[Here, in the second part of the course "Esperanto laŭ Takto", you need to have Unicode fonts installed and your browser Character Encoding set to Unicode (UTF-8), otherwise the Esperanto letters with accents will not be correctly represented. Most modern web-browsers already support Unicode and will display Unicode web-pages automatically.]
Although the method of language instruction used in this course deviates greatly from normal, language has a great deal to do with music and rhythm, and therefore I believe that memorizing easily learned poems is a good method for teaching this special language.
Don't take the text too seriously -- no claims to literary greatness are made -- but you should easily and conveniently develop a feeling for the new language, so that it quickly becomes familiar.
So, let's continue:
|
Avo sidas
sur la benko |
Grandfather sits on the bench |
|
man' en mano kun avin' |
hand in hand with Grandma |
|
General' post granda venko |
A general, after a great victory |
|
kantas en la duŝkabin' |
sings in the shower-stall |
sur = on, kun = with, post = after
|
Eleganta sinjorino |
An elegant lady |
|
iras al la festkoncert', |
goes to a festival-concert, |
|
dum tre laŭta bormaŝino |
while a very loud drilling mashine |
|
eklaboras sen avert'. |
begins to work, without warning. |
al = to (may be used to introduce an indirect object), dum = during, while, sen = without, tre = very
The word-building prefix ek- refers to the beginnning of an action.
|
Kelnerino en trinkejo |
A waitress in a bar |
|
servas vinon al la gast'. |
serves wine to a guest. |
|
Aŭtobuso ĉe haltejo |
An autobus at a (bus-)stop |
|
ekveturas sen prokrast'. |
drives off without delay. |
veturas = drives, ĉe = at, prokrasto = delay,
The word-building suffix -ejo denotes a place or space. (Lernejo = school)
|
Aŭtoj estas veturiloj, |
Cars are vehicles, |
|
taŭgas por persontransport'. |
appropriate for transport of persons. |
|
Patro helpas al la filoj |
A father helps the sons |
|
per tre klara patra vort'. |
by means of a clear fatherly word. |
aŭto(mobilo) = automobile, car; taŭgas = to be suitable/fit for; helpas = helps; per = by, with, by means of.
filo = son, filino = daughter
The word-building suffix -ilo refers to a tool or instrument.
Changing the ending of the noun patro to -a gives an adjective.
|
La infanoj en lernejo |
The children in a school |
|
ludas dum la granda paŭz'. |
play during the big break. |
|
Fekodor' en necesejo |
Sh...smell in a restroom |
|
estas kaŭz' por granda naŭz'. |
is a cause for great nausea. |
odoro = odor, smell; necesa = necessary, necesejo = place of necessity, restroom; por = for
|
Popmuziko el radio |
Popmusic from a radio |
|
plaĉas al la homamas'. |
is pleasing to the mass of humanity. |
|
Amator' kun fantazio |
An amateur with fantasy |
|
ludas sur la kontrabas'. |
plays on the Contrabass. |
plaĉas al = is pleasing to (someone)
|
Suno brilas dum la tago, |
(The) sun shines during the day, |
|
donas varmon al la ter'. |
gives warmth to the earth. |
|
Naĝas homoj en la lago |
People swim in the lake |
|
pro la bela banveter'. |
because of the beautiful bathing-weather. |
varma = warm, varmo = warmth, heat; bano = bath, banejo = bathroom; vetero = weather
|
Marmeladon kaj buteron |
Jam (marmalade) und butter |
|
havas mi sur mia pan' |
I have on my bread |
|
kaj mi prenas la teleron |
and I take the plate |
|
kun kolbas'
en mia man'. |
with a sausage in my hand. |
kaj = and, mi = I, mia = my, kolbaso = sausage
|
Estu gast' en mia domo. |
Be a guest in my house! |
|
Venu kaj vizitu min! |
Come and visit me! |
|
Estu do afabla homo: |
So be a kind person: |
|
Helpu, ne forgesu min! |
Help, don't forget me! |
The Imperative in Esperanto ends in -u. Venu = come!
mi - min = I - me
The negation ne should always be placed before the negated word.
|
Bela knabo al knabino |
To a girl, a handsome boy |
|
diras ke li amas ŝin. |
says that he loves her. |
|
Tuj respondas la fraŭlino |
Immediately the young Miss answers |
|
ke ŝi
ankaŭ amas lin. |
that she loves him, too. |
Diru al mi ke vi ne amas ŝin sed min! Tell me that you don't love her, but (that you love) me.
li - lin = he - him, ŝi - ŝin = she - her
|
Ŝian ĉarmon mi adoras, |
I adore her charm, |
|
ŝian ridon amas mi. |
I love her laugh. |
|
Mian vivon reĝisoras |
In my life acts as stage-manager |
|
unu homo - estas ŝi! |
one human being - it's she! |
ĉarma = charming, ŝi ridas = she laughs, reĝisoro = stage-manager
|
Nian lingvon
li nun studas |
Our language he now studies |
|
ĉar li
ne komprenas nin |
because he doesn't understand us |
|
kaj se ni
kun vortoj ludas |
and if we play with words |
|
ni per vortoj pikas lin. |
we poke him with words. |
ni = we, nin = us, nia = our; ĉar = because; se = if; vorto = word
|
Ĉu ni trinku limonadon, |
Should we drink lemonade, |
|
ĉu
ni restu nun ĉe ŝi? |
should we now stay with her (at her home)? |
|
Ĉu mi manĝu ĉokoladon, |
Should I eat chocolate, |
|
ĉu jam
sata estas mi? |
am I already full? |
ĉu = whether - A question in Esperanto always begins with a question-word. In the case that there is no other question-word that can be used (e.g. who, what, how, where ...), the word ĉu is used to introduce the question. In this way the word order need not be changed: inversion of subject/verb order does not represent a question in Esperanto. (Compare with the the changed meaning in English: "I do. Do I?")
ni trinku = let's drink, we should drink
mi estas malsata = I am hungry; jam = already
|
Ĉu vi dancos dum
la balo? |
Will you dance during the ball? |
|
Dancon petos mi de vi. |
A dance I will ask of you. |
|
Brilos lumoj en la halo, |
Lights will shine in the hall, |
|
la etoson ĝuos ni. |
we will enjoy the atmosphere. |
- os : The Esperantoending representing the future is -os (-as = present tense, -u = imperative, commands)
etoso = atmosphere, ethos; ĝuo = enjoyment
|
Ĉu vi
bone konas ŝin, |
Do you know her well, |
|
ĉu ŝi estas lerta? |
is she skillful? |
|
Ĉu ŝi eble amas vin? |
Does she possibly love you? |
|
Ĉu vi estas certa? |
Are you certain? |
-e = adverbial ending: Li parolas laŭte. He speaks loudly.
Mi certe ne trinkos alkoholon. I will certainly not drink alcohol.
|
Malriĉulo sub la ponto |
A poor person under the bridge |
|
dormas sur matraco, |
sleeps on a mattress, |
|
dum riĉulo sur la monto |
while a rich person on the mountain |
|
vivas en palaco. |
lives in a palace. |
-ul- : This word-building suffix indicates a person with a specified characteristic.
Ni ne konas la fremdulon. We don't know the foreigner.
La blondulino
ne nur tre bone dancas, sed
estas ankaŭ tre ĉarma.
Die blonde (woman) not only dances very well, but is also very charming.
mal- changes words into the opposite: granda - malgranda big - small, bone - malbone good - bad.
|
Dum la bano kaj ĉe l' strand' |
During the bath and at the beach |
|
oni estas nuda. |
one is nude. |
|
La popolo en la land' |
The people in the land |
|
estas tre malpruda. |
are very unhampered. |
oni = one, people, they, you, we, etc. (e.g. Oni diras = one says, it is said); pruda = prudish
|
Juna bela blondulino |
A young beautiful blond |
|
bone virojn konas, |
knows men well, |
|
sed malofte belulino |
but seldom a beauty |
|
veran ĝojon donas. |
gives true joy. |
viro - virino = man - woman; ofte = often; junulino = young woman
|
Ŝi ne volas min kompreni |
She doesn't want to understand me, |
|
ĉar fiera estas ŝi. |
because she is proud. |
|
Sed mi devas al ŝi veni |
But I must come to her, |
|
por konvinki
ŝin pri mi. |
to convince her about me. |
fiera (note: pronounced "fi-era") proud; voli = to want, intend; devi = to have to, must; pri = about, concerning; konvinki = convince
|
Ĉu mi rajtas vidi ŝin |
May I see her |
|
en la nova vesto? |
in the new garment? (dress, clothes) |
|
Certe ŝi prezentos ĝin |
Certainly she will present it |
|
ĉe la nuptofesto. |
at the wedding party/celebration. |
la rajto = the right (to something), rajti = may (to have the right); ĝi = it
|
Ŝi vizitis min en majo. |
She visited me in May. |
|
Estis vere bela tag'. |
It was truly a beautiful day. |
|
Ni promenis laŭ la kajo, |
We strolled along the quay, |
|
nutris birdojn ĉe la lag'. |
fed birds at the lake. |
-is is the ending of the past tense in Esperanto. The simple past is normally used -- there are also compound past forms, but they are only to be used when the precise shade of meaning is necessary.
laŭ = according to, along; nutri = to fee, nourish
|
Kiam ni
post longa paŭzo |
When we, after a long pause, |
|
nun revenis al la lok' |
now returned (came back) to the place (location), |
|
kaptis nin tre forta naŭzo. |
a very strong nausea captured us. |
|
Tion vidi estis ŝok'. |
To see that was a shock. |
kiam = when, at what time; re- again, indicates return or repetition; loko = place, location; kapti = catch, capture; tre = very
tio = that (demonstrative pronoun) Kio estas tio? What is that? Mi ne komprenas tion. I don't understand that.
|
Se ne mankus al mi mono |
If I didn't lack money, |
|
mi ferius kun plezur' |
I would vacation with pleasure |
|
ie en tropika zono. |
somewhere in the tropical zone. |
|
Se mi havus
monon nur! |
If I only had money! |
-us is the ending for possibilities and conditions in Esperanto. So in a sentence like: "If I had ..., I would ...." the -us ending will be used in both the main and subordinate clauses: "Se mi havus ..., mi ...-us.
ie = anywhere, io = anything, kie = where, tie = there, iam = at any time, tiam = at that time, then
Some of the important pronouns and related words are collected in Zamenhof's Table of Correlatives and can thus be learned very easily. Each word is composed of a beginning with a particular meaning and an ending which again has a very specific meaning. From the combination of these two parts the word is formed, for example, the beginning fragment ti- is an indication or pointer and the ending -am gives a time. From this it can be seen that tiam is an indication of a particular time, so "at that time" or "then". The complete Zamenhof-table can be found here.
|
Tuj venigu policiston |
Immediately get a policeman, |
|
ĉar malkovris krimon mi. |
because I have uncovered a crime. |
|
Kaj venigu kuraciston! |
And get a doctor! |
|
Helpon ja bezonas ni! |
We indeed need help! |
-igi word-building suffix meaning "to make, to cause": ven-igi to cause to come, to fetch, get. kovri = cover, malkovri = to uncover, discover; kuraci = to cure, heal; ja = indeed (emphasis)
-isto wor-building suffix for a person with a specific employment or word-view: malkovristo = discoverer; komunisto = communist
bezoni = to need, bezono = need
|
Ne havigu al li monon |
Don't provide money for him, |
|
kiun tuj elspezus li, |
which he would immediately spend, |
|
sed akceptu la proponon |
but accept the proposal |
|
ke la monon havu
ŝi. |
that she should have the money. |
kiu = who, which; elspezi = spend, enspezi = earn (money); havigi = to cause to have, to supply, provide
|
Kiam Paŭlo ellitiĝis |
When Paul got up (out of bed), |
|
plendis li pri kapdolor'. |
he complained about a headache. |
|
Apud li edzin' sidiĝis, |
Next to him (his) wife sat down, |
|
kapdoloro estis for. |
the headache was gone. |
iĝi word-building suffix for to become, to reach a state: el-lit-iĝi to reach the state of being out of bed, to get up; sidi to sit, sid-iĝi to sit down, to take a seat; edzo = husband; kapo = head; doloro = pain, ache
|
Ho, ŝi estas parolema |
Oh, she is talkative |
|
de mateno ĝis vesper', |
from morning to evening, |
|
tamen ankaŭ silentema |
however also discreet |
|
pri sekreta amafer'. |
concerning a secret love-affair. |
-emo word-building suffix meaning tendency, desire, -ema prone to, disposed to - ; sekreta = secret
ami = love, amo = love; afero = affair, business; silenti = to be silent
|
Jam alvenis laŭ horaro |
Has already arrived according schedule |
|
vagonar' en stacidom'. |
a train in the station. |
|
Forvojaĝos turistaro |
A group of tourists will travel away |
|
por vizit' al kosmodrom'. |
for a visit to a spacestation |
-aro word-building suffix for group, collection - - horaro = schedule vagonaro = collection of wagons, train - - monto = mountain, montaro = mountain range
|
Mi ne estas ŝakludanto, |
I am not a chess player, |
|
nefumanto estas mi, |
I'm a non-smoker, |
|
sed fervora ĥorkantanto, |
but an enthusiastic choir singer, |
|
kursgvidanto tie ĉi. |
course director here. |
-anto ....-er, -ant/ent (leader, singer, president), one who does .... -anta Present participle ending : kantanta kursgvidanto a singing course-director (guider, leader)
|
Amatinon li nun havas, |
Now he has a beloved, |
|
junan, belan, kun pasi', |
young, beautiful, with passion, |
|
kiu lin per ĉarmo ravas. |
who delights him with charm. |
|
Adorata estas ŝi. |
Adored is she. |
© 1997, 2001 Anton Oberndorfer,
Gunskirchen, Österreich;
translated by
This Esperanto Course can be freely used for the study of Esperanto.
All rights reserved, particularly rights of commercial usage.