# Fundamento grammar: the 16 rules as printed in 1905

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/about/fundamento/gramatiko/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-08

> The grammar of the Fundamento de Esperanto as Zamenhof printed it in 1905 – the alphabet and the 16 rules in French, English, German, Russian and Polish.

The *Gramatiko* is the second part of the [*Fundamento de Esperanto*](https://esperantopedia.org/about/fundamento/). It gives the alphabet and the 16 rules that define the grammar of Esperanto. Zamenhof first published them in Russian in the [*Unua Libro*](https://esperantopedia.org/about/unua-libro/) of 1887; the Fundamento prints them in five languages, each version written for its own readers.

For a modern explanation with examples, read [the 16 rules of Esperanto grammar](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/16-rules/). This page shows the binding original.

## How do the five versions differ?

The rules are the same, but the wording is not. Each version describes the letters with sounds of its own language: *ĉ* is "ch as in church" in English, "tsch" in German and "cz" in Polish. Some details appear in only some versions.

- **The article.** The French and Russian versions add a remark that people who find the article *la* difficult may simply leave it out. The English, German and Polish versions do not.
- **The conditional.** The English version calls *-us* the "subjunctive" (*ŝi far'us*, "she may do"); the Polish calls it the conditional mood (*tryb warunkowy*).
- **Hyphens between word parts.** The French, German and Russian versions explain in a footnote that the marks between word parts (*vapor'ŝip'o*) may be left out for readers who already know the language.
- **Printing errors stay.** The German note on pronunciation prints *u* where *ŭ* is meant (the Academy of Esperanto marks it as a printer's error), and the English version numbers rule 13 as "15". The text stays as printed.

Use the buttons to switch between the versions. Without JavaScript, all five follow one another. The number of each rule is a link you can share.

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## Sources

- [Akademio de Esperanto – Fundamento: Gramatiko (French, English, German, Russian and Polish versions)](https://www.akademio-de-esperanto.org/fundamento/gramatiko.html)
- [Akademio de Esperanto – Fundamento de Esperanto (online edition)](https://www.akademio-de-esperanto.org/fundamento/)
- [Wikipedia – Fundamento de Esperanto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamento_de_Esperanto)