Esperanto vocabulary

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Main article: Esperanto etymology


Word formation[edit]







List of lexical suffixes[edit]

-aĉ- pejorative (expresses negative affect or a poor opinion of the object or action) skribaĉi (to scrawl, from 'write'); veteraĉo (foul weather); domaĉo (a hovel, from 'house'); rigardaĉi (to gape at, from 'look at'); belaĉa (tawdry, from 'beautiful'); aĵaĉo (junk, from -aĵo); aĉigi (to screw up, with -igi); aĉ ! (yuck!)
-adi, -ado frequent, repeated, or continual action (often imperfective); as a noun, an action or process kuradi (to keep on running); parolado (a speech, from 'talk, speak'); adi (to carry on); ada (continual)
-aĵo a concrete manifestation; (with a noun root) a product manĝaĵo (food, from 'eat'); novaĵo (news, a novelty, from 'new'); glaciaĵo (an ice[cream], from 'ice'); bovaĵo (beef, from 'bovine'); aĉigaĵo (a snafu, from -aĉ and -igi); aĵo (a thing);
-ano a member, follower, participant, inhabitant kristano (a Christian); marksano (a Marxist); usonano (a US American) [cf. amerikano (a continental American)]; ŝipano (a crew member); samkursano (a classmate, from 'same' and 'course'); samideano (a kindred spirit, from 'same' and 'idea'); ano (a member)
-aro a collective group without specific number arbaro (a forest, from 'tree'); vortaro (a dictionary, from 'word' [a set expression]); homaro (humanity, from 'human' [a set expression; 'crowd, mob' is homamaso]); ŝafaro (a flock of sheep); kataro (a clowder of cats); ŝiparo (a fleet of ships); anaro (a society [group of members], from -ano); aro (a herd, group, set)
-ĉjo masculine affectionate form; the root is truncated Joĉjo (Jack); paĉjo (daddy); fraĉjo (bro); amiĉjo (dear friend); la iĉjoj (the 'boys')
-ebla possible kredebla (believable); videbla (visible); eble (possibly)
-eco an abstract quality amikeco (friendship); bono or boneco (goodness); italeca (Italianesque); ecaro (character [sum of qualities], with -aro)
-eg- augmentative; sometimes pejorative connotations when used with people domego (a mansion, from 'house'); virego (a giant, from 'man'); librego (a tome, from 'book'); varmega (boiling hot); ridegi (to guffaw, from 'laugh'); ega (great, humongous)
-ejo a place characterized by the root (not used for toponyms) lernejo (a school, from 'to learn'), vendejo (a store, from 'to sell'), juĝejo (a court, from 'to judge'), kuirejo (a kitchen, from 'to cook'), hundejo (a kennel, from 'dog'), senakvejo (a desert, from 'without water'); devenejo (provenance, from 'to come from'); ejo (the appropriate place)
-el-[1] laudative [unofficial] (expresses positive affect or a good opinion of the object or action) skribelo (calligraphy, from 'write'); kia domelo! (what a house!); vinelo (nectar [metaphorically], from 'wine'); homelo (saint [metaphorically], from 'human'); ĉevalelo (steed, from 'horse')
-ema having a propensity, tendency ludema (playful), parolema (talkative), kredema (credulous, from 'believe'); brulema (flammable, from 'burn'); emo (inclination); malema (unwilling, with mal-)
-enda[2] mandatory pagenda (payable), legendaĵo (required reading)
-ero the smallest part ĉenero (a link, from 'chain'); fajrero (a spark, from 'fire'); neĝero (a snowflake, from 'snow'), kudrero (a stitch, from 'sew'), lignero (a splinter, from 'wood'); okulero (an ommatidium, from 'eye'); usonero (a U.S. state, from 'USA'); vortero (a morpheme, from 'word'); ero (a crumb etc.); eriĝema (friable)
-estro a leader, boss lernejestro (a school principal [see -ejo]); urbestro (a mayor, from 'city'); centestro (a centurion, from 'hundred'); usonestro (a president of the United States, from 'USA'); estraro (board of directors, with -aro)
-et- diminutive; sometimes affectionate connotations when used with people dometo (a hut, from 'house'); libreto (a booklet); varmeta (lukewarm); rideti (to smile, from 'laugh'); rompeti (to crack, fracture, from 'break'); boleti (to simmer, from 'boil'); ete (slightly)
-io a country named after a geographic feature, and now after an ethnicity Meksikio (Mexico, from 'Mexico City'); Niĝerio (Nigeria, from 'the river Niger'); Anglio (England, from 'English person'); patrio (fatherland, from 'father') [cannot be used as a root io, because that means 'something']
-iĉo male [unofficial] (see gender below)
-ido an offspring, descendent katido (a kitten); reĝido (a prince, from 'king'); arbido (a sapling, from 'tree'); izraelido (an Israelite); ido (a kit, pup, kid, etc.); idaro (a clan, tribe, with -aro)
-igi to make, to cause (transitivizer/causative) mortigi (to kill, from 'die'); purigi (to clean); konstruigi (to have built); igi (to cause)
-iĝi to become (intransitivizer/inchoative/middle voice) amuziĝi (to enjoy oneself); naskiĝi (to be born); ruĝiĝi (to blush, from 'red'); aniĝi (to join, from -ano); iĝi (to become)
-ilo an instrument ludilo (a toy, from 'play'); tranĉilo (a knife, from 'cut'); helpilo (a remedy, from 'help'); solvilo (a solution, from 'solve'); ilo (a tool); ilaro (equipment, set of tools, with -aro)
-ino female bovino (a cow); patrino (a mother); studentino (a co-ed); ino (a female)
-inda worthy of memorinda (memorable); kredinda (credible, from 'believe'); fidinda (dependable, trustworthy, from 'trust'); plorindaĵo (something to cry about, from 'weep, cry' and -aĵo); inda (worthy)
-ingo a holder, sheath glavingo (a scabbard, from 'sword'); kandelingo (a candle-holder); dentingo (a tooth socket); ŝraŭbingo (a nut, from 'bolt'), piedingo (stirrup, from 'foot'); kuglingo (a cartridge, from 'bullet'); ingo (a socket, etc.)
-ismo a doctrine, system (as in English) komunismo (Communism); kristanismo (Christianity); ismo (an ism)
-isto person professionally or avocationally occupied with an idea or activity (a narrower use than in English) instruisto (teacher); dentisto (dentist); abelisto (a beekeeper); komunisto (a communist); registaro (a government, from 'rule, govern' and -aro)
-njo feminine affectionate form; the root is truncated Jonjo (Joanie); panjo (mommy); anjo (granny); onjo (aunty); vanjo (nanny, from 'nurse'); aminjo (dear friend); la injoj (the 'girls', from -ino or -ido)
-obla multiple duobla (double); trioble (triply); oble (more than once)
-ono fraction duona (half [of]); centono (one hundredth); dekonaĵo (a tithe, from 'ten' and -aĵo); ono (a fraction); onigi (to divide into equal parts, with -igi)
-ope in a collective group of specific number duope (two together; by twos: = po du); triopo (a trilogy); kiomope (how many together?); arope (together in a group, from -aro); gutope (drop by drop, from 'drop'; = pogute); unuopa (isolated, individual); opo (a group, unit, team); opa (collective)
-ujo a (loose) container, country (archaic when referring to a political entity), a tree of a certain fruit (archaic) monujo (a purse, from 'money'); salujo (a saltshaker, from 'salt'); lavujo (a washbasin, from 'wash'); abelujo (a beehive, from 'bee'); Anglujo (England [Anglio in current usage]); Kurdujo (Kurdistan, the Kurdish lands); pomujo (appletree [now pomarbo]); ujo (a container)
-ulo one characterized by the root junulo (a youth); sanktulo (a saint, from 'holy'); abocoulo (a beginning reader, from aboco "ABC's"); mamulo (a mammal, from 'breast'); proksimulo (a neighbor, from 'near'); multinfanulino (a woman with many children, from multa 'many' and infano 'child'); senindulo (someone without merit, from 'without' and the suffix -ind); aĉulo ~ ulaĉo (a wretch, from the suffix aĉ); tiamulo (a contemporary, from 'then'); etulino (a wisp of a girl); ulo (a fellow)
-um- undefined ad hoc suffix
(used sparingly: see list)
kolumo (a collar, from 'neck'); krucumi (to crucify, from 'cross'); malvarmumo (a cold, from 'cold'); plenumi (to fulfill, from 'full'); brakumi (to hug, from 'arm'); amindumi (to woo, from 'lovable' [see -ind]); dekstrume (clockwise, from 'right'); kortumo (appellate court, from 'court(yard)'); mondumo (high society, from 'world'); komunumo (a community, from 'common'); proksimume (approximately, from 'near'); deksesuma (hexadecimal, from '16'); umo (a thingamajig); um … (uhm, uh, er)

List of prefixes[edit]

bo- relation by marriage, -in-law bopatro (a father-in-law); boparenciĝi (to marry into a family, from parenco 'a relative' and -iĝi); boedziĝi (to marry one's dead brother's wife, from edziĝi 'to marry'); boedzino (a sister-wife); boamiko ([jocular] a friend of one's spouse)
dis- separation, scattering disĵeti (to throw about, from 'throw'); dissendi (to distribute, from 'send'); disatomi (to split by atomic fission, from 'atom'); disliberiĝi (to escape in all directions, like pages dropping from a book with a disintegrated binding, from 'free' and -iĝi); dis! (scram!)
ek- beginning, sudden, or momentary action (often perfective) ekbrilo (a flash [of lightning], from 'shine'); ekami (to fall in love); ekkrii (to cry out); ekvidi (to catch sight of); eki (to start); ekde (inclusive 'from'); ek al la batalo! (off to war!); ek! (hop to!)
eks- former, ex- eksedzo (an ex-husband); eksbovo (a steer [jocular, from 'bull']); eksa (former); ekskutima (previously customary); Eks la estro! (Down with our leader!)
fi- shameful, nasty, disgusting, filthy fihomo (a wicked person); fimensa (foul-minded); fivorto (a profane word); fibuŝo (a dirty mouth); fibesto (vermin, from 'animal, beast'); fia (vile); fie! (For shame!); Fi al vi! (Shame on you!)
ge- both sexes together gepatroj (parents); gepatrano (a parent); gesinjoroj (ladies and gentlemen); la geZamenhofoj (the Zamenhofs); gelernejo (a coeducational school); gedormi (to sleep together); geulo (a hermaphrodite); geiĝi (to pair up, to mate); gea (heterosexual)
mal- antonym malgranda (small, from 'large'); malriĉa (poor, from 'rich'); malplena (empty, from 'full'); malino (a male [jocular], from -ino); maldekstrume (counter-clockwise [see -um]); nemalobeebla leĝo (a law that cannot be disobeyed, from obe- 'to obey'), mala (opposite)
mis- incorrectly, awry misloki (to misplace); misakuzi (to wrongly accuse); misfamiga (disparaging, from fama 'well-known' and the causative suffix -ig); mise (incorrectly)
pra- great-(grand-), primordial, primitive, proto- praavo (a great-grandfather); prapatro (a forefather); prabesto (a prehistoric beast); prahejmo (ancestral home); prahindeŭropa (Proto-Indoeuropean)
re- over again, back again resendi (to send back); rekonstrui (to rebuild); resalti (to rebound, from 'jump'); rediri (to repeat); reaboni (to renew a subscription, from 'subscribe'); rebrilo (reflection, glare, from 'shine'); reira bileto (a return ticket, from iri 'to go'); refoje (once again, from '[x] times'); ĝis (la) revido ("au revoir", from ĝis 'until' and vido 'sight')





kantobirdo (a songbird) versus birdokanto (a birdsong)
velŝipo (a sailship) versus ŝipvelo (a ship sail)
multekosta (expensive, with an adverbial -e-)








Some examples[edit]

amantino (a [female] lover)
aminda (lovable)
amema (loving)
malameti (to feel distaste for)
esperiga (hopeful [of a situation: inspiring hope])
Esperantujo (the Esperanto community)
Esperantaĉo (broken Esperanto)









Table of correlatives[edit]

("Each, every")
ki– ti– i– ĉi– neni–
Quality –a kia
(what a)
(such a)
(some kind/sort/type of)
(every kind/sort/type of)
(no kind/sort/type of)
Reason –al kial
(for some reason)
(for all reasons)
(for no reason)
Time –am kiam
Place –e kie
Manner –el kiel
(how, as)
(thus, as)
(in every way)
(no-how, in no way)
Association –es kies
(this/that one's)
(no one's)
Thing –o kio
Amount –om kiom
(how much)
(that much)
(some, a bit)
(all of it)
Individual –u kiu
(who, which one;
which [horse])
(that one;
that [horse])
some [horse])
each [horse], all [horses])
(no one;
no [horse])

Correlative particles[edit]


kio ajn (whatever)
io ajn (anything)
tiuj (those)
tiu ĉi (this one)
tiu for (that one yonder)
tien ĉi (hither [to here])
ĉiu hundo (each/every dog)
ĉiuj hundoj (all dogs)

An extension of the original paradigm[edit]





Interrogative vs relative pronouns[edit]


Kiu ŝtelis mian ringon? (Who stole my ring?)


Kia viro! (What a man!)







Masculine roots[edit]


The original setup[edit]


The current situation[edit]


We are left with several dozen fairly clearly masculine roots:

Basic words for domestic animals: koko (rooster);
The word for friend: amiko.



Feminine roots[edit]




Feminine personal names[edit]


Gendered pronouns[edit]







The antonymic prefix is highly productive among native-speaking children.

Proper names[edit]

The Japanese names "Akihito and Michiko" inflected in Latin as Akihitum et Michikam. Final vowels are often similarly changed to the inflectional suffix -o, -on in Esperanto.



Idioms and slang[edit]

There is less slang found in Esperanto than in many ethnic languages,[citation needed] because slang tends to make international communication difficult, thereby working against Esperanto's main purpose. However, some slang, as well as a fair amount of derivational wordplay, is used to spice up the language, and some idiomatic expressions have either been borrowed from Esperanto's source languages, or developed naturally over the course of Esperanto's history. There are also various expletives based on body functions and religion, as in English.





espo (Esperanto)
kaŭ (from kaj/aŭ 'and/or')


Word play[edit]



As in English, some slang is intentionally offensive, such as substituting the suffix -ingo (a sheath) for the feminine -ino in virino (a woman), for viringo (a cunt [a woman as a receptacle for a man]). However, such terms are usually coined to translate from English or other languages, and are rarely heard in conversation.

Cultural "in" words[edit]


Words and phrases reflect what speakers of a language talk about. Tellingly, Esperanto has a slang expression krokodili (to crocodile) for speaking a language other than Esperanto when Esperanto would be more appropriate, such as at an Esperanto convention, whereas there is nothing equivalent in English. It might have originated in the legend of crocodile tears, in that to come to an Esperanto function yet choose to speak one's own language could be viewed as hypocritical.




Artificial variants[edit]


jam temp’ está (it's time).





De novo creations[edit]

There are various "dialects" and pseudo-historical forms that have been created for literary uses in Esperanto. Two of the more notable are a substandard jargon, Popido, and a fictitious "archaic" version of Esperanto called Arcaicam Esperantom. Neither are used in conversation. (See Esperantido.)

False friends[edit]


eventuala (contingent), vs. rezulta (eventual)
konvena (suitable), vs. oportuna (convenient)
rento (dividend income), vs. lupago (rent)
paragrafo (section), vs. alineo (paragraph)



See also[edit]


  1. ^ Edmond Privat (1980) Esprimo de sentoj en Esperanto, ed. 4. Internacia Esperanto-Instituto, Den Haag.
  2. ^ -enda is a borrowing from Ido. It is often equivalent to the nonce passive conditional participle: pagenda 'payable', paguta 'that which would/should be paid'.
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ Plena analiza gramatiko, §309.
  5. ^ V is also an exception, as in ŝipvelo, perhaps because for Zamenhof it was intermediate in pronunciation between [v] and the sonorant [w]. V is also an exception to assimilation rules in Slavic languages.
  6. ^
  7. ^ For example the common preposition da, which has no exact equivalent in Romance and Germanic languages and is frequently misused by speakers of those languages, was defined in the PIV according to how it was misused by most French authors rather than to how it was used in Zamenhof's writings and by authors who follow his example. (Sergio Pokrovskij, 2007. Lingva Kritiko: Studoj kaj notoj pri la Internacia Lingvo[2])

External links[edit]

  • Reta Vortaro, an XML-based online dictionary of Esperanto with definitions in Esperanto and various other languages
  • "PV kaj PIV", Anna Lowenstein. Discussion of the Plena Vortaro and Plena Ilustrita Vortaro, and criticism of the latter.