Esperanto is a strictly
agglutinative language, meaning that all the pieces are clearly laid out, you
simply have to put them together. When you see a word like plibonigojn, it has
six components:
pli: "more"
bon: root for "good"
ig: suffix for "cause"
o: noun ending
j: plural ending
n: accusative ending
Putting the parts
together, we create: more + good ( = better) + cause, and it means
improvements. Because it is in the accusative, and carries the n ending,
it must be the object of a verb, such as in the sentence Mi vidis la
plibonigojn (I saw the improvements), where they are the object of the
seeing.
For all words, you can
tell the parts of speech by the ending:
o: noun
a: adjective
j: plural
n: accusative
e: adverb
If a noun is in the
plural, or the accusative, then all adjectives that modify it are in the plural
and/or accusative, as the case may be. Also, the order does not matter.
Pomo
ruĝa: A red apple
Pomoj
ruĝaj: Red apples
Mi
manĝas ruĝan pomon. I eat a red
apple.
Mi
manĝas ruĝajn pomojn. I eat red
apples.
Verbs are always regular,
and tense will always be shown by the ending:
-as:
present
-is:
past
-os:
future
-us:
conditional
-u:
imperative (command)
-i:
infinitive
Mi
dancas. I dance
Mi
dancis. I danced
Mi
dancos. I will dance
Mi
dancus: I would dance
Mi
dancu: I should dance
Dancu!: Dance!
Danci: To dance
Esperanto words can be
joined to one another or with affixes so that from a small number of parts, you
can create a large number of words. So long as the words obey the grammatical
rules, the expressions are technically correct. A sample of the many various
affixes:
Prefixes:
dis- separation, scattering; doni give, disdoni
distribute
eks- former; edzo husband, eksedzo
ex-husband
mal- opposite; bona good, malbona bad
mis- error; kompreni understand, miskompreni
misunderstand
Suffixes:
-ad- repetition; paroli
speak, paroladi give a speech
-an- member; senato
senate, senatano senator
-aĵ- stuff; posedi
possess, posedaĵo property
-ec- quality; libera
free; libereco liberty
-eg- augmentative; domo
house, domego mansion
-ej- place; aŭto
car, aŭtejo garage
-et- diminutive; rido
a laugh; rideto smile
-ig- cause; verda
green; verdigi make something green
-iĝ- become; verda
green; verdiĝi become green
-il- tool; torni
screw, tornilo screwdriver
-in- female; patro
father, patrino mother
-ul- person; juna
young, junulo, youngster
The affixes can also stand
on their own as their own words.
Ege: greatly
Aĵoj: things
Ilo: tool
Almost everyone that speaks the Esperanto language
did so by their own free will, without any compulsion or even incentive to do
so, and probably in spite of resistance from people who told them that they are
wasting their time. Because of this, when Esperantists encounter one another,
it is a validation of their effort to learn the language. Esperantists know one
another as samideanoj, literally, members of the same idea. The
atmosphere tends to be very pleasant and idealistic.
If nothing else, Esperantists have language in
common. So Esperantists in general are a talkative bunch. You will find that
finding the right manner of addressing someone will come out in conversation.
The safe way is always sinjoro for a man and sinjorino for a
woman. They could mean sir or madam, respectively, or when followed by the
family name, mister or missus. Note that in some counties, for example China
and Hungary, the last name comes first. Once you get to know someone, they will
tell you what to call them.
When you are in a position to use Esperanto, you
will either be accepting a visiting guest in your home, visiting someone in
their home, or at an international gathering of Esperantists. In a guest/host
situation, your guest or host will likely be as interested in your culture as
you are in theirs. In public, if you are unintentionally doing something
considered rude, your host will most likely tell you. In some cases, these
customs may defy logic, but it is advisable to curtail your rude conduct
while in that culture.
Of course, normal rules of being a courteous guest
always apply. Try not to stay too long, keep your belongings tidy, and don't
forget to wash. Offer to help, and know that that is also a great cultural
learning opportunity.
The social customs at Esperanto gatherings in their
own way form distinct national culture. First of all, it is impolite to speak a
foreign language in such a way that someone there might not understand you.
Between yourself and a fellow countryman in your room, English wouldn't be
considered rude. If you are in a group, say a 6-seat cabin on a train, and you
turn to talk in English to a compatriot, it will be frowned upon.
When you register, you should always put your name
as you normally write it in English. It is not necessary to Esperantize it. If
you would rather be called by something in Esperanto, simply handwrite it on
the tag. Wear your nametags at least during the day. It is not considered
impolite to inspect someone's nametag to find out their name, nor is it
impolite to call them by their first name right away. Family names are usually
represented in all upper case letters, since in some cultures (eg. Hungary,
China), the last name comes first.