To make words, Esperanto agglutinates (glues
together) parts:
prefixes + roots + postfixes + endings
(Some roots can function directly as words, but the vast
majority require some endings.)
All the possible endings in Esperanto:
Action (verb) |
= root |
+ |
i |
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or |
is or as or os |
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or |
us |
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or |
u |
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Thing (noun) |
= root |
+ |
o |
(+j) |
(+n) |
Description of a thing (adjective) |
= root |
+ |
a |
(+j) |
(+n) |
Description of action or other description word (adverb) |
= root |
+ |
e |
|
(+n) |
Examples of words built from parts:
am_ |
|
|
a root |
amo |
love |
o |
thing (noun) |
amoj |
loves (more than one love) |
j |
more than one thing (plural) |
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ami |
to love |
i |
action (infinitive) |
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amis |
loved |
is |
past (tense) action |
amas |
loves |
as |
present (tense) action |
amos |
will love |
os |
future (tense) action |
amus |
would love |
us |
conditional (tense) action |
amu |
love! |
u |
(imperative) influencing action |
ama |
loving |
a |
describes a thing (adjective) |
ame |
lovingly |
e |
describes an action (adverb) |
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amon |
love (as a thing given) |
n |
thing acted upon (direct object) |
More examples of words built from parts:
bird_ |
|
this is a root |
birdo |
a bird |
noun |
birda |
birdlike |
adjective |
bela |
beautiful |
another root + adjective ending |
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bela birdo |
beautiful bird |
adjective + noun |
blua birdo |
blue bird |
another adjectival root + noun |
birdoj |
birds |
plural |
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rapide |
rapidly |
another root with an adverb ending |
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flugi |
to fly |
infinitive of another root |
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flugis |
flew |
past tense |
flugas |
flies (is flying, does fly) - all the same |
presnt tense of an action |
flugos |
will fly |
future tense |
flugus |
would fly |
conditional |
flugu! |
fly! |
command |
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birdo flugas rapide |
a bird flies rapidly |
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birdo flugis bele |
a bird flew beautifully |
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silenta birdo flugos |
a silent bird will fly |
another root |
silente birdo flugas |
silently a bird flies |
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birdo flugus |
a bird would fly |
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silentu! |
silence! |
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