Esperanto Common Roots Glossary

This word list was pulled in large part from the Frekvencmorfemaro de Parolata Esperanto (List of Morpheme Frequency in Spoken Esperanto), an analysis of usage frequency in spoken Esperanto. That list revealed that 467 morphemes are enough to yield 95% comprehension in Esperanto, and that 564 words are enough to obtain 80% comprehension based on frequency of use. In most Indo-European languages, about 2000 words are necessary for this level of comprehension.

Here you are presented with a non-exhaustive list of root words in Esperanto. By means of agglutination from within this list, in line with the various part of speech endings, you can be extremely expressive in Esperanto. Reading Esperanto, you can break down the parts and use this list in order to understand compound words.

absolut/ absolute

aĉ/ suffix indicating dirtyness or contemptuousness

aĉet/ purchase, buy

ad/ suffix indicating continuousness

adres/ address (location)

afer/ affair, matter

afrik/ Africa

ag/ action, act

aĝ/ age

aĵ/ suffix indicating thing, manifestation

ajn/ particle used with i- and ki- correlatives to create constructions such as “whenever” and “anytime”

akcept/ accept

akv/ water

al/ preposition to

ali/ other

almenaŭ/ at least

alt/ height, tall

am/ love

amas/ mass, throng, en masse

amerik/ the Americas

amik/ friend

ampleks/ extensive

amuz/ fun, amusement

an/ suffix indicating membership

angl/ England

ankaŭ/ also

ankoraŭ/ still

anonc/ announcement

anstataŭ/ in stead of

ant/ suffix indicating present action or actor

antaŭ/ before

aparat/ apparatus, machine

apart/ separate

aper/ appear

ar/ suffix indicating collection

aranĝ/ arrange

asoci/ association (group)

aspekt/ have an appearance

at/ suffix indicating present passive

atend/ wait

atent/ attention

ating/ attain

aŭ/ conjunction or

aŭd/ hear

aŭskult/ listen

aŭtobus/ bus

aŭt(omobil)/ car

av/ grandparent

banan/ banana

batal/ battle

baz/ base, basis

bedaŭr/ regret

bel/ beautiful

bend/ tape

bezon/ need

bibliotek/ library (edifice)

bild/ picture

bilet/ ticket

bird/ bird

bon/ good

botel/ bottle

bulgar/ Bulgaria

cel/ aim, goal

cent/ 100

centr/ center

cert/ certain

ceter/ remaining

cigared/ cigarette

ĉambr/ room

ĉar/ conjunction because

ĉarm/ charming, quaint

ĉe/ preposition at

ĉef/ boss, main

ĉeval/ horse

ĉi/ particle used with ti- correlatives to indicate nearness, like in here or this.

ĉiam/ correlative always

ĉin/ China

ĉio/ correlative everything

ĉirkaŭ/ preposition around

ĉiu/ each

ĉu/ particle indicating yes or no question

da/ preposition quantity of

dan/ Denmark

dank/ thank

daŭr/ last (duration)

de/ preposition of

debat/ debate

decid/ decide

deĵor/ be on duty

dek/ 10

dekstr/ right

delegaci/ delegation

demand/ ask

dev/ be obligated

dezir/ desire

diabl/ devil

difin/ define

dir/ say, tell

dis/ prefix indicating dispersion

diskriminaci/ discriminate

diskut/ discuss

divers/ diverse

divid/ divide, share

do/ particle for so

dom/ house

don/ give

donac/ gift

dorm/ sleep

du/ 2

dum/ preposition during

ebl/ suffix indicating possibility

ec/ suffix indicating abstract quality

eĉ/ particle even

edz/ spouse

eg/ suffix indicating largeness

ej/ suffix indicating location

ek/ prefix indicating either beginning or suddenness

eks/ prefix indicating former

ekskurs/ excursion

ekster/ preposition outside

ekzempl/ example

ekzempler/ individual copy

ekzist/ exist

el/ prounoun from out of

elekt/ select

en/ preposition in

entrepren/ enterprise

er/ suffix indicating piece

erinac/ porcupine

esenc/ essence

esper/ hope

est/ be

estr/ suffix indicating leader

et/ suffix indicating smallness

eŭrop/ Europe

eventual/ eventual

evolu/ become evolved

facil/ easy

fak/ specialty

fakt/ fact

fal/ fall

famili/ family

far/ do, make

fart/ fare

feliĉ/ happy

ferm/ close

festival/ festival

film/ film

fin/ finish

finn/ Finnland

firm/ firm

fiŝ/ fish

flank/ side

flav/ yellow

flor/ flower

flug/ fly

foj/ time, occurrence

for/ particle for away

forges/ forget

form/ form

fort/ strong

fot/ photograph

franc/ France

frank/ franc

frat/ sibling

fraŭl/ unmarried adult

fraz/ sentence

frenez/ crazy

fru/ early

funkci/ function

fuŝ/ prefix indicating blunder

ge/ prefix indicating mixed company

german/ Germany

giĉet/ cashier station

grad/ grade

grand/ big

gratul/ congratulate

grav/ important

grup/ group

gvid/ guide

ĝen/ bother

ĝeneral/ in a general sense

ĝi/ pronoun it

ĝis/ preposition until

ĝoj/ joy

ĝust/ correct

ha/ interjection

hav/ have

hebre/ Hebrew

hejm/ home

help/ help

hieraŭ/ yesterday

ho/ interjection

hodiaŭ/ today

hom/ person

hor/ hour, time of day

hotel/ hotel

ia/ correlative some kind of

iam/ correlative sometime

ide/ idea

ie/ correlative somewhere

iel/ correlative in some way

ig/ suffix indicating transitivity, causation

iĝ/ suffix indicating becoming

il/ suffix indicating tool

ili/ pronoun them

imag/ image, imagine

in/ suffix indicating female

ind/ suffix indicating worthiness

infan/ child

inform/ inform, information

instru/ teach

int/ suffix indicating past action or actor

inteligent/ intelligent

inter/ preposition between, among

interes/ interest

interpret/ interpret

invit/ invite

io/ correlative something

iom/ correlative some amount of

ir/ go

iran/ Iran

ist/ suffix indicating professional or adherent

it/ suffix indicating past passive

ital/ Italy

iu/ correlative someone

ja/ indeed

jam/ already

japan/ Japan

jar/ year

je/ preposition (no fixed meaning)

jen/ behold

jes/ yes

jun/ young

ĵet/ throw

kaj/ conjunction and

kamp/ field

kant/ sing

kapabl/ capable

kapt/ catch, capture

kar/ dear

karot/ carrot

kart/ card

kaŝ/ hide

kaz/ case

ke/ conjunction that

kelk/ several

kia/ correlative what kind of

kial/ correlative why

kiam/ correlative when

kie/ correlative where

kiel/ correlative how

kilo/ kilo-

kio/ correlative what thing

kiom/ correlative how much

kiu/ correlative who or which

klar/ clear

klopod/ take steps to achieve

knab/ young person

kolor/ color

komenc/ begin

komision/ commission

komitat/ committee

kompetent/ competent

komplet/ complete

komplik/ complicated

kompren/ understand

kon/ be familiar with

koncept/ concept

koncern/ in question

kongres/ congress, conference

konkret/ concrete

konkurs/ contest

konsci/ be conscious

konsent/ agree

konserv/ conserve

konsil/ advise

konsili/ council

konsist/ consist

konstant/ permanent

kontakt/ contact

kontraŭ/ preposition against

kontrol/ check, look into

korb/ basket

korespond/ correspondence

kost/ cost

kovr/ cover

kred/ believe

kresk/ grow up

kri/ shout

krokodil¹/ crocodile

krokodil²/ use a national language where Esperanto would be appropriate

krom/ preposition besides

kruel/ cruel

kuir/ cook

kuler/ spoon

kultur/ culture

kun/ preposition with

kunikl/ rabbit

kur/ run

kutim/ usual, custom

kvankam/ conjunction although

kvar/ 4

kvazaŭ/ conjunction as if, quasi-

kvin/ 5

la/ article the

labor/ work

lag/ lake

lanĉ/ launch

land/ country

las/ let go

last/ last, most recent

laŭ/ preposition according to

lav/ wash

leg/ read

lern/ learn

lert/ skilled

leter/ letter of correspondence

lev/ raise something up

li/ pronoun he

liber/ free

libr/ book

lig/ link, bind

lingv/ language

list/ list

lit/ bed

liter/ alphabetic glyph

literatur/ literature

loĝ/ reside

lok/ location

long/ long

lu/ rent from

lud/ play a game