ESP 101: A mediocre introduction to Esperanto – Lesson 3

[Iac Marscheir]

Articles

Esperanto only has a definite article, la. It doesn't change. It's used approximately where English uses it, with the only main difference being that it can be used for general statements about an object, e.g. la leono mordas lit. "the lion bites," more like "lions bite". The indefinite article is implied. Knabo persekutas kato "a boy chases a cat"

Adjectives

Every adjective ends in -a. Every. Single. One.

Are you sure? you say.

YES!!!

Every single goddamn one!!!

Unless, of course, the noun it goes with is plural. Or in the accusative case. Adjectives agree in number (singular or plural) and case (nominative or accusative). But it's really simple. Just add -j for pluralized adjectives and -n for adjectives in the accusative. Same order, -jn for plural accusative adjectives. Here's a sample declension of an adjective and a noun for you:

man	singular	plural
nominative	viro	viroj
accusative	viron	virojn

good	singular	plural
nominative	bona	bonaj
accusative	bonan	bonajn

As for positioning, an adjective can go before or after a noun.

While I'm at it...

Pronouns

Pronouns ALWAYS end in -i. All. Of. Them!!!!

Are you tricking us? you say. NO!

Here are the pronouns:

PRONOUNS	Singular	Plural
1st person	Mi	Ni
2nd person	Ci	Vi
3rd person	Li, Ŝi, Ĝi	Ili

There's also a general pronoun, oni. Just like in Talossan. Sort of like "one" or a general "we" in English. Oni estas homoj. We are all humans. There's also a reflexive pronoun, si. Ili lavis sin, they washed themselves (thanks for that, Marcel). There aren't any verbs that require a reflexive pronoun. Ci has never been in common use. Just use vi.

Lots in this lesson, but it's pretty simple. I'll get around to something later on.

[Cresti Nouacastra-Läxhirescu]

What is the pronoun “Ci”...? Mi estas Esperantiso por pri du jarojn, kaj mi ne aŭdis pri tio antaŭe

[Marcel Eðo Pairescu Tafial]

Esperanto originally had a familiarity/politeness/number distinction in the second person, not unlike French. Ci was supposed to be used with close friends or relatives, or in situations with low formality, when talking to individuals. This distinction has since died down, making Vi the de facto only 2nd person pronoun.


EDIT: By the way, shouldnt it be "Ili lavas siN"? Its the direct object after all.

[Iac Marscheir]

Nov 10, 2017 0:25:01 GMT -6 Marcel Eðo Pairescu Tafial said:

Esperanto originally had a familiarity/politeness/number distinction in the second person, not unlike French. Ci was supposed to be used with close friends or relatives, or in situations with low formality, when talking to individuals. This distinction has since died down, making Vi the de facto only 2nd person pronoun.


EDIT: By the way, shouldnt it be "Ili lavas siN"? Its the direct object after all.

Yeah, soon after Zamenhof released the Unua Libro, he said “don’t use ci, just use vi.”

Also, you’re right. Lapse of attention. Actually, Zamenhof tried to get rid of the accusative case as well. But, as many of the unuaj Esperantistoj were Polish and German, it caught on way more quickly than he thought.

[Ián Tamorán S.H.]

Nov 10, 2017 0:25:01 GMT -6 Marcel Eðo Pairescu Tafial said:

Esperanto originally had a familiarity/politeness/number distinction in the second person, not unlike French. Ci was supposed to be used with close friends or relatives, or in situations with low formality, when talking to individuals. This distinction has since died down, making Vi the de facto only 2nd person pronoun....

English is the odd one out here. We used to use "thee/thou" for singular and familiar, and "you" for plural/polite - but we gave up on that. At least, most of us gave up on that. In Yorkshire and other point Up t'North they still use thee/thou. And what about all those (?old?) hymns that use Thee for speaking to/about God? And what about "...who takest away the sins of the world..." clearly indicates a singular. "Th'art an idiot" is less severe than "you're an idiot"; "Thine eyes are stars of morning, Thy lips are crimson flowers..." ... now who would want to say that in the plural, eh?

... Oh, I forgot... this is Talossa