# Esperanto lesson 11: requests, imperative and conditional

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/learn/course/lesson-11/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-08

> Bonvolu sidiĝi! – "Please sit down!" Learn the Esperanto imperative -u, the conditional -us for polite requests, and the full table of 45 correlatives.

In this lesson you learn to ask for things politely. The ending *-u* makes commands and wishes – *Venu!* "Come!", *Ni iru!* "Let's go!" – and *bonvolu* plus an infinitive means "please do…". The ending *-us* makes the conditional: *Mi ŝatus kafon* "I would like a coffee", *Se mi povus, mi restus* "If I could, I would stay". Finally, you will see the whole table of correlatives, the 45 words built from *ki-*, *ti-*, *i-*, *ĉi-* and *neni-*.

## Dialogue

The last evening of the congress. Ana, Tomo and Keiko have dinner in a small restaurant.

| Esperanto | English |
|---|---|
| **Kelnero:** Bonan vesperon! Bonvolu sidiĝi. Kion vi deziras? | Good evening! Please sit down. What would you like? |
| **Ana:** Bonvolu doni al ni la menuon. | Please give us the menu. |
| **Kelnero:** Jen ĝi. | Here it is. |
| **Tomo:** Mi ŝatus la legoman supon, mi petas. | I'd like the vegetable soup, please. |
| **Keiko:** Kaj por mi la fiŝon kun rizo. | And the fish with rice for me. |
| **Ana:** Ĉu vi povus rekomendi ion bongustan? | Could you recommend something tasty? |
| **Kelnero:** Provu la lokan specialaĵon! Ĝi estas tre bongusta. | Try the local speciality! It's very tasty. |
| **Ana:** Bone, mi prenos ĝin. Kaj kafon, mi petas! | Fine, I'll have that. And a coffee, please! |
| **Tomo:** Kompreneble. Ana sen kafo ne estus Ana! | Of course. Ana without coffee wouldn't be Ana! |
| **Ana:** Ha ha. Morgaŭ ni ĉiuj iros hejmen… Se mi povus, mi restus ĉi tie ankoraŭ unu semajnon. | Ha ha. Tomorrow we all go home… If I could, I'd stay here one more week. |
| **Keiko:** Ankaŭ mi. Sed ni revidiĝos, ĉu ne? | Me too. But we'll see each other again, won't we? |
| **Tomo:** Certe! Ni faru planon: venontjare ni ĉiuj venu al la sekva kongreso! | Sure! Let's make a plan: next year let's all come to the next congress! |
| **Ana:** Jes! Kaj ĉiu, kiu ne venos, pagos la vespermanĝon! | Yes! And whoever doesn't come pays for dinner! |
| **Keiko:** Interkonsentite! | Agreed! |
| **Tomo:** Sinjoro, bonvolu alporti la kalkulon… Ne, atendu – unue la deserton! | Sir, please bring the bill… No, wait – dessert first! |

## New words

| Esperanto | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| *bonvolu* | please (do) | + infinitive: *bonvolu sidiĝi* |
| *mi petas* | please (I ask) | at the end of a request |
| *sidiĝi* | to sit down | *sidi* "to be sitting" |
| *deziri* | to wish, to want | *Kion vi deziras?* "What would you like?" |
| *doni* | to give | *doni al ni* "to give us" |
| *rekomendi* | to recommend | |
| *provi* | to try | |
| *resti* | to stay | |
| *alporti* | to bring | *al* + *porti* "to carry" |
| *atendi* | to wait | |
| *revidiĝi* | to see each other again | *ĝis revido* |
| *kelnero* | waiter | |
| *menuo* | menu | |
| *legomo* | vegetable | *legoma supo* "vegetable soup" |
| *fiŝo* | fish | |
| *specialaĵo* | speciality (dish) | |
| *kalkulo* | bill, check | also "calculation" |
| *deserto* | dessert | |
| *plano* | plan | |
| *loka* | local | from *loko* "place" |
| *sekva* | next, following | |
| *venontjare* | next year | |
| *certe* | certainly, sure | |
| *interkonsentite!* | agreed! | |
| *io* | something | *ion bongustan* "something tasty" |
| *helpi* | to help | *Ĉu vi povus helpi min?* |

## Grammar

### The imperative: *-u*

The ending *-u* expresses a command, a request or a wish. With *vi* left out, it is a direct command: *Venu!* "Come!", *Atendu!* "Wait!". With *ni*, it means "let's": *Ni iru!* "Let's go!". With *li*, *ŝi* or *ili*, it means "let him / her / them…". The [verbs](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/verbs/) page covers all six verb endings.

| Esperanto | English |
|---|---|
| *Provu la specialaĵon!* | Try the speciality! |
| *Ni faru planon!* | Let's make a plan! |
| *Li venu morgaŭ.* | Let him come tomorrow. |
| *Ne timu!* | Don't be afraid! |

The *-u* form also follows *ke* after verbs of wanting and asking: *Mi volas, ke vi venu* – "I want you to come".

### Polite requests

A bare imperative can sound abrupt. Esperanto has three easy ways to soften it.

| Way | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| *bonvolu* + infinitive | *Bonvolu sidiĝi.* | Please sit down. |
| imperative + *mi petas* | *Donu al mi akvon, mi petas.* | Give me some water, please. |
| *Ĉu vi povus…?* | *Ĉu vi povus helpi min?* | Could you help me? |

*Bonvolu* is the *-u* form of *bonvoli* "to be so kind as to", from *bona* "good" + *voli* "to want". Answer *Dankon!* with *Ne dankinde!* – "Don't mention it!". More everyday expressions are on the [basic phrases](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/basic/) page.

:::order Polite requests
? Please give us the menu.
= Bonvolu doni al ni la menuon.
= Bonvolu doni la menuon al ni.
- donu
? Could you recommend something tasty?
= Ĉu vi povus rekomendi ion bongustan?
- bongusta
? Wait, please!
= Atendu, mi petas!
= Mi petas, atendu!
- atendi
:::

### The conditional: *-us*

The ending *-us* expresses something imagined or not real – English "would". It is also the polite way to say what you want: *Mi ŝatus* "I would like". When an *if*-sentence is about something imagined, both verbs take *-us*. For real possibilities use the normal tenses: *Se pluvos, mi restos hejme* – "If it rains, I'll stay at home".

| Esperanto | English |
|---|---|
| *Mi ŝatus kafon.* | I'd like a coffee. |
| *Ana sen kafo ne estus Ana.* | Ana without coffee wouldn't be Ana. |
| *Se mi povus, mi restus.* | If I could, I'd stay. |
| *Se mi havus tempon, mi lernus la japanan.* | If I had time, I'd learn Japanese. |

:::ending Command or "would"?
- as u us
? Come!
= Ven[u]!
? Let's go!
= Ni ir[u]!
? I would like a coffee.
= Mi ŝat[us] kafon.
? If I could, I would stay.
= Se mi pov[us], mi rest[us].
? Please sit down.
= Bonvol[u] sidiĝi.
:::

### All six verb endings

You now know every verb ending in Esperanto. Each one works the same way for every verb and every person.

| Ending | Name | *esti* | *paroli* |
|---|---|---|---|
| *-i* | infinitive | *esti* – to be | *paroli* – to speak |
| *-as* | present | *estas* – am, is, are | *parolas* – speak(s) |
| *-is* | past | *estis* – was, were | *parolis* – spoke |
| *-os* | future | *estos* – will be | *parolos* – will speak |
| *-us* | conditional | *estus* – would be | *parolus* – would speak |
| *-u* | imperative | *estu* – be! | *parolu* – speak! |

### The table of correlatives

In [Lesson 7](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/course/lesson-07/) you learned seven question words in *ki-*. They are part of a table of 45 words. Each word combines a beginning (the row) with an ending (the column), so you can work out any word from the table. The [correlatives](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/correlatives/) page explains each one with examples.

| | *-u* who, which | *-o* thing | *-a* kind | *-es* whose | *-e* place | *-am* time | *-al* reason | *-el* way | *-om* amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **ki-** question | *kiu* | *kio* | *kia* | *kies* | *kie* | *kiam* | *kial* | *kiel* | *kiom* |
| **ti-** that | *tiu* | *tio* | *tia* | *ties* | *tie* | *tiam* | *tial* | *tiel* | *tiom* |
| **i-** some | *iu* | *io* | *ia* | *ies* | *ie* | *iam* | *ial* | *iel* | *iom* |
| **ĉi-** every | *ĉiu* | *ĉio* | *ĉia* | *ĉies* | *ĉie* | *ĉiam* | *ĉial* | *ĉiel* | *ĉiom* |
| **neni-** no | *neniu* | *nenio* | *nenia* | *nenies* | *nenie* | *neniam* | *nenial* | *neniel* | *neniom* |

Read down a column: *kie* "where", *tie* "there", *ie* "somewhere", *ĉie* "everywhere", *nenie* "nowhere". Words in *-u* and *-a* take *-j* and *-n* like adjectives: *ĉiuj* "everybody", *kiujn* "which ones" (object). Words in *-o* take only *-n*: *ion bongustan* "something tasty".

*Ĉi* before or after a *ti-* word makes it point to something near: *tiu* "that", *ĉi tiu* "this"; *tie* "there", *ĉi tie* "here". Don't confuse this *ĉi* with the *ĉi-* row ("every"): *ĉiu* means "every, everyone".

:::match Correlatives
ĉiam = always
neniam = never
ie = somewhere
nenio = nothing
ĉiu = everyone, each
tie = there
:::

## Practice

:::quiz Lesson 11 practice
? Which ending makes a command?
- -us
- -u *
- -os
? Translate, using *bonvolu*: "Please sit down."
= Bonvolu sidiĝi
? What does *Mi ŝatus kafon* mean?
- "I liked coffee."
- "I'd like a coffee." *
- "I like coffee."
? Fill in *resti*: *Se mi havus tempon, mi ___ ĉi tie.*
= restus
? Translate: "Let's go!"
= Ni iru
? Which word means "nobody"?
- *neniu* *
- *nenio*
- *neniam*
? Which word means "always"?
- *ĉiam* *
- *iam*
- *tiam*
? Translate: "Could you help me?"
= Ĉu vi povus helpi min | Ĉu vi povus min helpi | Ĉu vi povus helpi al mi
? Which word means "somewhere"?
- *ie* *
- *tie*
- *ĉie*
? Translate: "Wait!"
= Atendu
:::

## Culture corner

Esperanto events have one unwritten rule of politeness: don't *krokodili* – "crocodile" – that is, don't switch to your native language when others could join in Esperanto. Nobody knows for sure where the word comes from; Vikipedio lists several stories, including a wooden crocodile used in Andreo Cseh's language courses. For questions of correct usage, the [Academy of Esperanto](https://esperantopedia.org/about/organizations/) runs an advice service, *Lingva Konsultejo*.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between *bonvolu* and *mi petas*?

Both mean "please". *Bonvolu* comes first and takes an infinitive: *Bonvolu atendi*. *Mi petas* is added to a request or an imperative: *Atendu, mi petas*.

### How do you say "Let's…" in Esperanto?

Use *ni* and the *-u* ending: *Ni iru!* – "Let's go!", *Ni manĝu!* – "Let's eat!". The same form asks for suggestions: *Kion ni faru?* – "What shall we do?".

### Do I need to learn all 45 correlatives now?

No. Start with the *ki-* row and the most common words: *tio, ĉio, nenio, ĉiu, neniu, tie, ĉiam, neniam, iom*. The pattern lets you work out the others when you meet them.

## Sources

- [Fundamento de Esperanto – grammar in English (rule 6, verbs)](https://www.akademio-de-esperanto.org/fundamento/gramatiko_angla.html)
- [PMEG: U (the imperative)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/verboj/vola.html)
- [PMEG: US (the conditional)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/verboj/imaga.html)
- [PMEG: Tabelvortoj – bazaj reguloj (correlatives)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/tabelvortoj/bazaj_reguloj.html)
- [PMEG: Postpartoj kaj finaĵoj (correlative endings)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/tabelvortoj/postpartoj_finajhoj.html)
- [Vikipedio: Krokodili](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krokodili)
- [Akademio de Esperanto](https://www.akademio-de-esperanto.org/)