Learn Esperanto
in one week

8 lessons · ~15 min/day · everything colour-coded and chunked for easy scanning

01
Alphabet & Pronunciation
Letters · Word endings · Articles
Every letter is pronounced in every word, everything is written as it sounds. No Q, W, X or Y — but 6 special letters: Ĉ Ĝ Ĥ Ĵ Ŝ Ŭ. Stress always falls on the second-last syllable.
Special & different-sounding letters
C'ts' as in bits
Ĉ'ch' as in church
G'g' as in gag
Ĝ'g' as in genie
Ĥ'ch' as in loch
I'ee' as in bee
J'y' as in yes
Ĵ's' as in measure
Ŝ'sh' as in shoe
U'oo' as in boot
Ŭ'w' as in woman
Rrolled r
Word endings — zero exceptions
-o
Noun
parolo = speech
-a
Adjective
parola = oral
-e
Adverb
parole = verbally
-j
Plural
paroloj = speeches
-i
Infinitive verb
paroli = to speak
Articles
Only one definite article: la (the)
la parolo = the speech  ·  la paroloj = the speeches
No indefinite article — no 'a', 'an', or 'some'
parolo = a speech  ·  paroloj = some speeches
02
Personal Pronouns & Verb Tenses
Pronouns · Possessives · Conjugation
Personal Pronouns
mi
I
vi / ci
you (ci = rarely used)
li
he
ŝi
she
ĝi
it
oni
one (impersonal)
ni
we
vi
you (plural)
ili
they
si
self (reflexive pronoun)
Add -a to any pronoun to get the possessive: mia = my/mine · via = your/yours · ilia = their/theirs
Verb tenses — same ending for all persons, no exceptions
EndingTenseExample
-iInfinitiveParoli = 'to speak'
-asPresentMi parolas = I speak
-isPastNi parolis = We spoke
-osFutureOni parolos = One will speak
-usConditionalLi parolus = He would speak
-uImperative(Vi) Parolu! = Speak!
03
Numbers
Cardinal · Ordinal · Fractions · Groups
Cardinal numbers
0
nul
1
unu
2
du
3
tri
4
kvar
5
kvin
6
ses
7
sep
8
ok
9
naŭ
10
dek
100
cent
1 000
mil
1M
miliono
Examples: dek du (12) · dudek unu (21) · ducent (200) · mil naŭcent sezdek ok (1968)
Derived forms — add a suffix to any number
+a
Ordinal
unua, dua = first, second…
+e
Adverb
unue, due = firstly, secondly…
+o
Noun
dekduo = a dozen · dekoj = tens
+obl+a
Multiple
duobla = double · triobla = triple
+on+o
Fraction
duono = half · kvarono = quarter
+op+o
Group
duopo = duo · triopo = trio
04
Questions, Negation & Accusative
ĉu · ne · -n ending
Yes/No Questions — put ĉu at the start
Ĉu li manĝas? = Is he eating?
Jes, li manĝas. = Yes, he's eating.
Ne, li trinkas. = No, he's drinking.
Negation — put ne before what you're negating
Mi ne kantas.
I am not singing.
Ne mi kantas.
It is not me singing.
Accusative — append -n to mark the object of a verb

Also used with adverbs of place to show change of place, and to replace omitted prepositions.

EsperantoBreakdownEnglish
Mi trinkas akvon.akv-o-nI drink water.
Mi amas vin.vi-nI love you.
Mi iras Parizon.Pariz-o-nI'm going to Paris.
Mi venos lundon.lund-o-nI'll come on Monday.
05
Correlatives
45 logical words from 5 prefixes × 9 suffixes
Every correlative = prefix (some / what / this / every / none) + suffix (one / thing / kind / place / time / manner / reason / amount / possession)
Suffix i- some ki- what ti- this ĉi- every neni- none
+u one
iu
some(one)
kiu
which/who
tiu
this (one)
ĉiu
every(one)
neniu
none
+o thing
io
something
kio
what
tio
this thing
ĉio
everything
nenio
nothing
+a kind
ia
some kind
kia
what kind
tia
this kind
ĉia
every kind
nenia
no kind
+e place
ie
somewhere
kie
where
tie
there
ĉie
everywhere
nenie
nowhere
+am time
iam
sometime
kiam
when
tiam
then
ĉiam
always
neniam
never
+el manner
iel
somehow
kiel
how
tiel
thus
ĉiel
every way
neniel
no way
+al reason
ial
for some reason
kial
why
tial
for this reason
ĉial
for every reason
nenial
for no reason
+om amount
iom
some, a little
kiom
how much
tiom
this much
ĉiom
every quantity
neniom
no quantity
+es 's
ies
someone's
kies
whose
ties
this one's
ĉies
everyone's
nenies
nobody's
06
Suffixes, Prefixes & Word Building
Build new words like Lego blocks
Suffixes — placed between root and word ending
👤 Names of living beings
+ul person
juna → junulo = youth
+an member
urbo → urbano = citizen
+ist profession
pano → panisto = baker
+in feminine
patro → patrino = mother
+id offspring
koko → kokido = chick
+estr chief
urbo → urbestro = mayor
📦 Names of things
+aĵ concrete thing
nova → novaĵo = the news
+il tool
tranĉi → tranĉilo = knife
+ar collective
arbo → arbaro = forest
+er element
mono → monero = coin
+ej place
pano → panejo = bakery
+uj container
mono → monujo = purse
+ing holder
kandelo → kandelingo = candlestick
💭 Abstract & qualifiers
+ec quality
bela → beleco = beauty
+ism ideology
nacio → naciismo = nationalism
+ebl capability
manĝi → manĝebla = edible
+em inclination
kredi → kredema = credulous
+ind worthy
ridi → ridinda = ridiculous
+end duty
pagi → pagenda = outstanding
⚡ Verbal & universal
+ig transitive (make)
ruĝa → ruĝigi = to make red
+iĝ intransitive (become)
ruĝiĝi = to get red/blush
+et diminutive
domo → dometo = cottage
+eg augmentative
domo → domego = mansion
+aĉ pejorative
domo → domaĉo = hovel
+ad continuity
paroli → parolado = lecture
+um miscellaneous
brako → brakumi = to embrace
Prefixes — placed before the root
mal+ opposite
bela → malbela = ugly
re+ again
legi → relegi = read again
eks+ former
eksministro = ex-minister
mis+ wrongly
miskompreni = misunderstand
ek+ sudden start
ridi → ekridi = burst out laughing
bo+ in-law
patro → bopatro = father-in-law
pra+ generation before
avo → praavo = great-grandfather
fi+ shameful
fama → fifama = ill-reputed
dis+ apart/scatter
doni → disdoni = distribute
ge+ both genders
patro → gepatroj = parents
Word creation — Lego-style combining
vaporŝipo
vapor + ŝip + o
steam boat
okulvitroj
okul + vitr + o + j
eye glasses
samtempe
sam + temp + e
at the same time
07
Participles
Active & passive · Present / Past / Future
The participle matrix
PresentPastFuture
Indicative-as-is-os
Active-ant-a-int-a-ont-a
Passive-at-a-it-a-ot-a
Active participles
EsperantoEnglish
Li estas kantinta.He has sung.
Li estas kantanta.He is singing (right now).
Li estas kantonta.He is going to sing.
Vi estis skribinta.You had written.
Vi estis skribanta.You were writing.
Vi estis skribonta.You were going to write.
Ŝi estos foririnta.She will have left.
Ŝi estos foriranta.She will be leaving.
Ŝi estos forironta.She'll be going to leave.
Passive participles
EsperantoEnglish
La akvo estas trinkita.The water is drunk.
La akvo estas trinkata.The water is being drunk.
La akvo estas trinkota.The water is going to be drunk.
La pano estis manĝita.The bread had been eaten.
La pano estis manĝata.The bread was being eaten.
La pano estis manĝota.The bread was going to be eaten.
La foto estos vidita.The photo will have been seen.
La foto estos vidata.The photo will be being seen.
La foto estos vidota.The photo will be about to be seen.
08
Comparatives, Conjunctions & More
Compare · Connect · Adverbs · Prepositions · Expressions
Comparatives
Inferiority
malpli… ol
less… than
Superiority
pli… ol
more… than
Equality
tiel… kiel
as… as
Superlative
la plej… / la malplej…
the most… / the least…
Conjunctions
Subordinating
ĉarbecause
kvankamalthough
kethat
kvazaŭas if
seif
Coordinating
sedbut
or
kajand
doso / then / therefore
nuwell / now (interjection)
nekneither / nor
Adverbs
EsperantoEnglishEsperantoEnglish
hieraŭyesterdaypreskaŭalmost
hodiaŭtodayapenaŭbarely
morgaŭtomorrownuronly
nunnowalmenaŭat least
ĵusjust nowankaŭalso
tujimmediatelyeven
baldaŭsoontrevery
jamalreadytrotoo (much)
ankoraŭyetforaway
Prepositions
EsperantoEnglishEsperantoEnglish
altokunwith
ĉeatporfor
defromsubunder
elout ofenin
suronantaŭbefore
ĉirkaŭaroundsuperover
malantaŭbehindapudnext to
dumduringeksteroutside
interbetweenekdesince
kontraŭagainstĝisuntil
senwithoutlaŭaccording to
krombesidespostafter
malgraŭdespiteperby (use of)
produe topriabout
trathroughtransacross
anstataŭinstead of
Expressions
Saluton!
Hello!
Ĝis la revido!
See you!
Bonan tagon!
Good day!
Bonan nokton!
Good night!
Mi nomiĝas…
My name is…
Kiel vi fartas?
How do you do?
ju pli… des pli…
the more… the more…
kaj… kaj…
both… and…
aŭ… aŭ…
either… or…
nek… nek…
neither… nor…