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Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Numbers & Mathematics

Numbers & Mathematics Vocabulary Cardinal Numbers Esperanto English Notes nulo 0 zero unu 1 one du 2 two tri 3 three kvar 4 four kvin 5 five ses 6 six sep 7 seven ok 8 eight naŭ 9 nine dek 10 ten dek unu 11 eleven (dek + unu) dek du 12 twelve dek tri 13 thirteen dudek 20 twenty (du + dek) tridek 30 thirty kvardek 40 forty kvindek...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels ›

B1 — Intermediate

What You Can Do at B1 At B1 you can: Communicate independently on a wide range of familiar topics without preparation Narrate events, experiences, and plans in detail across all tenses Read authentic Esperanto texts with occasional dictionary use Understand the main points of clear standard Esperanto on familiar topics Write clear text on topics of personal interest Describe experiences and explain opinions and plans Handle most situations while traveling...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Time & Calendar

Time & Calendar Vocabulary Esperanto Part of Speech English Example tempo noun time La tempo pasas rapide. horo noun hour La prelego daŭras du horojn. minuto noun minute Mi alvenos post kvin minutoj. sekundo noun second Ĝi daŭris nur kelkajn sekundojn. tago noun day La tago estas longa en somero. semajno noun week Ni renkontiĝos post unu semajno. monato noun month Aprilo estas mia preferata monato. jaro noun year La...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Body & Health

Body & Health Vocabulary Body Parts Esperanto Part of Speech English Example korpo noun body La homa korpo estas kompleksa. kapo noun head Mia kapo doloraĉas hodiaŭ. haroj noun (pl.) hair Ŝia hararo estas longa kaj nigra. vizaĝo noun face Li havas amikan vizaĝon. frunto noun forehead La infano havas febron — la frunto estas varmega. okulo noun eye Ŝi havas belajn bluajn okulojn. orelo noun ear La muziko estas...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced › C1 Lessons ›

Lesson 1: Classical and Literary Esperanto

Overview Literary Esperanto represents the highest achievement of the language's cultural life — proof that an artificially constructed language can bear the full weight of human creative expression. From Zamenhof's earliest verse experiments in the 1880s to William Auld's monumental epic La Infana Raso (1956) and the contemporary short-story tradition, Esperanto literature has developed its own aesthetic norms, its own canonical works, and its own debates about what constitutes authentic...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 14: Feelings and Emotions

Overview Talking about emotions is one of the most personal and important uses of any language. Esperanto provides a rich system for emotional expression: basic emotion nouns and adjectives, verb forms for experiencing emotions, and the productive suffix -iĝ- for describing emotional transitions (becoming happy, getting angry, being amazed). The language also has warm, human phrases for checking in on others and offering comfort. The suffix -iĝ- (to become, intransitive...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C2 — Mastery › C2 Lessons ›

Lesson 3: Simultaneous Interpretation Practice

Overview Simultaneous interpretation ( samtemplingva interpretado ) is the most cognitively demanding application of any language at any level. At the C2 Esperanto level, the practitioner is not merely translating words in real time — they are simultaneously listening, comprehending, reformulating in the target language, monitoring their own output, predicting syntactic completions, and managing memory load across complex, sometimes technical discourse. The Esperanto congress circuit, particularly the Universala Kongreso (UK),...

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Grammar

Grammar Index Esperanto's grammar is famously concise — 16 rules, no exceptions. This section provides comprehensive reference material for each grammar topic, from core structures to advanced usage. Topic Description Affixes All 9 prefixes (bo-, dis-, ek-, eks-, fi-, ge-, mal-, mis-, pra-, re-) and 18+ suffixes — the key to Esperanto's productive word-building system Correlatives The complete 45-form table (ki-, ti-, ĉi-, neni-, i- × -o, -a, -e, -el,...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Culture & Society

Culture & Society Vocabulary Arts & Culture Esperanto Part of Speech English Example kulturo noun culture Esperanto havas propran riĉan kulturon. arto noun art La arto esprimas la homan animon. muziko noun music Muziko estas universala lingvo. pentristo noun painter La fama pentristo ekspoziciis en Parizo. pentrado noun painting (activity) Li dediĉas sin al la pentrado. pentraĵo noun painting (artwork) La pentraĵo estas en la nacia muzeo. skulptaĵo noun sculpture...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 5: Colors and Adjectives

Overview Adjectives are the color palette of language. They allow you to move beyond bare nouns and verbs toward descriptions that capture the world's variety: not just "a book" but "a thick red book," not just "a house" but "a small old house near the forest." Esperanto adjectives follow one simple rule — they always end in -a — and they agree with their noun in number (plural -aj )....

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Food & Drink

Food & Drink Vocabulary Esperanto Part of Speech English Example manĝaĵo noun food La manĝaĵo en tiu restoracio estas bonega. trinkaĵo noun drink, beverage Kian trinkaĵon vi volas? manĝi verb to eat Ni manĝas tagmanĝon je la deka horo. trinki verb to drink Ŝi trinkas kafon ĉiumatene. matenmanĝo noun breakfast La matenmanĝo estas preta je la 7a. tagmanĝo noun lunch Ni manĝas tagmanĝon kune ĉiutage. vespermanĝo noun dinner La vespermanĝo...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels ›

B2 — Upper Intermediate

What You Can Do at B2 At B2 you can: Communicate fluently and spontaneously with native speakers without strain Discuss abstract topics — philosophy, ethics, politics, science — with nuance Read most authentic Esperanto texts including literature and journalism Understand native-speed speech including podcasts, radio, and YouTube Write clear, detailed texts on a wide range of subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors, and cohesive devices Follow complex argumentation...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Emotions & Character

Emotions & Character Vocabulary Basic Emotions Esperanto Part of Speech English Example sento noun feeling, emotion Ŝia sento al muziko estas profunda. ĝojo noun joy, happiness La ĝojo estis videbla sur ŝia vizaĝo. feliĉo noun happiness, bliss Feliĉo estas pli ol mono. feliĉa adjective happy La infanoj estas feliĉaj en la parko. malfeliĉo noun unhappiness, sadness Post la malvenko, malfeliĉo kovris la teamon. tristeco noun sadness Tristeco pleniĝis en lia...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 4: Reported Speech and Indirect Discourse

Overview Reporting what others have said is one of the most frequent communicative acts in any language — in journalism, academic writing, everyday conversation, and narrative. Esperanto handles reported speech differently from English in one crucial way: there is no tense backshift . When English changes "I am tired" to "he said he was tired," Esperanto keeps the original tense: Li diris, ke li estas laca — the estas (present)...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 12: B1 Review and Path to B2

Overview You have reached the end of the B1 curriculum. This lesson brings together everything covered in Lessons 1–11 into a consolidated review. At B1 you have mastered the full accusative system, the six-participle system and compound tenses, Esperanto word-building including suffix stacking, the passive voice and oni constructions, the conditional mood, a full range of dependent clauses and discourse connectors, advanced numbers, formal register, and reading strategies for authentic...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 8: Idioms and Set Phrases

Overview Every mature language has a layer of meaning that sits above the literal: idioms, proverbs, fixed collocations, and set phrases that speakers use automatically and that learners cannot understand from the component words alone. Esperanto is no exception. While its systematic morphology makes most vocabulary transparent, idiomatic expressions — where ŝuti akvon en la maron means "to do something pointless" (literally "to pour water into the sea"), not any...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced › C1 Lessons ›

Lesson 8: Culture and Literature of Esperantujo

Overview Esperantujo — literally "Esperanto-land," the suffix -ujo being used for countries and containers — is the name Esperantists give to the dispersed, borderless community that is their cultural and social home. Unlike any other language community in the world, Esperantujo has no geography: it exists wherever two or more Esperantists meet, at congresses in Rotterdam and Seoul, in Pasporta Servo guest homes from Iceland to Patagonia, in Discord servers...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 7: Time, Days, and Months

Overview Time expressions are indispensable for scheduling, storytelling, and describing daily routines. In Esperanto, the days of the week and months of the year are closely related to their Latin and international equivalents, making them among the easiest vocabulary sets for European-language speakers to acquire. Telling the time follows a clear, logical pattern using the ordinal numbers from Lesson 3. And Esperanto's system of temporal adverbs — hodiaŭ (today), hieraŭ...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Grammar ›

Verbs

Overview Esperanto verbs are completely regular — there are zero irregular verbs . Every verb in the language follows the same pattern: root + ending. The root never changes. You only need to learn the endings. Verbs in Esperanto do not conjugate for: Person (I speak / you speak / he speaks — all use the same ending) Number (singular or plural subject — same ending) Gender They only change...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced › C1 Lessons ›

Lesson 2: Vortaro and Etymology

Overview At C1 level, your relationship with vocabulary shifts from acquisition to mastery and analysis. You no longer simply look up words — you interrogate them: where did this root come from, why did Zamenhof choose it over the alternative, what exactly does the PIV definition say, and how does usage in the Tekstaro corpus differ from the dictionary's normative description? This meta-lexical awareness is what separates the advanced speaker...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate ›

B2 Lessons

B2 Lesson List These twelve planned lessons take you from independent user (B1) to advanced user (B2), covering complex grammar, stylistic choices, authentic publication reading, and argumentative language. # Lesson Focus 1 Advanced Correlative Combinations tiun ajn , ĝis kiam , tiel ke , kia ajn — correlatives in complex syntactic environments 2 Aspect and the Participle System Nuanced compound tenses: estis kantinta vs. kantis ; the complete aspect spectrum...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C2 — Mastery › C2 Lessons ›

Lesson 1: Creative Writing in Esperanto

Overview Creative writing in Esperanto is not merely translation practice — it is a distinct literary tradition with its own canon, prizes, and aesthetic debates spanning over a century. At the C2 level, the learner ceases to be a student of the language and becomes a contributor to it: someone capable of crafting a short story whose narrative voice is deliberate and consistent, of writing a sonnet whose rhyme scheme...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 12: Hobbies and Free Time

Overview Discussing hobbies and leisure activities is a staple of early conversation in any language. In Esperanto, hobbies give us an excellent opportunity to practise two important grammar tools: the -ad- suffix for continuous or habitual actions, and ĉu yes/no questions. We will also learn the crucial distinction between ŝati (to like) and ami (to love). Learning Objectives By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Name...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 3: Transitivity and Causatives

Overview Transitivity — whether a verb takes a direct object or not — is one of the most systematically handled features in Esperanto. Where English relies on context or separate vocabulary to distinguish "I moved" (intransitive) from "I moved the chair" (transitive), Esperanto has dedicated morphological tools: -ig- makes a verb causative/transitive, and -iĝ- makes a verb intransitive/inchoative. This two-suffix system lets you derive an entire family of semantically related...

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Speaking Esperanto

The Unique Speaking Opportunity Esperanto is one of the very few languages where a beginner can speak with a large, genuinely welcoming international community within weeks of starting. Unlike learning French (where beginners often meet impatience from native speakers) or Mandarin (where the tonal system makes early speaking painful), Esperanto speakers are uniformly encouraging of learners at all levels. More importantly: Esperanto has in-person events where the language is used...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C2 — Mastery › C2 Lessons ›

Lesson 5: The Esperanto Literary Canon

Overview Every mature language has a canon — a body of works considered central to the tradition, read, debated, and taught across generations. Esperanto, at 138 years old, has developed a genuine if compact literary canon, and engaging with it at C2 level means more than recognizing authors' names: it means having read key texts, being able to discuss their linguistic and literary qualities with precision, situating them in the...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C2 — Mastery › C2 Lessons ›

Lesson 6: KER C2 Exam Preparation

Overview The KER examinations — Komuna Eŭropa Referenckadro assessments aligned with the CEFR — are the official Esperanto language certificates recognized by the Universala Esperanto-Asocio. The C2 level examination is the highest and most demanding, administered only at the Universala Kongreso. Passing it represents official recognition of mastery: the certificate attests that the holder can understand virtually everything they encounter in Esperanto, express themselves with spontaneous precision, and distinguish finer...

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Prepositions

Overview Esperanto prepositions each have a precise, consistent meaning. Unlike English (where "at," "in," and "on" overlap in complex ways) or German (where prepositions trigger different cases), Esperanto prepositions always have the same meaning and are always followed by the nominative (base form) — unless you are adding the accusative -n to indicate direction or destination (see the -n rule section below). This makes Esperanto prepositions far easier to master...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 15: A1 Review and Consolidation

Overview Congratulations — you have reached the end of the A1 level! This lesson contains no new grammar. Instead, it consolidates everything you have learned across all 15 lessons: every grammatical ending, the core suffixes, the most essential vocabulary, and the key phrases you need for basic survival communication in Esperanto. Use this lesson as a reference page, a self-test, and a launching pad toward A2. Learning Objectives By the...

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Writing in Esperanto

Why Writing Is Essential for Consolidating Grammar Speaking allows you to communicate with imperfect grammar and rely on real-time feedback. Reading lets you skip over confusing passages. But writing forces you to make explicit choices: Which case ending does this noun take here? Is this verb transitive? Does the adjective agree? Is this the right preposition? Writing is uniquely powerful for grammar consolidation because it creates a permanent record of...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C2 — Mastery › C2 Lessons ›

Lesson 7: Contributing to the Esperanto Community

Overview Achieving C2 mastery in Esperanto is not the end of a journey — it is the beginning of a different kind of engagement. At C2 level, the learner has acquired enough language to give back to the community that supported their learning: by writing for Esperanto publications, teaching new learners, hosting travelers, contributing to Vikipedio, translating literature and software, organizing events, and building the digital infrastructure through which new...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced › C1 Lessons ›

Lesson 6: Translation Studies

Overview Translation is woven into the very fabric of Esperanto culture. Zamenhof himself was a prolific translator — his Esperanto versions of works by Shakespeare, Schiller, Goethe, Molière, and the Hebrew Bible were intended as demonstrations of the language's literary adequacy. William Auld's translation of Shakespeare's sonnets is considered among the finest translations in the language; his choices of how to render the sonnets' dense compressed imagery into the different...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 7: Questions and Expressing Opinions

Overview Being able to ask questions and share opinions are two of the most important skills for real conversation. In Esperanto, questions are formed with striking clarity: the particle ĉu marks yes/no questions without any word-order change, and the correlative ki- words (from Lesson 2) handle all information questions. There are no question inversions, no auxiliary verb changes — just add ĉu or a ki- word and you have a...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 13: Body and Health

Overview Describing health and body parts is one of the most practically important topics for any language learner. This lesson covers the names of major body parts, health-related vocabulary, and three key grammar patterns: the dative construction for pain ( doloras al mi ), the productive -ist- suffix for professions, and the verb senti (to feel) with adjectives. Learning Objectives By the end of this lesson you will be able...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 2: Greetings and Introductions

Overview Greetings are the gateway to every language, and in Esperanto they carry special weight because every encounter between two Esperantists is also an act of solidarity — a shared commitment to a language that belongs to no single nation. When you say "Saluton!" to another speaker, you are participating in a 140-year tradition of people choosing communication over separation. Learning greetings and introductions in Esperanto is therefore not just...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Methodology ›

Immersion

Immersion in Esperanto "Immersion" means surrounding yourself with the language as much as possible — not just during study sessions but throughout your day. For Esperanto, immersion is unusually accessible because of the online community and the Pasporta Servo network. Why Immersion Works When you encounter language in meaningful, varied contexts: New vocabulary sticks faster (spaced repetition in real life) Grammar becomes intuitive rather than consciously applied rules Listening comprehension...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 6: Advanced Word Building

Overview Esperanto's word-building system is its most celebrated feature. Unlike English, which acquires new vocabulary mainly by borrowing from other languages (often opaque to learners: "serendipity," "ubiquitous," "ephemeral"), Esperanto builds new words by combining a small set of roots and affixes that learners already know. This means that a word like malakcepteblaĵo (an unacceptable thing) is fully transparent to anyone who knows mal- (opposite), akcepti (to accept), -ebl- (possible), -a...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 2: The Participle System

Overview Esperanto's participle system is one of its most elegant and comprehensive grammatical features. Where English has only two participles (the present "singing" and the past "sung"), Esperanto has six: three active (describing the subject performing the action) and three passive (describing the subject receiving the action), each specifying whether the action is ongoing, completed, or upcoming relative to the main timeline. This gives Esperanto extraordinary precision in expressing the...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 2: Correlatives — ki-, ti-, i-

Overview Esperanto's correlatives (tabelvortoj — table words) are one of the most celebrated features of the language. They form a perfectly regular table: nine meaning-endings combine with five prefixes to produce 45 words that cover everything from "what" to "everything" to "nothing". Once you understand the table, you know all 45 words without memorizing each one separately. This lesson covers three of the five prefix columns: ki- (question/relative words, like...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 3: Correlatives — ĉi- and neni-

Overview In Lesson 2 you learned three columns of the correlative table: ki- (questions), ti- (demonstratives), and i- (indefinites). This lesson completes the table with the two remaining columns: ĉi- (universal — every, all, each) and neni- (negative — no, none, nothing, never). Together all five columns form the complete Esperanto correlative system. Beyond completing the table, this lesson introduces two important extensions: adding the accusative -n and plural -j...

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Grammar Overview

Esperanto Grammar in Brief Esperanto's grammar can be summarized in 16 rules as written by Zamenhof in the original Fundamento de Esperanto (1905). These rules cover the entire grammatical system — there are no exceptions. Mastering these 16 rules gives you full command of Esperanto grammar. This is not an exaggeration: the 16 rules fit on a single page, and they have remained essentially unchanged for 130 years. The 16...

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Numbers

Overview Esperanto numbers are simple and fully systematic. Cardinal numbers are invariable — they never take plural -j or accusative -n . Only the nouns and adjectives following them take normal agreement. The exceptions are miliono and miliardo , which are regular nouns (they do take -j and -n ). Beyond cardinals, a system of suffixes generates ordinals, multiplicatives, fractions, and collectives from the same roots. Cardinal Numbers (Basic) Number...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 2: Aspect and Participle Nuance

Overview Esperanto's participle system is one of its most expressive features — and one of the most misunderstood by intermediate learners. While basic Esperanto allows you to say everything with simple past, present, and future tenses, the six active and passive participles (-anta/-inta/-onta, -ata/-ita/-ota) provide nuances that no periphrasis can fully replace: the difference between is being written (ongoing process, -ata) and is written (completed state, -ita) is not merely...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 15: A2 Review and Path to B1

Overview You have reached the end of the A2 course. In 14 lessons you have covered the three tenses, the complete correlative table, ten productive affixes, prepositions with the directional accusative, and a rich set of communicative topics from travel to emotions to restaurant ordering. This final lesson consolidates everything: a full grammar summary, a 150-word core vocabulary list, a self-assessment of CEFR A2 competencies, and a preview of what...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Skills ›

Pronunciation

The 28-Letter Alphabet Esperanto has 28 letters , each corresponding to exactly one sound. There are no silent letters, no ambiguous vowels, and no spelling exceptions. If you can read the letters, you can pronounce every Esperanto word correctly. The full alphabet in order: A B C Ĉ D E F G Ĝ H Ĥ I J Ĵ K L M N O P R S Ŝ T U Ŭ...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Education & Learning

Education & Learning Vocabulary Esperanto Part of Speech English Example edukado noun education La edukado estas ŝlosilo al sukceso. lernejo noun school La infanoj iras al lernejo je la 8a. universitato noun university Ŝi studas ĉe la universitato de Berlino. kolegio noun college Li estas en kolegio por inĝeniereco. lernanto noun student (school) La lernantoj prepariĝas por la ekzameno. studento noun student (university) La studentoj faras demonstradon por pli da...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels ›

A1 — Breakthrough

What You Can Do at A1 At A1 you can: Introduce yourself and ask about others (name, age, nationality, occupation) Use basic greetings and farewells (Saluton, Ĝis, Bonan matenon) Count to 1000 and use numbers in context Name common objects, colors, and everyday items Form simple present-tense sentences Ask and answer yes/no questions Express basic needs (I want, I have, I need) Understand very slow, clearly articulated Esperanto Core Grammar...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 10: Talking About the Past

Overview Knowing the -is past tense (from Lesson 1) is just the beginning of telling stories and recounting past events. Fluent past-tense narration also requires the ability to sequence events (first, then, finally), describe how long things lasted (I worked for two hours), frame the time period (when I was young, two years ago), and talk about frequency (I often did X, I never did Y). These are the tools...

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Vocabulary

Vocabulary Overview Esperanto vocabulary learning is highly efficient because: Roots are shared with European languages — most roots come from Latin, Romance, Germanic, and Slavic sources Word building multiplies roots — learning one root gives you 4+ words (noun/adj/adv/verb forms) plus derivations No vocabulary exceptions — words mean what their components suggest Frequency is concentrated — the top 500 roots cover ~80% of everyday text Sections Section Contents Frequency Lists...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 11: Letter and Email Writing at B2

Overview Written correspondence is a foundational communicative act in Esperanto culture, far more than in most national languages. Before the internet, letters were the primary way Esperantists connected across the world — through pen-pal networks, the Pasporta Servo host system, club correspondence, and letters to magazine editors. That tradition has not disappeared; it has migrated to email while retaining many of the formal conventions of traditional letter-writing. Whether you are...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Work & Professions

Work & Professions Vocabulary Jobs and Professions Esperanto Part of Speech English Example laboro noun work Mia laboro estas interesa kaj bone pagita. labori verb to work Li laboras en teknologia firmao. laboristo noun worker, laborer La laboristoj streĉas por pli altaj pagoj. dungisto noun employer La dungisto ofertis pli altan salajron. dungito noun employee La dungitoj estas kontentaj kun la salajro. oficisto noun office worker La oficistoj laboras de...

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Affixes

Overview Affixes are one of Esperanto's most powerful features. A single set of 9 prefixes and 18+ suffixes allows you to derive thousands of words from a smaller set of roots. Crucially, these affixes are themselves roots — they can stand alone as words when given an appropriate ending. Example of productivity: From the single root labor- (work): labori (to work), laboro (work/n.), labora (working/adj.), labore (laboriously) laboristo (worker), laborejo...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Nature & Environment

Nature & Environment Vocabulary Animals Esperanto Part of Speech English Example besto noun animal La besto kuras tra la arbaro. hundo noun dog La hundo ludas en la parko. kato noun cat La kato dormas sur la sofo. birdo noun bird La birdo kantas en la mateno. fiŝo noun fish La fiŝoj naĝas en la lago. ĉevalo noun horse La ĉevalo kuras rapide sur la kampo. bovо noun cow La...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 13: Work and Daily Life

Overview Work and daily routines are among the most common topics in any language — they come up in almost every introductory conversation. This lesson brings together the vocabulary of professional life with the grammar tools you have already learned: past/present/future tenses, the suffixes -ist- and -ej-, and time expressions. The result is the ability to talk fluently about what you do, where you work, what your day looks like,...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced › C1 Lessons ›

Lesson 5: Esperanto Linguistics

Overview Esperanto is the only planned language in history to have achieved a self-sustaining speech community, an original literature, a cadre of native speakers, and — uniquely — a formal governing body that deliberates on its evolution. This makes it an object of exceptional linguistic interest: it is a controlled natural experiment in language emergence, spread, and change, allowing linguists to observe processes that in natural languages are obscured by...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 8: Making Comparisons

Overview Making comparisons is fundamental to describing the world around us. Esperanto provides a clean, logical system for all types of comparison. There are no irregular comparative or superlative forms — unlike English (good/better/best) or German, every comparison follows the same pattern. Once you know pli (more), malplej (least), and same kiel (as...as), you can compare anything. A particularly expressive structure is pli kaj pli (more and more), which allows...

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CEFR Levels

CEFR and Esperanto The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) maps onto Esperanto through the official KER (Komuna Eŭropa Referenckadro) exam system. The Universala Esperanto-Asocio (UEA) and affiliated organizations administer official proficiency exams at multiple levels, and the descriptions align with standard CEFR can-do statements. Because Esperanto is so regular, learners progress through CEFR levels significantly faster than in any national language — often 5–10× faster than in...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 10: Getting Around

Overview Whether you are navigating a city or finding your way to an Esperanto congress venue, the ability to ask for directions and name places is essential. This lesson introduces key location vocabulary, direction words, and transport terms. You will also learn the correlative -e words for place (kie, tie, ie, ĉie, nenie), and the constructions iri al (to go to) and veni de (to come from). Learning Objectives By...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Methodology ›

Common Mistakes

Top 10 Common Mistakes by English Speakers Even with Esperanto's regularity, English speakers bring specific habits and expectations from English that cause predictable errors. Knowing these in advance helps you avoid them. Mistake 1: Forgetting the Accusative (-n) The Error: Treating Esperanto like English where word order determines grammatical role. Wrong: Mi vidas la hundо. (word order suggests "dog" is object, but it needs -n) Correct: Mi vidas la hundon....

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 11: Reading Strategies for B1

Overview At B1 you have accumulated enough grammar and vocabulary to begin reading authentic Esperanto texts — material written for fluent speakers, not for learners. This is a qualitative leap that requires not just more vocabulary, but different reading strategies. Unlike a textbook exercise where every word has been carefully controlled, authentic texts contain words you have never seen and constructions that may initially seem opaque. The key insight is...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Skills ›

Building Esperanto Vocabulary

The Fundamental Insight: Roots × Affixes = Thousands of Words Esperanto has approximately 500–600 core roots that a learner needs to reach functional fluency (B1–B2). Compare that to the 3,000–5,000 words typically needed for the same level in French or German. Why the difference? Because Esperanto's affix system is fully productive and completely regular . You do not just learn a word — you learn a root that can be...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Grammar ›

Word Building

Overview Word building ( vortfarado ) is the heart of Esperanto's efficiency. A vocabulary of ~2,000 roots combined with the system of affixes gives you access to tens of thousands of words . More importantly, you can understand and create new words you've never seen before — because the system is completely transparent and predictable. The Four Word Classes from One Root Any Esperanto root can be used as a...

Language Learning ›

Learn Esperanto

Why Esperanto? Esperanto is the world's most widely spoken constructed international language, with an estimated 2 million speakers across more than 120 countries. Created by L.L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was designed from the ground up to be easy, fair, and culturally neutral. For anyone interested in languages, Esperanto is one of the most strategically valuable investments you can make. Fastest language to fluency. Studies suggest Esperanto takes approximately 150–200...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 14: Daily Routines

Overview Talking about your daily routine is one of the most common conversational topics and a great way to practise present-tense verbs and time expressions. This lesson introduces vocabulary for meals and daily activities, time adverbs for morning through night, and the highly productive -iĝ- suffix for becoming or changing state. You will also learn to use post (after) and antaŭ (before) with nouns. Learning Objectives By the end of...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 5: Passive Voice

Overview The passive voice allows a speaker to shift focus from the performer of an action to the recipient of that action — from "Maria wrote the letter" to "The letter was written." This shift is essential in formal writing, academic and scientific texts, news reporting, and any context where the agent (the doer) is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately withheld. Esperanto forms the passive voice in a precise, transparent way...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 8: The Home

Overview The home is one of the most immediate and universal topics in language learning. You spend more time in your home than almost anywhere else, and being able to describe it — its rooms, its furniture, its layout — is both practical and deeply personal. In Esperanto, home vocabulary illustrates one of the language's most useful word-building suffixes: -ej- , which means "the place for [activity or purpose]." From...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 4: Prefixes — mal-, ek-, re-, dis-, mis-

Overview Esperanto's affixes are one of its greatest strengths. A small number of prefixes and suffixes, each with a clear and consistent meaning, can be attached to any compatible root to create thousands of new words. This lesson covers five important prefixes: mal- (opposite), ek- (sudden start or brief action), re- (again or back), dis- (apart or scattered), and mis- (wrongly or incorrectly). Mastering these five prefixes alone will dramatically...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 6: The Conditional Mood

Overview The conditional mood — marked in Esperanto by the verb ending -us — expresses actions that are contingent on certain conditions, events that might or could happen, wishes and desires about non-real situations, and polite, softened requests. It is the mood of hypotheticals, dreams, and diplomatic communication. In English this meaning is expressed using modal auxiliaries like "would," "could," and "might," which can be irregular and confusing. In Esperanto,...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 10: Debate and Argumentation Language

Overview The ability to participate in formal debate and structured argumentation is a key B2 skill across all languages, and Esperanto has a particularly rich tradition of formal discourse through the Universala Kongreso, TEJO (the World Esperanto Youth Organization), and the Akademio de Esperanto. These forums demand a specific language toolkit: ways to assert your position clearly, acknowledge opposing views gracefully, refute them precisely, hedge uncertain claims, and express degrees...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary ›

A2 Lessons

About These Lessons This course of 15 lessons develops your Esperanto from A1 to CEFR A2 level. Each lesson combines grammar instruction, vocabulary building, a realistic dialogue, and three practice exercises. The lessons progress from core grammar (tenses, correlatives, affixes) through practical communicative topics (travel, restaurants, work, emotions) to a final comprehensive review. By the end of Lesson 15 you will be able to handle familiar everyday situations, describe your...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 9: Advanced Numbers

Overview At A1/A2 you learned the basic number system up to the hundreds and thousands, as well as ordinal numbers and simple arithmetic. At B1 it is time to extend this foundation to the full range of numerical expression that appears in authentic Esperanto texts: large numbers used in statistics, news, and academic contexts; fractions and decimals for scientific and commercial language; and the highly productive Esperanto number suffixes (-obl-,...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate ›

B1 Lessons

B1 Lesson List These twelve lessons cover all core B1 grammar and skills, building on the A1/A2 foundation to bring you to independent, confident Esperanto use. # Lesson Focus 1 The Accusative Case In Depth Direct object, direction, time measure, flexible word order 2 The Participle System All 6 participles (-ant-/-int-/-ont-/-at-/-it-/-ot-), compound tenses 3 Compound Words Modifier-first compounding, joining vowel, productive heads (-ĉambro, -lando) 4 Word Building Mastery Deriving all...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C2 — Mastery › C2 Lessons ›

Lesson 8: C2 Mastery Review

Overview This final lesson is both a capstone review and a launching point. It maps the complete competency profile of the C2 Esperantist, provides a comprehensive grammar reference for verification and revision, surveys the vocabulary domains that define mastery, and addresses the philosophically interesting question of what distinguishes a C2 certificated speaker from a denaskulo — someone who grew up with Esperanto as a home language. It also addresses the...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced › C1 Lessons ›

Lesson 10: C1 Review and Path to C2

Overview You have worked through nine demanding lessons covering literary Esperanto, lexicography and etymology, professional communication, participial nuance, linguistics, translation studies, public speaking, community culture, and institutional life. This final lesson serves three purposes: to consolidate what you have learned through a systematic C1 competency audit, to provide the advanced vocabulary resources you need to maintain and grow at this level, and to map the specific path from C1 to...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Methodology ›

Time Estimates

Time Estimates for Learning Esperanto Esperanto Is Unusually Fast to Learn Multiple studies and decades of anecdotal evidence support the finding that Esperanto is dramatically faster to learn than natural languages. The reasons are structural: No irregular verbs — zero exceptions in the entire verb system No grammatical gender — eliminates an entire category of memorization Predictable word building — one root + affixes = many words; vocabulary compounds efficiently...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels ›

C2 — Mastery

What You Can Do at C2 C2 represents complete mastery of Esperanto. At this level you can: Understand virtually everything heard or read with ease Summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation Express yourself spontaneously, very fluently, and precisely — differentiating finer shades of meaning even in complex situations Write sophisticated literary and technical texts Interpret professionally between Esperanto and other...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Grammar ›

Sentence Structure

Overview Esperanto's default word order is Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) , the same as English, French, and most European languages. However, unlike those languages, Esperanto marks grammatical relations with case endings , not position. The accusative -n on a noun signals that it is the object, regardless of where it appears in the sentence. This means word order in Esperanto is grammatically free but pragmatically constrained — you move constituents to signal...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Skills ›

Reading in Esperanto

Why Esperanto Reading Is Uniquely Rewarding Esperanto's regular morphology makes reading a qualitatively different experience from reading most natural languages. When you encounter an unfamiliar word, you can often decode its meaning: the root is transparent, the suffix tells you the grammatical category, and the prefix (if any) modifies the meaning systematically. Sennombra = sen- (without) + nombr- (number) + -a (adjective) = "countless / innumerable." You have never seen...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 1: Advanced Correlative Combinations

Overview At A2 and B1 you learned the basic correlative table — tio, kio, ĉio, nenio, io; tie, kie, ĉie, nenie, ie. At B2 the real power of this system opens up. Esperanto correlatives are fully inflectable: they take the accusative -n and the plural -j just like ordinary nouns and adjectives, producing forms like tiun, tiujn, kiujn, ĉiujn. They combine with subordinating conjunctions — tiel ke, tiom ke, ĝis...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 9: Shopping and Money

Overview Shopping is one of the most practical skills you need when visiting or living in an Esperanto-speaking community or attending an Esperanto event. In this lesson you will learn vocabulary for shops and money, how to ask and state prices, and — crucially — your first encounter with the accusative case ending -n , which marks the direct object of a verb. Learning Objectives By the end of this...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced › C1 Lessons ›

Lesson 4: Advanced Participle Nuance

Overview Esperanto's participial system is one of its most powerful and most contested grammatical features. In principle, the system is beautifully systematic: three active participles (-anta, -inta, -onta) and three passive participles (-ata, -ita, -ota) mark ongoing, completed, and prospective aspect respectively, and each can be combined with any tense of esti to produce a 36-position compound tense system. In practice, native and near-native speakers use only a subset of...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Methodology ›

Learning Roadmap A1 → C2

Esperanto Learning Roadmap This roadmap provides a structured path from zero to mastery. The timelines assume approximately 1–1.5 hours of study per day, 6 days per week. Adjust based on your actual study time. Phase 1: Foundation (A1) — Weeks 1–8 Goal: Learn the 16 grammar rules, ~200 core vocabulary roots, and start reading. Week 1–2: Getting Oriented Start Duolingo Esperanto — complete first 2–3 sections Learn the 28-letter alphabet...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 4: Family and Relationships

Overview Family vocabulary is universal — everyone has some kind of family, and talking about relatives is one of the first things people do when getting to know each other. In Esperanto, the family lexicon beautifully illustrates two of the language's most elegant and productive devices: the -in- suffix, which creates a feminine form from any root, and the ge- prefix, which refers to a mixed-gender group. Instead of memorizing...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 5: Suffixes — -ej-, -ist-, -in-, -ul-

Overview Esperanto's suffixes work exactly like its prefixes: a single element with a consistent meaning attaches to any compatible root to generate a new word. This lesson covers four highly productive suffixes: -ej- (a place associated with something), -ist- (a practitioner or specialist), -in- (feminine gender marker), and -ul- (a person characterized by a quality). Together these four suffixes allow you to build rich word families from a single root....

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 7: Stylistic Registers

Overview Register — the systematic variation of language according to context, audience, and purpose — is something native speakers of any language manage unconsciously. You speak differently to your grandmother than to your doctoral advisor; you write a scientific report differently from a personal diary. At B2, you need to manage register consciously and deliberately in Esperanto, recognizing the features of each major register (literary, journalistic, scientific, colloquial) and switching...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels ›

A2 — Elementary

What You Can Do at A2 At A2 you can: Discuss everyday topics: family, hobbies, work, daily routine, travel Narrate simple past events and plans for the future Handle most travel situations (hotels, restaurants, transport, shopping) Use the full correlatives table in context Form compound words using common affixes Read simple Esperanto texts (graded readers, simple articles) Write short descriptive texts and messages Understand Esperanto when spoken slowly and clearly...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced ›

C1 Lessons

C1 Lesson List These ten planned lessons are for learners who have achieved genuine B2 fluency and are working toward near-native command of Esperanto — including literary style, professional registers, historical and linguistic depth, and full participation in the global Esperanto community. # Lesson Focus 1 Classical and Literary Esperanto Poetry and prose style; the canon of Esperanto literature; Zamenhof, Kalocsay, Auld, Schwartz 2 Vortaro and Etymology Using PIV (...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Grammar ›

Register and Style

Esperanto Is a Living Language with Real Register Variation A common misconception about Esperanto is that it is a uniform, artificial code — that all speakers use the same style in all situations. This is false. Esperanto is a living language with a community of speakers, a literary tradition, a press, academic publications, and casual online communication. Like all living languages, it has register — systematic variation in style according...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto ›

Methodology

How to Learn Esperanto Esperanto rewards a strategic approach. Because the language is fully regular and the community is highly accessible, you can reach conversational fluency faster than in almost any other language. But "fast" still requires consistent effort and smart methodology. The Core Principles 1. Regularity beats intensity. Twenty minutes daily beats three hours on weekends. Esperanto's spaced repetition of grammatical patterns requires regular exposure to consolidate. 2. Grammar...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 11: Weather and Seasons

Overview Talking about the weather is a universal conversation starter — and in Esperanto, it is also a great way to practise impersonal verb constructions, the difference between adjectives and adverbs, and the causal conjunction ĉar (because). This lesson covers all four seasons and the most common weather conditions. Learning Objectives By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Name the four seasons and common weather conditions...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 11: Travel and Transportation

Overview Travel is one of the most rewarding contexts for using Esperanto — the language was designed for exactly this kind of international encounter. Whether you are buying a train ticket, asking for directions to a hotel, or describing a trip you took, the vocabulary and phrases in this lesson will serve you in real Esperanto conversations around the world. The Pasporta Servo (Passport Service) is a network of Esperanto-speaking...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 3: Compound Words

Overview One of Esperanto's most creative and productive features is its ability to form compound words by joining two or more roots together. Unlike English, which borrows extensively from Greek, Latin, and French for technical vocabulary, Esperanto can build sophisticated terms from familiar roots — making new words immediately interpretable to any learner who knows the component parts. This system dramatically reduces vocabulary burden while increasing expressive power. The compounding...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 1: The Alphabet and Pronunciation

Overview Esperanto's alphabet is one of its greatest gifts to learners. Every letter represents exactly one sound, every sound is represented by exactly one letter, and there are no silent letters. Once you have learned the 28 letters — which takes a single afternoon — you can pronounce any Esperanto word correctly, without guessing. This is in stark contrast to English, where "gh" can be silent (night), /f/ (enough), or...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels ›

C1 — Advanced

What You Can Do at C1 At C1 you can: Express yourself fluently and spontaneously without obvious searching for expressions Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects Read challenging literary and academic Esperanto texts with ease Understand extended speech even when not clearly structured Appreciate wordplay, poetry, humor, and cultural allusions Teach Esperanto formally or informally Translate at...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 10: Formal Writing and Register

Overview Register — the level of formality appropriate to a given context — is a dimension of language proficiency that separates intermediate learners from truly confident communicators. In Esperanto, as in any language, there is a clear difference between the casual language used in personal messages and conversations among friends, and the formal register appropriate for official letters, reports, academic writing, and professional communication. Knowing when and how to shift...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Technology & Media

Technology & Media Vocabulary Computers & Internet Esperanto Part of Speech English Example komputilo noun computer Mi havas novan komputilon. telefono noun phone Mia telefono havas plena baterio. poŝtelefono noun mobile phone Ŝi kontrolas la poŝtelefonon ĉiuminute. tablojdo noun tablet La tablojdo estas pli peza ol la poŝtelefono. ekrano noun screen La ekrano estas tro brila en la nokto. klavaro noun keyboard Mi tajpas rapide sur la klavaro. muso noun...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 8: Conjunctions and Discourse Connectors

Overview The ability to connect ideas coherently — to show that one thing causes another, contrasts with another, follows from another, or occurs alongside another — is what distinguishes true intermediate communication from a sequence of isolated simple sentences. Conjunctions and discourse connectors are the linguistic glue of fluent speech and writing. At A1/A2 you learned the most basic connectors (kaj, sed, ĉar). At B1 you will master the full...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary ›

Frequency Lists

About Frequency Lists Frequency lists rank Esperanto roots by how often they appear in authentic text (books, articles, websites, spoken transcripts). Learning the most frequent roots first is the single most efficient vocabulary strategy. Key insight: In most languages, the top 300 words cover ~65% of text, and the top 1,000 cover ~85%. Esperanto's word-building system makes frequency lists even more powerful — learning a top-100 root often gives you...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 12: At the Restaurant

Overview Sharing a meal is one of the most universal human experiences, and being able to navigate a restaurant interaction in Esperanto is both practically useful and socially rewarding. At Esperanto congresses and meetings, communal meals are central events — discussing food, ordering together, and sharing preferences are everyday occurrences. This lesson covers the full arc of a restaurant visit: from being seated and reading the menu, through ordering and...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 12: B2 Review and Path to C1

Overview You have completed eleven lessons of upper-intermediate Esperanto. You have worked through the full correlative system, the six-form participle paradigm, causative and inchoative morphology, reported speech, concession and contrast, advanced word-building, four stylistic registers, idioms and fixed phrases, news vocabulary, formal debate language, and epistolary writing. Each of these is a significant competency in its own right; together, they constitute the B2 level of Esperanto as mapped against the...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced › C1 Lessons ›

Lesson 9: Kongreso Language and Institutions

Overview The institutional life of Esperanto is remarkably sophisticated for a language community of its size. The Universala Esperanto-Asocio (UEA), headquartered in Rotterdam, is a genuine international non-governmental organization with consultative status at the United Nations and UNESCO, a professional staff, a substantial budget, a global membership structure, and a century of institutional history. Its youth branch TEJO organizes events on every continent; the Pasporta Servo connects members as hosts...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 3: Numbers and Counting

Overview Numbers are among the most immediately practical vocabulary in any language. From buying coffee to exchanging phone numbers to saying the year of your birth, numerals appear in daily life hundreds of times a day. Esperanto's number system is built on a small set of roots that combine with perfect regularity to produce every number from zero to infinity. There are exactly ten basic numeral roots, and once you...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced › C1 Lessons ›

Lesson 3: Professional Communication

Overview Esperanto's use as a professional and academic medium is often underestimated outside the movement, but within it there is a rich tradition of formal communication — conference proceedings, academic journals, legal-style organizational documents, formal correspondence between national associations, and increasingly digital communication in professional contexts. The Universala Kongreso, attended annually by several thousand people, generates a week of formal plenary speeches, committee sessions with written protocols, academic presentations, and...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C2 — Mastery › C2 Lessons ›

Lesson 2: Humor and Wordplay in Esperanto

Overview Humor is among the last competencies a language learner fully masters — and among the most revealing tests of genuine fluency. At the C2 level, Esperanto humor is not about knowing a few jokes translated from national languages; it is about understanding the structural reasons why Esperanto enables certain kinds of humor that are difficult or impossible in other languages, and being able to produce original comic writing that...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Travel & Transportation

Travel & Transportation Vocabulary Esperanto Part of Speech English Example vojaĝo noun trip, journey La vojaĝo daŭris dek horojn. vojaĝi verb to travel Mi vojaĝas al Japanio en julio. turisto noun tourist La urbo estas plena de turistoj en somero. flughaveno noun airport La flughaveno estas 40 km de la urbo. flugaparato noun airplane La flugaparato alvenas je la tria. flugi verb to fly Mi flugis al Brazilo la pasintan...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C2 — Mastery ›

C2 Lessons

C2 Lesson List These eight planned topics represent mastery-level Esperanto — the level at which a speaker uses the language with the full range and precision of a native or near-native, contributes creatively to the community, and possesses deep cultural and linguistic expertise. # Topic Focus 1 Creative Writing in Esperanto Original poetry, short fiction, and stylistic writing; prosody and meter in Esperanto verse; publishing in Beletra Almanako and community...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Grammar ›

Nouns, Articles, and Cases

Nouns in Esperanto All Esperanto nouns end in -o . This is absolute and invariable — there are no exceptions. Any word functioning as a noun carries the -o ending. libro (book) amiko (friend) urbo (city) lando (country) amo (love) verdo (greenness — even abstract qualities are nouns with -o) Nouns have no grammatical gender in Esperanto. A libro is neither masculine nor feminine — it is simply a book....

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto ›

Skills

Overview Esperanto requires the same five core skills as any language, but the relative difficulty and time investment differs significantly from natural languages: Skill Difficulty Key Fact Pronunciation Very Easy 28 letters, each with exactly one sound Reading Easy Phonemic spelling — read everything exactly as spelled Listening Moderate Speed of native speech; exposure required Writing Easy Fully regular grammar; no spelling irregularities Speaking Moderate Vocabulary acquisition + fluency practice...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough › A1 Lessons ›

Lesson 6: Food and Drink

Overview Food is a universal meeting ground. At every Esperanto congress and club meeting, people gather around shared meals, and the ability to talk about food — to order, to express preferences, to ask what something is — is essential practical vocabulary from day one. Food vocabulary in Esperanto is largely transparent: many words are international loan words adapted to Esperanto's phonemic spelling (kafo, teo, oranĝo), while others are built...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A1 — Breakthrough ›

A1 Lessons

The A1 Learning Path This course takes you from absolute beginner to A1 proficiency in Esperanto through 15 structured lessons. Each lesson introduces new vocabulary, explains grammar patterns with clear examples and common mistakes to avoid, provides a realistic dialogue, and includes three practice exercises. A cultural note in each lesson connects the language to the living Esperanto community. The A1 level covers all the grammatical foundations of Esperanto —...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C1 — Advanced › C1 Lessons ›

Lesson 7: Public Speaking and Oratory

Overview Public speaking in Esperanto is one of the most demanding and most rewarding skills a C1 speaker can develop. Unlike written communication, where the speaker has time to revise and a dictionary to consult, live speaking requires fluency, presence, and the ability to deploy language under pressure before an audience that includes native speakers, professors, and community leaders from dozens of countries. The Universala Kongreso's plenary hall holds hundreds...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Methodology ›

Spaced Repetition (SRS)

Spaced Repetition for Esperanto Spaced repetition is the practice of reviewing vocabulary at increasing intervals, timed to just before you forget. It's the most scientifically validated method for long-term vocabulary retention. For Esperanto specifically, SRS is unusually powerful because: Word building means one card = many words — learning the root labor- in context gives you labori, laboro, laboristo, laborejo, etc. No irregular forms — you don't need separate cards...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 6: Suffixes — -aĵ-, -ar-, -an-, -eg-, -et-

Overview This lesson continues building your Esperanto word-formation toolkit with five more suffixes. -aĵ- turns abstract concepts or actions into concrete tangible things. -ar- groups individual items into a collective whole. -an- identifies someone as a member of a group or place. -eg- intensifies or enlarges. -et- diminishes or softens. Together with the suffixes from Lesson 5, you now have ten productive suffixes that can transform nearly any root into...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Skills ›

Listening in Esperanto

Why Listening Is Uniquely Important in Esperanto Most language learners encounter a single dominant accent: Spanish learners hear mostly Mexican or Castilian Spanish, French learners hear mostly Parisian French. Esperanto is different. Its speakers come from every corner of the world, and each brings the phonology of their native language into their Esperanto speech. A French speaker produces Esperanto with front-rounded vowels and nasal influence. A Chinese speaker tends toward...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 5: Concession, Contrast, and Adversative Patterns

Overview The ability to express concession — to acknowledge a difficulty, objection, or counterfact while still asserting your main point — is one of the defining features of sophisticated adult discourse. It is what separates elementary statements of opinion ("The plan is good") from mature argumentation ("Although the plan has certain costs, the long-term benefits outweigh them"). In Esperanto, the concession/contrast/adversative domain is rich and precise: kvankam handles factual concession,...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B2 — Upper Intermediate › B2 Lessons ›

Lesson 9: Reading Monato — News and Current Affairs Vocabulary

Overview Reading authentic Esperanto news is one of the most effective and rewarding activities at B2 level. Monato magazine, the international Esperanto monthly, covers world news, culture, science, and community affairs with the same seriousness as any quality national news outlet — but in clear, accessible Esperanto written for a multilingual, educated readership. To read Monato fluently, you need a specific set of vocabulary: political institutions and processes, economic concepts,...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary › Thematic Vocabulary ›

Family & Relationships

Family & Relationships Vocabulary Esperanto Part of Speech English Example familio noun family Mia familio loĝas en Berlino. patro noun father Mia patro estas instruisto. patrino noun mother Ŝia patrino kuiras bone. gepatroj noun (pl.) parents Miaj gepatroj estas en Parizo. filo noun son Ili havas du filojn. filino noun daughter Ŝia filino studas medicinon. infano noun child La infano ludas en la parko. infanoj noun (pl.) children La infanoj...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 4: Word Building Mastery

Overview Esperanto's most celebrated feature is its systematic derivational morphology — the ability to transform any root into a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb simply by changing the word-class ending, and to attach prefixes and suffixes to create new meanings with mathematical precision. A learner who masters this system effectively multiplies their vocabulary: knowing one root and a handful of affixes gives access to dozens of related words. This lesson...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › C2 — Mastery › C2 Lessons ›

Lesson 4: Academic Research and Writing in Esperanto

Overview Academic writing in Esperanto occupies a unique position in the global scholarly landscape: it is simultaneously a discipline with its own peer-reviewed journals, research conferences, and citation conventions, and a domain where the language itself — its structure, history, and sociolinguistics — is a primary research object. A C2 Esperantist writing academic prose must control not only the formal register conventions common to all academic writing (impersonal constructions, hedged...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Grammar ›

Correlatives

What Are Correlatives? The correlatives (also called tabelvortoj — table words) are a systematic table of 45 words formed by combining 5 prefixes (ki-, ti-, ĉi-, neni-, i-) with 9 suffixes (-o, -a, -e, -el, -al, -am, -es, -om, -u). Every cell of this 5×9 table is a real, usable word. Once you learn the meaning of each prefix and each suffix, you automatically know all 45 words. This is...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 1: The Accusative Case In Depth

Overview The accusative case — marked by the ending -n added to nouns, pronouns, and their modifying adjectives — is one of Esperanto's most powerful and flexible tools. At A1/A2 you learned its basic role: marking the direct object of a verb (the thing being acted upon). At B1 you will master all four major uses of -n, understand exactly when not to use it, and exploit its most liberating...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 9: Prepositions and the Directional Accusative

Overview Prepositions are one of the trickiest areas in any language — and Esperanto is no exception. The good news: Esperanto's prepositions are logical and consistent once you understand two key principles. First, each preposition has a precise core meaning. Second, there is a powerful grammatical device — adding -n to a noun phrase — that converts any location expression into a direction or destination expression. This single rule eliminates...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › A2 — Elementary › A2 Lessons ›

Lesson 1: Past and Future Tenses

Overview Esperanto's tense system is one of the most elegant in any language. Every verb in the past tense simply ends in -is , and every verb in the future tense ends in -os . There are no irregular verbs, no stem changes, and no agreement with the subject. Once you know the pattern, you can conjugate any Esperanto verb in the past or future instantly. At A1 level you...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › Vocabulary ›

Thematic Vocabulary

Thematic Word Sets Thematic vocabulary lists group related words together, making them easier to learn and use in conversation. Each theme below provides 30–50 vocabulary items with part of speech, English meaning, and an example sentence. Theme Description Link Family & Relationships Family members, relationship terms, life stages → Food & Drink Foods, cooking, meals, drinks, restaurant vocabulary → Travel & Transportation Transport, directions, accommodation, tourist vocabulary → Time &...

Language Learning › Learn Esperanto › CEFR Levels › B1 — Intermediate › B1 Lessons ›

Lesson 7: Dependent Clauses

Overview A dependent (subordinate) clause is a group of words with its own subject and verb that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence — it depends on a main clause to complete its meaning. Mastering dependent clauses is one of the most important milestones in moving from beginner to intermediate fluency, because it enables you to express complex thoughts: reasons, conditions, concessions, time relationships, reported speech, and purpose. In...

#esperanto

Numbers & Mathematics

B1 — Intermediate

Time & Calendar

Body & Health

Lesson 1: Classical and Literary Esperanto

Lesson 14: Feelings and Emotions

Lesson 3: Simultaneous Interpretation Practice

Grammar

Culture & Society

Lesson 5: Colors and Adjectives

Food & Drink

B2 — Upper Intermediate

Emotions & Character

Lesson 4: Reported Speech and Indirect Discourse

Lesson 12: B1 Review and Path to B2

Lesson 8: Idioms and Set Phrases

Lesson 8: Culture and Literature of Esperantujo

Lesson 7: Time, Days, and Months

Verbs

Lesson 2: Vortaro and Etymology

B2 Lessons

Lesson 1: Creative Writing in Esperanto

Lesson 12: Hobbies and Free Time

Lesson 3: Transitivity and Causatives

Speaking Esperanto

Lesson 5: The Esperanto Literary Canon

Lesson 6: KER C2 Exam Preparation

Prepositions

Lesson 15: A1 Review and Consolidation

Writing in Esperanto

Lesson 7: Contributing to the Esperanto Community

Lesson 6: Translation Studies

Lesson 7: Questions and Expressing Opinions

Lesson 13: Body and Health

Lesson 2: Greetings and Introductions

Immersion

Lesson 6: Advanced Word Building

Lesson 2: The Participle System

Lesson 2: Correlatives — ki-, ti-, i-

Lesson 3: Correlatives — ĉi- and neni-

Grammar Overview

Numbers

Lesson 2: Aspect and Participle Nuance

Lesson 15: A2 Review and Path to B1

Pronunciation

Education & Learning

A1 — Breakthrough

Lesson 10: Talking About the Past

Vocabulary

Lesson 11: Letter and Email Writing at B2

Work & Professions

Affixes

Nature & Environment

Lesson 13: Work and Daily Life

Lesson 5: Esperanto Linguistics

Lesson 8: Making Comparisons

CEFR Levels

Lesson 10: Getting Around

Common Mistakes

Lesson 11: Reading Strategies for B1

Building Esperanto Vocabulary

Word Building

Learn Esperanto

Lesson 14: Daily Routines

Lesson 5: Passive Voice

Lesson 8: The Home

Lesson 4: Prefixes — mal-, ek-, re-, dis-, mis-

Lesson 6: The Conditional Mood

Lesson 10: Debate and Argumentation Language

A2 Lessons

Lesson 9: Advanced Numbers

B1 Lessons

Lesson 8: C2 Mastery Review

Lesson 10: C1 Review and Path to C2

Time Estimates

C2 — Mastery

Sentence Structure

Reading in Esperanto

Lesson 1: Advanced Correlative Combinations