# Esperanto adverbs: -e, direction -en and basic adverbs

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/adverbs/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-28

> Esperanto adverbs end in -e: rapide "quickly", hejme "at home". Add -n for direction (hejmen "home"). Plus a table of basic adverbs: jam, nun, tre, tro.

Most Esperanto adverbs are made by adding **-e** to a root: *rapida* "quick" → *rapide* "quickly" (rule 7 of the Fundamento). Adding *-n* to an adverb of place shows direction: *hejme* "at home" → *hejmen* "(to) home". A closed set of about thirty short words – *ankaŭ, jam, nun, tre, tro* and others – work as adverbs without any ending.

## Adverbs with -e

The ending *-e* works with roots of every kind, not only with adjectives.

| Root | Other form | Adverb with -e |
|---|---|---|
| *rapid-* | *rapida* "quick" | *rapide* "quickly" |
| *bon-* | *bona* "good" | *bone* "well" |
| *hejm-* | *hejmo* "home" | *hejme* "at home" |
| *maten-* | *mateno* "morning" | *matene* "in the morning" |
| *vintr-* | *vintro* "winter" | *vintre* "in winter" |
| *ekzempl-* | *ekzemplo* "example" | *ekzemple* "for example" |
| *unu* | *unua* "first" | *unue* "firstly" |
| *antaŭ* | preposition "before" | *antaŭe* "previously" |
| *post* | preposition "after" | *poste* "afterwards" |
| *kun* | preposition "with" | *kune* "together" |
| *kompreni* + *-ebl-* | *komprenebla* "understandable" | *kompreneble* "of course" |

An adverb can describe a verb, an adjective, another adverb or the whole sentence (PMEG):

- *La policano kuras rapide.* – "The police officer runs fast."
- *Ŝi sidas hejme.* – "She is sitting at home."
- *Ĝi estas sufiĉe granda.* – "It is big enough."
- *Kompreneble mi iros.* – "Of course I'll go."

### Adverbs in sentences without a subject

When a sentence has no real subject, Esperanto uses the adverb, not the adjective (PMEG). English "it" has no equivalent here.

- *Estas mallume.* – "It is dark."
- *Estas varme hodiaŭ.* – "It is warm today."
- *Estas bone, ke vi venas.* – "It is good that you are coming."
- *Kritiki estas facile.* – "Criticising is easy."

### Comparison

Adverbs compare like [adjectives](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/nouns-adjectives/): *pli rapide* "faster", *plej rapide* "fastest", *malpli rapide* "less fast". *Li kuras pli rapide ol mi* – "He runs faster than I do". "As … as" is *tiel … kiel*: *tiel rapide kiel vi* – "as fast as you".

## Direction with -en

Rule 13 of the Fundamento: an adverb of place takes *-n* to show movement towards a place. This is the same *-n* as in the [accusative](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/accusative/).

Mi restas hejme. | I'm staying at home.
Mi iras hejmen. | I'm going home.

| Where? | Where to? |
|---|---|
| *hejme* "at home" | *hejmen* "home(wards)" |
| *supre* "above, upstairs" | *supren* "up, upwards" |
| *malsupre* "below" | *malsupren* "down" |
| *antaŭe* "in front" | *antaŭen* "forward" |
| *dekstre* "on the right" | *dekstren* "to the right" |
| *ekstere* "outside" | *eksteren* "out" |
| *tie* "there" | *tien* "(to) there" |
| *kie* "where" | *kien* "where to" |

- *Mi iras hejmen.* – "I'm going home."
- *Rigardu supren!* – "Look up!"
- *Kien vi iras?* – "Where are you going?"

*Tie, kie* and the other place words ending in *-e* belong to the [correlatives](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/correlatives/), together with time words like *tiam* "then" and *kiam* "when".

## Basic adverbs without an ending

These short words are official and have no ending. PMEG groups them by meaning; the list below covers the common ones.

| Word | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| *ankoraŭ* | still, yet | *Li ankoraŭ dormas.* | "He is still asleep." |
| *baldaŭ* | soon | *Ĝis baldaŭ!* | "See you soon!" |
| *hieraŭ* | yesterday | *Hieraŭ pluvis.* | "It rained yesterday." |
| *hodiaŭ* | today | *Hodiaŭ estas lundo.* | "Today is Monday." |
| *morgaŭ* | tomorrow | *Ĝis morgaŭ!* | "See you tomorrow!" |
| *jam* | already | *Mi jam manĝis.* | "I have already eaten." |
| *ĵus* | just (now) | *Li ĵus venis.* | "He has just arrived." |
| *nun* | now | *Kie vi estas nun?* | "Where are you now?" |
| *plu* | further, any more | *Mi ne plu fumas.* | "I don't smoke any more." |
| *tuj* | immediately | *Venu tuj!* | "Come at once!" |
| *for* | away | *Iru for!* | "Go away!" |
| *tre* | very | *tre bona* | "very good" |
| *tro* | too | *tro varma* | "too hot" |
| *pli* | more | *pli granda* | "bigger" |
| *plej* | most | *la plej bona* | "the best" |
| *preskaŭ* | almost | *preskaŭ ĉiuj* | "almost everyone" |
| *apenaŭ* | hardly, barely | *apenaŭ videbla* | "barely visible" |
| *almenaŭ* | at least | *almenaŭ unu* | "at least one" |
| *nur* | only | *nur unu* | "only one" |
| *eĉ* | even | *eĉ infano* | "even a child" |
| *ankaŭ* | also, too | *Ankaŭ mi.* | "Me too." |
| *ja* | indeed (emphasis) | *Mi ja diris tion!* | "I did say that!" |
| *jen* | here is, look | *Jen la libro.* | "Here is the book." |
| *do* | so, then | *Venu do!* | "Come on, then!" |
| *tamen* | however, still | *Tamen mi iros.* | "I'll go anyway." |
| *kvazaŭ* | as if, as it were | *kvazaŭ infano* | "like a child" |
| *mem* | (one)self | *mi mem* | "I myself" |
| *ju … des* | the … the | *ju pli, des pli bone* | "the more, the better" |
| *ne, jes* | not, no; yes | *Mi ne scias.* | "I don't know." |

Many of these take endings too: *hodiaŭa* "today's", *nuna* "current", *tuja* "immediate", *baldaŭa* "upcoming". *Ne* and *jes* are covered under [questions and negation](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/questions-negation/).

### Position matters

Words like *nur, eĉ, ankaŭ* and *tre* normally stand right before the word they refer to (PMEG). Moving them can change the meaning:

- *Nur mi vidis lin.* – "Only I saw him."
- *Mi vidis nur lin.* – "I saw only him."

## Examples in sentences

- *Ŝi kantas bele.* – "She sings beautifully."
- *Li respondis tute ĝuste.* – "He answered quite correctly."
- *Matene mi trinkas teon.* – "In the morning I drink tea."
- *Ni vojaĝis buse al Krakovo.* – "We travelled to Kraków by bus."
- *Estas malvarme ekstere.* – "It's cold outside."
- *Ni iru eksteren!* – "Let's go outside!"
- *Li ofte forgesas sian telefonon.* – "He often forgets his phone."
- *Mi preskaŭ falis.* – "I almost fell."
- *Ŝi parolas Esperanton pli flue ol mi.* – "She speaks Esperanto more fluently than I do."

## Common questions

### How do you form adverbs in Esperanto?
Add *-e* to a root: *rapida* → *rapide* "quickly", *mateno* → *matene* "in the morning". A short list of basic adverbs, such as *jam* and *tre*, has no ending.

### Why is it "Estas varme" and not "Estas varma"?
In a sentence with no real subject, Esperanto uses the adverb. *Estas varme* means "it is warm"; *varma* needs a noun to describe, as in *La teo estas varma* "The tea is warm".

### What is the difference between hejme and hejmen?
*Hejme* means "at home" (location); *hejmen* means "to home" (direction). *Mi estas hejme* – "I am at home"; *Mi iras hejmen* – "I am going home".

### How do you say "not yet" and "no longer"?
"Not yet" is *ankoraŭ ne*: *Li ankoraŭ ne venis* – "He hasn't come yet". "No longer" is *ne plu*: *Mi ne plu fumas* – "I no longer smoke".

### Can basic adverbs like hodiaŭ take endings?
Yes. *Hodiaŭa* means "today's", *nuna* "current" and *tuja* "immediate".

## Sources

- [Fundamento de Esperanto – grammar in English (rules 7 and 13)](https://www.akademio-de-esperanto.org/fundamento/gramatiko_angla.html)
- [PMEG – E-words (derived adverbs)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/e-vortoj/index.html)
- [PMEG – Use of E-words](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/e-vortoj/uzo.html)
- [PMEG – E-like particles](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/e-vortecaj_vortetoj/index.html)
- [PMEG – Time particles](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/e-vortecaj_vortetoj/tempaj/index.html)
- [PMEG – Ankaŭ](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/e-vortecaj_vortetoj/ceteraj/ankau.html)
- [PMEG – N for direction](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/rolmontriloj/n/direkto.html)
- [lernu – Adverboj](https://lernu.net/gramatiko/adverboj)