# Esperanto verbs: tenses, conjugation and esti

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

> Esperanto verbs have six endings (-i, -as, -is, -os, -us, -u) and one form for every person: mi estas, ili estas. Full tables, moods, -ig and -iĝ.

Esperanto verbs have six endings and do not change for person or number. *Mi parolas, vi parolas, ŝi parolas, ili parolas* – "I speak, you speak, she speaks, they speak": one form per tense. There are no irregular verbs, not even *esti* – "to be".

## The six verb endings

| Ending | Name | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| -i | infinitive | *paroli* | "to speak" |
| -as | present | *mi parolas* | "I speak, I am speaking" |
| -is | past | *mi parolis* | "I spoke, I was speaking, I have spoken" |
| -os | future | *mi parolos* | "I will speak" |
| -us | conditional | *mi parolus* | "I would speak" |
| -u | volitive (command, wish) | *parolu!* | "speak!" |

The vowels follow a pattern: *a* is present, *i* is past, *o* is future. The same vowels return in the [participles](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/participles/) *-ant-*, *-int-* and *-ont-*.

## Full conjugation of paroli – "to speak"

| Person | Present | Past | Future | Conditional | Volitive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | *mi parolas* | *mi parolis* | *mi parolos* | *mi parolus* | *mi parolu* |
| you | *vi parolas* | *vi parolis* | *vi parolos* | *vi parolus* | *vi parolu* |
| he, she, it | *li, ŝi, ĝi parolas* | *li, ŝi, ĝi parolis* | *li, ŝi, ĝi parolos* | *li, ŝi, ĝi parolus* | *li, ŝi, ĝi parolu* |
| we | *ni parolas* | *ni parolis* | *ni parolos* | *ni parolus* | *ni parolu* |
| you (plural) | *vi parolas* | *vi parolis* | *vi parolos* | *vi parolus* | *vi parolu* |
| they | *ili parolas* | *ili parolis* | *ili parolos* | *ili parolus* | *ili parolu* |
| one, people | *oni parolas* | *oni parolis* | *oni parolos* | *oni parolus* | *oni parolu* |
| **English** | speak(s) | spoke | will speak | would speak | should speak, let … speak |

Every verb in the language follows this table. Only the subject changes, so the pronoun is needed: *parolas* alone does not say who speaks. See [pronouns](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/pronouns/).

## Esti – "to be"

| Form | Esperanto | English |
|---|---|---|
| infinitive | *esti* | to be |
| present | *estas* | am, is, are |
| past | *estis* | was, were |
| future | *estos* | will be |
| conditional | *estus* | would be |
| volitive | *estu* | be!, let … be |
| participles | *estanta, estinta, estonta* | being, having been, about to be |

- *Mi estas feliĉa.* – "I am happy."
- *Ili estis hejme.* – "They were at home."
- *Estu trankvila!* – "Be calm!"
- *Estas tri katoj en la ĝardeno.* – "There are three cats in the garden."

The word after *esti* never takes the object ending *-n*: *Mi estas instruisto* – "I am a teacher". See [the accusative](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/accusative/).

## Present, past and future

**-as** covers what is happening now, habits and general truths. It also covers states that began earlier and still continue: *Mi loĝas ĉi tie tri jarojn.* – "I have been living here for three years."

**-is** covers every kind of past: *Mi jam manĝis.* – "I have already eaten." *Hieraŭ mi laboris.* – "Yesterday I worked."

**-os** is the future: *Morgaŭ mi vizitos vin.* – "Tomorrow I will visit you."

In reported speech the verb keeps the tense of the original words: *Li diris, ke li volas manĝi.* – "He said that he wanted to eat" (literally "wants").

## Conditional -us

*-us* describes what is imagined or unreal, without any time reference. In "if" sentences about something imagined, both parts take *-us*:

- *Se mi havus tempon, mi venus.* – "If I had time, I would come."
- *Mi ŝatus kafon.* – "I would like a coffee."
- *Ĉu vi povus helpi min?* – "Could you help me?"

For real possibilities, use the normal tenses: *Se pluvos, mi restos hejme.* – "If it rains, I will stay at home." Esperanto uses the future in both parts.

## Volitive -u: commands, wishes, "let's"

*-u* shows what someone wants, asks for or orders:

- *Venu!* – "Come!"
- *Ni iru!* – "Let's go!"
- *Li atendu.* – "Let him wait."
- *Mi volas, ke vi venu.* – "I want you to come."
- *Ĉu ni iru?* – "Shall we go?"

The polite "please" is *bonvolu* plus an infinitive: *Bonvolu sidiĝi.* – "Please sit down."

## Compound tenses, briefly

*Esti* plus a participle gives finer time distinctions and the passive:

| Form | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| *estas* + *-inta* | *Mi estas manĝinta.* | "I have eaten (I am finished eating)." |
| *estis* + *-inta* | *Mi estis manĝinta, kiam li venis.* | "I had eaten when he came." |
| *estas* + *-ita* | *La pordo estas fermita.* | "The door is closed." |
| *estis* + *-ita* + *de* | *La letero estis skribita de Anna.* | "The letter was written by Anna." |

PMEG advises using the simple forms in most cases. Details are on [participles](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/participles/).

## Transitive and intransitive: -ig- and -iĝ-

Every verb root is either transitive (it takes an object) or intransitive. *Fermi* – "to close" is transitive: *Mi fermas la pordon.* – "I close the door." To say "the door closes", add *-iĝ-*: *La pordo fermiĝas.*

*-ig-* works the other way and means "cause to": *morti* – "to die" → *mortigi* – "to kill". Both can join one root: *sidi* – "to sit", *sidiĝi* – "to sit down", *sidigi* – "to seat (someone)". More on [suffixes](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/suffixes/).

## Examples in sentences

- *Mi legas libron.* – "I'm reading a book."
- *Hieraŭ mi legis la tutan tagon.* – "Yesterday I read all day."
- *Morgaŭ mi legos la novan ĉapitron.* – "Tomorrow I'll read the new chapter."
- *Kiam vi telefonis, mi kuiris.* – "When you called, I was cooking."
- *Mi ŝatus legi pli ofte.* – "I'd like to read more often."
- *Se mi estus vi, mi ne farus tion.* – "If I were you, I wouldn't do that."
- *Legu laŭte, mi petas!* – "Read aloud, please!"
- *Ni iru al la biblioteko!* – "Let's go to the library!"
- *Mi deziras, ke vi estu feliĉa.* – "I want you to be happy."
- *Mi ne komprenas la demandon.* – "I don't understand the question."

## Common questions

### How many tenses does Esperanto have?
Three simple tenses: present *-as*, past *-is* and future *-os*. Add the conditional *-us*, the volitive *-u* and the infinitive *-i*, and you have all six verb endings.

### Are there irregular verbs in Esperanto?
No. Every verb, including *esti* – "to be", *havi* – "to have" and *iri* – "to go", uses the same six endings.

### How do you say "let's" in Esperanto?
Use *ni* with the *-u* form: *Ni iru!* – "Let's go!", *Ni manĝu!* – "Let's eat!".

### How do you make a verb negative?
Put *ne* before it: *Mi ne komprenas.* – "I don't understand." More on [questions and negation](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/questions-negation/).

### Does Esperanto have a continuous tense like "I am eating"?
*Mi manĝas* means both "I eat" and "I am eating". A compound form such as *mi estas manĝanta* exists, but it is rarely needed.

## Sources

- [Fundamento de Esperanto, rule 6 (English)](https://www.akademio-de-esperanto.org/fundamento/gramatiko_angla.html) – Akademio de Esperanto
- PMEG: [Verboj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/verboj/index.html), [I-verboj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/verboj/neutrala.html), [AS](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/verboj/reala/nun-tempo.html), [IS](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/verboj/reala/pasinta_tempo.html), [U](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/verboj/vola.html), [US](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/verboj/imaga.html)
- PMEG: [Kunmetitaj verboformoj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/participoj/kunmetitaj_verboformoj/index.html), [Nerekta parolo: verboformoj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/subfrazoj/nerekta_parolo/verboformoj.html)
- PMEG: [IG](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/vortfarado/afiksoj/sufiksoj/ig.html), [IĜ](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/vortfarado/afiksoj/sufiksoj/igh.html)
- [Esperanto grammar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto_grammar) – Wikipedia