# Esperanto correlatives: table of all 45 words

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

> The 45 Esperanto correlatives (tabelvortoj) combine 5 beginnings and 9 endings: kiu, tio, ĉiam, nenie. Printable table with English meanings and tips.

Correlatives are 45 basic question and answer words such as *kiu* – "who", *tie* – "there" and *neniam* – "never". Each one joins one of 5 beginnings with one of 9 endings, so 14 pieces give all 45 words. Esperanto speakers call them *tabelvortoj* – "table words", and all of them are in the Fundamento of 1905.

## The table of correlatives

Columns are the beginnings, rows are the endings.

| Ending | **ki-** (question, "wh-") | **ti-** (that) | **i-** (some) | **ĉi-** (every) | **neni-** (no) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **-o** thing | *kio* – what | *tio* – that | *io* – something | *ĉio* – everything | *nenio* – nothing |
| **-u** person, individual | *kiu* – who, which | *tiu* – that one | *iu* – someone | *ĉiu* – everyone, each | *neniu* – no one, none |
| **-a** kind, quality | *kia* – what kind of | *tia* – such | *ia* – some kind of | *ĉia* – every kind of | *nenia* – no kind of |
| **-e** place | *kie* – where | *tie* – there | *ie* – somewhere | *ĉie* – everywhere | *nenie* – nowhere |
| **-el** manner, degree | *kiel* – how, as | *tiel* – so, like that | *iel* – somehow | *ĉiel* – in every way | *neniel* – in no way |
| **-am** time | *kiam* – when | *tiam* – then | *iam* – sometime, ever | *ĉiam* – always | *neniam* – never |
| **-om** amount | *kiom* – how much, how many | *tiom* – that much, so many | *iom* – some, a little | *ĉiom* – all of it | *neniom* – none at all |
| **-al** reason | *kial* – why | *tial* – therefore | *ial* – for some reason | *ĉial* – for every reason | *nenial* – for no reason |
| **-es** owner | *kies* – whose | *ties* – that one's | *ies* – someone's | *ĉies* – everyone's | *nenies* – no one's |

## How to remember them

Learn the 14 pieces, not the 45 words. Then read any correlative as "beginning + ending": *neni-* "no" + *-am* "time" = *neniam* – "never".

**The beginnings** match English patterns:

- **ki-** asks or links, like English "wh-": *kio* – "what", *kie* – "where", *kiam* – "when".
- **ti-** points, like English "th-": *tio* – "that", *tie* – "there", *tiam* – "then".
- **i-** is vague like "some-", **ĉi-** covers everything like "every-", and **neni-** denies like "no-".

**The endings** are the harder part. These memory aids help (they are tricks, not etymology):

- **-e** for place, as in English "her**e**, ther**e**, wher**e**".
- **-es** for owner, like the English possessive "'s".
- **-al** for reason, as in "caus**al**".
- **-u** is for a person or a single item; **-o** for a thing in general.

Drill one row at a time across all five columns: *kiam? – tiam – iam – ĉiam – neniam*. Question and answer often come in pairs: *Kie?* – *Tie.* ("Where?" – "There.") *Kiam?* – *Tiam.* ("When?" – "Then.")

## Kiu or kio, ĉiu or ĉiuj

*Kiu* asks about a person or one item from a group, and can stand before a noun: *kiu libro* – "which book", *tiu domo* – "that house". *Kio* asks about a thing in general and stands alone:

- *Kio estas tio?* – "What is that?"
- *Kiu estas tiu?* – "Who is that?"

*Ĉiu* means "each, every(one)" and is singular; *ĉiuj* means "all, everyone" and is plural:

- *Ĉiu infano ludas.* – "Every child is playing."
- *Ĉiuj infanoj ludas.* – "All the children are playing."

## Adding -n and -j

Only some correlatives take endings. Those in *-u* and *-a* agree with their noun just like [adjectives](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/nouns-adjectives/). Those in *-e, -el, -am, -om* and *-al* work as [adverbs](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/adverbs/) and stay unchanged, except *-e* words, which take *-n* for direction.

| Group | -j (plural) | -n | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| -u | yes | yes | *kiuj, kiun, tiujn, ĉiujn* |
| -a | yes | yes | *kiaj, tian, tiajn* |
| -o | normally no | yes | *kion, tion, nenion* |
| -e | no | direction only | *kien, tien, ĉien, nenien* |
| -el, -am, -om, -al, -es | no | no | *kiel, kiam, kiom, kial, kies* |

- *Kiun vi vidis?* – "Whom did you see?"
- *Mi aĉetis tiujn librojn.* – "I bought those books."
- *Kion vi diris?* – "What did you say?"
- *Kien vi iras?* – "Where are you going?" Compare *Kie vi estas?* – "Where are you?"
- *Mi vidis neniun.* – "I saw no one."

The rules for *-n* are the same as everywhere else: see [the accusative](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/accusative/).

## Ĉi tiu and tiu ĉi: "this"

*Ti-* words are neutral about distance, so *tiu* can mean "this" or "that". Add *ĉi* to show nearness: *ĉi tiu* or *tiu ĉi* – "this (one here)", *ĉi tie* or *tie ĉi* – "here". Both orders mean the same.

Write them as two words, without a hyphen. The hyphen appears only in words built from them: *ĉi-jare* – "this year", *ĉi-nokte* – "tonight".

## Ajn: "-ever"

*Ajn* after a correlative means "-ever" or "any at all": *kiu ajn* – "whoever, anyone", *kio ajn* – "whatever", *kie ajn* – "wherever", *iam ajn* – "at any time". It always comes right after the correlative. *Nenion ajn* means "nothing at all".

## Correlatives that link clauses

*Ki-* words also start relative and indirect-question clauses, like English "who", "which" and "where":

- *La viro, kiu venis, estas mia patro.* – "The man who came is my father."
- *La libro, kiun mi legas, estas bona.* – "The book that I'm reading is good."
- *Mi faris tion, kion vi petis.* – "I did what you asked."
- *Mi ne scias, kie li loĝas.* – "I don't know where he lives."

For amounts of something, add *da*: *Kiom da mono vi havas?* – "How much money do you have?" Questions with *ki-* words are covered on [questions and negation](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/questions-negation/).

## Examples in sentences

- *Kiu estas tiu viro?* – "Who is that man?"
- *Kio estas en la skatolo?* – "What is in the box?"
- *Kian veteron vi havas tie?* – "What's the weather like there?"
- *Ĉiu infano ricevis donacon.* – "Every child got a present."
- *Ĉiuj ĝojis pri la neĝo.* – "Everyone was happy about the snow."
- *Iu frapas ĉe la pordo.* – "Someone is knocking at the door."
- *Mi serĉis la ŝlosilon ĉie, sed trovis ĝin nenie.* – "I looked for the key everywhere but found it nowhere."
- *Kiam vi alvenos, telefonu al mi.* – "When you arrive, call me."
- *Ĉi tiu domo estas pli granda ol tiu.* – "This house is bigger than that one."
- *Prenu kiun ajn libron vi volas.* – "Take whichever book you like."

## Common questions

### How many correlatives are there in Esperanto?
There are 45: five beginnings (*ki-, ti-, i-, ĉi-, neni-*) times nine endings (*-o, -u, -a, -e, -el, -am, -om, -al, -es*). Forms like *aliu* with *ali-* "other" are unofficial and PMEG advises against them.

### What is the difference between kiu and kio?
*Kiu* is for people and for one item out of several ("who", "which"), and it can stand before a noun. *Kio* is for things in general ("what") and stands alone.

### Is it ĉi tiu or tiu ĉi?
Both are correct and mean the same: "this". *Ĉi* can stand before or after the correlative.

### Do correlatives take -n?
Those ending in *-u*, *-a* and *-o* take *-n* as objects: *kiun, tian, tion*. Those in *-e* take it only for direction: *tien*. The rest never change.

### Why are they called correlatives?
Because they come in matching sets: each question word has its pointing, vague, total and negative partners. In Esperanto they are called *tabelvortoj*, after the table in which they are usually learned.

## Sources

- PMEG: [Tabelvortoj – bazaj reguloj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/tabelvortoj/bazaj_reguloj.html), [Postpartoj kaj finaĵoj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/tabelvortoj/postpartoj_finajhoj.html), [ALI-vortoj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/tabelvortoj/ali-vortoj.html)
- PMEG: [Ĉi](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/e-vortecaj_vortetoj/lokaj/chi.html), [Ajn](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/e-vortecaj_vortetoj/ceteraj/ajn.html), [N por direkto](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/rolmontriloj/n/direkto.html)
- [Fundamento de Esperanto](https://www.akademio-de-esperanto.org/fundamento/) – Akademio de Esperanto
- [Esperanto vocabulary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto_vocabulary) – Wikipedia