaning.
Where an affix is actually a word stem itself I have attempted to
list that word stem underneath.
I might also add, that this summary is not intended to teach
Esperanto, but to serve as a useful reference for those of us who
are learning. Many things are left unsaid.
Grammatical Endings
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of these grammatical endings should appear on the end of most
words, and defines that words role in a sentence. Other suffixes
and prefixes may precede this final identifier.
-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"
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"
paŝo "a step" > mispaŝo "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"
ŝi vidas "she sees" > ŝi 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: -aĉ- -eg- -et-
vir- masculine
viro "man"
bovo "ox" > virbovo "bull"
porko "pig" > virporko "boar"
ĉevalo "horse" > virĉevalo "stallion"
See also: ge- -in- -iĉ-
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 words 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-
-aĵ- A thing, having the quality or substance of ...
aĵo "a thing"
nova "new" > novaĵo "news", "novelty"
okazi "to happen" > okazaĵo "event"
arto "art" > artaĵo "objet d'art"
porko "pig" > porkaĵo "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 "lonliness"
ruĝa "red" > ruĝeca "reddish"
libera "free" > libereco "freedom"
viro "man" > vireco "virility"
unu "one" > unueco "unity"
See also: -aĵ- -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- -eĉ- 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- -aĵ-
-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"
ĉeno "chain" > ĉenero "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-
-iĉ- male
iĉo "a male"
instruisto "teacher" > instruistiĉo "male teacher"
See also: vir- -in- ge-
-id- descendant of
ido "offspring"
koko "rooster" > kokido "chick"
porko "pig" > porkido "piglet"
bovo "ox" > bovido "calf"
ĉevalo "horse" > ĉevalido "colt"
reĝo "king" > reĝido "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: -iĝ-
-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- -iĉ-
-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"
Participles
~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a very brief summary. The participles can form compound
verbs when they follow the helper "esti" (where they take the ad-
jectival 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-
Pronouns
~~~~~~~~
A complete list of pronouns. As in English, the plural "you" is
identical to the singular and does not take the plural suffix.
Possesives take the adjectival form by adding the -a suffix.
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)
Correlatives
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any combination of the prefix and suffix will form a small word
describing something. Remember that movement towards a place is
indicated by using the accusative (-n) suffix.
-o thing
-u person
indefined (some-) i- -a kind
demonstrative (that-) ti- -es posession
interrogtaive (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
naŭ nine
dek ten
cent hundred
mil thousand
miliono million
miliardo billion (thousand million)
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.
ajn -ever (with a correlative)
al to(wards)
almenaŭ at least
ankaŭ also
ankoraŭ still, yet
anstataŭ instead of
antaŭ before
apenaŭ scarcely
apud beside, near
baldaŭ soon
ĉar because
ĉe at, by, in case of
ĉi this- (with a correlative or noun)
ĉirkaŭ around
da of (quantinty)
de of, from
des so much the
do then, thus, therefore
dum during
eĉ even
ekster outside of
el out of
en in
for away
ĝis until
inter between
ja indeed
jam already
je indefinte preposition
jen hereis, behold
jes yes
ju so much the
ĵus just
kaj and
ke that
kontraŭ against
krom except, apart from
kun with
kvankam although
kvazaŭ as if
laŭ according to, along
malgraŭ in spite of
mem -self (with a pronoun)
ne no
nu well
nun now
nur only
ol than
per by means of
plej most
pli more
po at the rate of
por for
post after
preter past, by, beyond
pri concerning, about
pro on account of, oweing to, because of
sed but
sen without
sub under
super above
sur on
tamen however
tra through
trans across
tre very
tro too
tuj immediately
Credits
~~~~~~~
Compiled by Bernd Wechner, with much appreciated advice from
Daniel Chung, Donald J. Harlow, David Wolff, Harri Laine, Martin
R. Bartel, Jim Kingdon, and Bob Lidral.
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