The Esperanto Teacher: A Simple Course for Non-Grammarians Part 21

Aa, Bb, Cc, Cxcx, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Gxgx, Hh, Hxhx, Ii, Jj, Jxjx, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Sxsx, Tt, Uu, Uxux, Vv, Zz [Footnote: Names of the letters: a, bo, co, cxo, do, e, fo, go, gxo, ho, hxo, i, jo, jxo, ko, lo, mo, no, o, po, ro, so, sxo, to, u, uxo, vo, zo.]

Remark.--Presses which do not possess the accented letters can use instead of them ch, gh, hh, jh, sh, u.

B.--Rules.

(1) There is no indefinite ARTICLE; there is only a definite article ("la"), alike for all s.e.xes, cases, and numbers.

Remark.--The use of the article is the same as in the other languages.

People who find a difficulty in the use of the article need not at first use it at all.

(2) SUBSTANTIVES have the termination "o". To form the plural the termination "j" is added. There are only two cases: nominative and accusative; the latter is obtained from the nominative by the addition of the termination "n". Other cases are expressed by the aid of prepositions (the genitive by "de", the dative by "al", the ablative by "per", or other prepositions according to sense).

(3) The ADJECTIVE ends in "a". Case and number as with the substantive.

The Comparative is made by means of the word "pli", the Superlative by "plej"; with the Comparative the conjunction "ol" is used.

(4) The fundamental NUMERALS (they are not declined) are: "unu, du, tri, kvar, kvin, ses, sep, ok, naux, dek, cent, mil." The tens and hundreds are formed by simple junction of the numerals. To mark the ordinal numerals the termination of the adjective is added; for the multiple--the suffix "obl", for the fractional--"on", for the collective--"op", for the distributive--the word "po". Substantival and adverbial numerals can also be used.

(5) Personal p.r.o.nOUNS: "mi, vi, li, sxi, gxi" (referring to thing or animal), "si, ni, vi, ili, oni"; the possessive p.r.o.nouns are formed by the addition of the adjectival termination. Declension is as with the substantives.

(6) The VERB undergoes no change with regard to person or number. Forms of the verb; time "being" (Present) takes the termination "-as;" time "been" (Past) "-is"; time "about to be" (Future) "-os"; the Conditional mood "-us;" the Ordering mood "-u;" the Indefinite "-i." Participles (with an adjectival or adverbial sense): active present "-ant;" active past "-int;" active future "-ont;" pa.s.sive present "-at;" pa.s.sive past "-it;" pa.s.sive future "-ot." All forms of the pa.s.sive are formed by the aid of a corresponding form of the verb "esti" and a pa.s.sive participle of the required verb; the preposition with the pa.s.sive is "de."

(7) ADVERBS end in "e;" degrees of comparison as with the adjectives.

(8) ALL the PREPOSITIONS require the nominative.

(9) EVERY word is read as it is written.

(10) The ACCENT is ALWAYS on the penultimate syllable.

(11) COMPOUND WORDS are formed by simple junction of the words (the chief word stands at the end); the grammatical terminations are also regarded as independent words.

(12) When another NEGATIVE word is present the word "ne" is left out.

(13) In order to show DIRECTION words take the termination of the accusative.

(14) Each PREPOSITION has a definite and constant meaning; but if we have to use some preposition and the direct sense does not indicate to us what special preposition we are to take, then we use the preposition "je" which has no meaning of its own. Instead of the preposition "je" we can also use the accusative without a preposition.

(15) The so-called FOREIGN WORDS, that is, those which the majority of languages have taken from one source, are used in the Esperanto language without change, merely obtaining the spelling of the latter; but with different words from one root it is better to use unchanged only the fundamental word and to form the rest from this latter in accordance with the rules of the Esperanto language.

(16) The FINAL VOWEL of the substantive and of the article can be dropped and replaced by an apostrophe.

COMMON USEFUL EXPRESSIONS.

tio estas, i.e. that is.

kaj cetere, k.c. etcetera.

kaj tiel plu, k.t.p. and so on.

kiel ekzemple, k.ekz. as for example.

kiel elbe plej (baldaux) as (soon) as possible.

kio ajn okazos whatever happens (shall happen).

kondicxe, ke on the condition that.

kun la kondicxo, ke on the condition that.

Bonan tagon, sinjoro. Good day, sir.

Kiel vi fartas? How do you do?

Tre bone, mi dankas. Very well, I thank you.

Mi dankas vin. I thank you.

Dankon. Thanks.

Multe da dankoj. Many thanks.

Vi estas tre gxentila (afabla). You are very kind.

Vi estas tre kompleza. You are very obliging.

Mi malsatas. I am hungry.

Mi soifas. I am thirsty.

Al mi estas varme (malvarme). I am warm (cold).

Kiu estas tie? Estas mi. Who is there? It is I.

Sidigxu, mi petas. Be seated, I beg (you).

Kun plezuro. With pleasure.

Kion vi bezonas? What do you want?

Cu vi min komprenas? Do you understand me?

Vi estas prava (malprava). You are right (wrong).

Tio estas vera. That is true.

Estas vera, ke... It is true that...

Je kioma horo vi foriros? At what time are you going?

Kioma horo estas? What time is it?

Kiom kostas tio cxi? How much does this cost?

Gxi kostas tri sxilingojn. It costs three shillings.

Kie vi estas? Where are you?

Kien vi iras? Where are you going?

Kian agxon li havas? How old is he?

Antaux unu semajno. A week ago.

Post du tagoj. In two days.

Li venos jxauxdon. He will come on Thursday.

Pasigu al mi la panon, Pa.s.s me the bread, mi petas vin. I beg you (please).

Estas li mem! It is himself!

Tiom pli bone So much the better!

Oni diras, ke... They say, that...

Neniu tion diras. n.o.body says that.

Kio okazis? What has happened?

Cxu vi konas Sinjoron A.? Do you know Mr. A.?

Mi scias, kiu li estas, I know who he is, sed mi ne konas lin. but I do not know him.

Cxu estas leteroj por mi? Are there letters for me?

Rapidu. Be quick.

Ne diru tion. Do not say that.

Ne faru tion. Do not do that.

Kia estas la vetero? What kind of weather is it?

Kian veteron ni havas? What kind of weather is it?