Esperanto grammar

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Esperanto's grammar (rules of language) is meant to be simple. The rules in Esperanto never change and can always be applied in the same way.
## Articles 
Esperanto has only definite article *la* (the same thing as "the" in English) and no indefinite article (the same thing as "a" or "an" in English). They use definite article when they talk about things, about which they have already told something.

## Nouns, adjectives, adverbs 
Nouns end with *-o*. For example, *patr**o*** means *father*. To make a noun plural add -j. For example: *patro**j*** means *father**s***.

Adjectives end with *-a*, adverbs end with *-e*, for example *grand**a*** means *big*, *bon**a*** means *good*, *bon**e*** means *well*.

The *-n* ending is the mark of the direct object (the Accusative case) in nouns and adjectives. For example:
* *Mi vidas vin.* - I see you.
* *Li amas ŝin.* - He loves her.
* *Ili havas belan domon.* - They have a nice house.

In adjectives and adverbs is comparison made by words *pli* (*more*) and *plej* (*most*). For example:
* *pli granda* - bigger
* *plej granda* - biggest
* *pli rapide* - faster
* *plej rapide* - fastest

## Pronouns 
* Personal pronouns are: *mi* - I, *ci* - thou singular, *li* - he, *ŝi* - she, *ĝi* - it, *ni* - we, *vi* - you singular or plural, *ili* - they, *oni* - one/they, *si* (self). The pronoun *oni* is used for uncertain subject (like *man* in German). The pronoun *ci* means *thou* but people do not use it much. Instead they use *vi,* almost exclusively, as the singular form of you, or the plural form - you all.
* Possessive pronouns are made by adding of ending *-a* to a personal pronoun: *mia* - my, *cia* - your singular, *lia* - his, *ŝia* - her, *ĝia* - its, *nia* - our, *via* - your plural, *ilia* - their. People use possessive pronouns like adjectives.
* Accusative case (the *-n* ending) is used in pronouns as well: *min* - me, *cin* - thee, *lin* - him, *ŝin* - her, *ĝin* - it, *nin* - us, *vin* - you or you all, *ilin* - them.  As noted with ci, cin is very seldom used in modern spoken Esperanto.

So, to say how old somebody is in Esperanto, just say:
* *Lia aĝo estas dudek* = *He is twenty (20) years old*. (word for word: *His age is twenty (20).*)

## Verbs 
:**-is** – past tense**-as** – present tense**-os** – future tense]]

Verbs end with *-as* when they are in present tense. English uses *I am*, *you are*, *he is*. But in Esperanto, there is just one word for *am*, *are*, *is* - *estas*. Similarly, *kuras* can mean *run* or *runs*. Infinitives end with *-i*. For example, *esti* means *to be*, *povi* means *to can*. It is easy to make past tense - always add *-is* ending. To make future tense, add *-os*. For example:
* *kuri* - *to run*
* *mi kuras* - *I run*
* *vi kuras* - *you run*
* *li kuris* - *he ran*
* *ĝi kuros* - *it will run*

Many words can be made opposite by adding *mal* at the beginning.
* *bona* = *good*. *malbona* = *bad*
* *bone* = *well*, *malbone* = *poorly*
* *granda* = *big*, *malgranda* = *small*
* *peza* = *heavy*, *malpeza* = *light*

Examples of sentences which show the rules:
* ''* = *I can run fast.*
* ** = *You cannot run fast.*
* ** = *I am a boy.*
* ** = *I am a bad Esperantist.*

### Yes/No questions 
To make a yes-or-no question, add *Ĉu* at the beginning. For example:
* ** = *Do you speak Esperanto?*
* ** = *Yes, I speak Esperanto very well.*
* ** = *No, I am a beginner.*

Unlike in English, they can answer to a yes/no question only *jes* (yes) or *ne* (no).

## Numbers 
The numbers are:

Numbers like twenty-one (21) are made by their compounding by order of magnitude. For example: *dek tri* means thirteen (13), *dudek tri* means twenty-three (23), *sescent okdek tri* means six hundred eighty-three (683), *mil naŭcent okdek tri* means (one) thousand nine hundred and eighty-three (1983).

## Prefixes and suffixes 
Esperanto has over 20 special words which can change the meaning of another word. People put them before or after the root of a word.

These words combined can make very long words, such as *malmultekosta* (cheap), *vendredviandmanĝmalpermeso* (prohibition of eating a meat on Friday).

### Prefixes 
Prefixes are added before the root of the word.
* *bo-* – means "in-law". *Patro* means *father*, and *bopatro* means *father-in-law*.
* *dis-* – means "all or many directions". *Iri* means *to go*, and *disiri* means *to go in different directions*.
* *ek-* – means "start" of something. *Kuri* means *to run*, and *ekkuri* means *to start running*.
* *eks-* – makes the word "former". *Amiko* means *friend*, and *eksamiko* means *former friend*.
* *fi-* – makes the word worse. *Knabo* means *boy*, and *fiknabo* means *bad boy*; *odoro* means *smell*, and *fiodoro* means *bad smell*.
* *ge-* – changes meaning of a word to "both gender". *Frato* means *brother*, and *gefratoj* means *brother(s) and sister(s)*.
* *mal-* – makes the word opposite. *Bona* means *good*, and *malbona* means *bad*.
* *mis-* – means "wrong". *Kompreni* means *to understand*, and *miskompreni* means *to understand wrong*.
* *pra-* – means "prehistoric", "very old" or "primitive". *Homo* means *human*, and *prahomo* means *prehistoric human*.
* *re-* – means *again*. *Vidi* means *to see*, and *revidi* means *to see again*.

### Suffixes 
Suffixes are added after the root of the word, but before the ending.
* *-aĉ-* – makes the word uglier. *Domo* means *house*, *domaĉo* means *ugly house*.
* *-ad-* – means *continuous doing of something*. *Fari* means *to do*, and *Faradi* means *to do continuously*.
* *-aĵ-* – means *a thing*. *Bela* means *beautiful*, and *belaĵo* means *a beautiful thing*; *trinki* means *to drink*, and *trinkaĵo* means *a drink* ("something for drinking").
* *-an-* – means *member of something*. *Klubo* means *club*, and *klubano* means *a member of a club*.
* *-ar-* – means *many things of the same kind*. *Arbo* means *tree*, and *arbaro* means *forest*.
* *-ĉj-* – makes male diminutives. *Patro* means *father*, and *paĉjo* means *daddy*.
* *-ebl-*– means *ability* or *possibility*. *Manĝi* means *to eat*, and *manĝebla* means *eatable*.
* *-ec-* – means *quality*. *Granda* means *big*, and *grandeco* means *size*.
* *-eg-* – makes the word bigger. *Domo* means *house*, and *domego* means *big house*.
* *-ej-* – means *a place*. *Lerni* means *to learn*, and *lernejo* means *school* ("place for learning").
* *-em-* – means *tendency*. *Mensogi* means *to lie*, and *mensogema* means *with tendency to lie*.
* *-end-* – means *something which must be done*. *Pagi* means *to pay*, and *pagenda*, means *something which must be paid*.
* *-er-* – means *a bit of bigger group*. *Neĝo'* means *snow*, and *neĝero* means *snowflake*.
* *-estr-* – means *a chief of*. *Urbo* means *town*, and *urbestro* means *mayor* ("chief of a town").
* *-et-* – makes the word smaller. *Domo* means *house*, and *dometo* means *small house*.
* *-id-* – means *the child of*. *Kato* means *cat*, and *katido* means *kitten*.
* *-il-* – means *instrument*. *Ŝlosi* mens *to lock*, and *ŝlosilo* means *key* (an instrument for locking).
* *-ind-* – means *worthiness*. *Ami* means *to love*, and *aminda* means *something which is worth to be loved*.
* *-in-* – changes the gender of a word into female. *Patro* means *father*, and *patrino* means *mother*.
* *-ing-* – means *a holder*. *Kandelo* means *candle*, and *kandelingo* means *candlestick* ("a holder of a candle").
* *-ism-* – means *an ideology or movement*. *Nacio* means *nation*, *naciismo* means *nationalism*.
* *-ist-* – means *somebody who does something (perhaps as a job)*. *Baki* means *to bake* and *bakisto* means *baker*; *scienco* means *science*, and *sciencisto* means *scientist*. *Esperantisto* means *Esperanto speaker*.
* *-nj-* – makes female diminutives. *Patrino* means *mother*, and *panjo* means *mummy*.
* *-obl-* – means *times*. *Tri* means *three*, and *trioble* means *three times*. It also makes multiples. *Kvin* means *five*, and *kvinoblo* means *multiple of five*.
* *-on-* – makes fractions. *Kvar* means *four* (4), and *kvarono* means *quarter* (*one fourth of something*).
* *-uj-* – generally means *a vessel*. *Salo* means *salt*, and *salujo* means *salt shaker* ("a vessel for salt").
* *-ul-* – means *person of some quality*. *Juna* means *young*, and *junulo* means *young person*.
* *-um-'' is suffix for cases when is not able to do a word from other existing suffixes, preffixes or roots.
## References