# Esperanto lesson 12: participles, reading and next steps

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/learn/course/lesson-12/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-08

> Read a 200-word letter in Esperanto, meet the six participles (-ant-, -int-, -ont-, -at-, -it-, -ot-) and find out how to keep learning after the course.

In this last lesson you read a whole letter in Esperanto – about 200 words – and check your understanding. You also meet the six participles, the forms behind everyday words like *komencanto* "beginner" and *venonta* "next, coming". Finally, you will find out what to do next: where to look up words, review grammar and practise with real people.

## Reading text

A week after the congress, Ana writes to Tomo. Read the letter once without the translation, then check the words you didn't know.

> San-Paŭlo, la 6-an de Aŭgusto
>
> Kara Tomo,
>
> Antaŭ unu semajno ni ankoraŭ estis kune ĉe la kongreso, kaj nun mi estas denove en San-Paŭlo. Reveninte hejmen, mi dormis dek du horojn!
>
> Ĉu vi memoras la unuan tagon? Mi estis tre nervoza. Mi pensis: "Mi estas nur komencanto, mi komprenos nenion." Sed post unu horo mi jam babilis kun homoj el dek landoj. Neniu ridis pri miaj eraroj, kaj ĉiuj helpis min.
>
> Mi ŝatis ĉion: la prelegojn, la ekskurson tra la malnova urbo, la koncertojn kaj la longajn vesperojn en la kafejo. Mi ankoraŭ vidas antaŭ mi la dancantajn kongresanojn dum la Internacia Vespero.
>
> Hieraŭ mia frato Pedro demandis min: "Kion vi lernis tie?" Mi respondis: "Mi lernis, ke lingvo ne estas nur gramatiko. Lingvo estas homoj."
>
> Nun mi havas novajn planojn. La romano aĉetita ĉe la libroservo atendas sur mia tablo, kaj mi legos ĝin ĝis la fino de la monato. Mi ankaŭ volas paroli kun vi ĉiusemajne, kiel antaŭe – sed nun pri ĉio, ne nur pri la vetero!
>
> Ne forgesu nian planon por la venonta kongreso! Mi jam ŝparas monon. Bonvolu saluti vian avinon de mi (kaj ŝian fungan supon)!
>
> Kore,\
> Ana
>
> P.S. Kafo dormas sur la romano. Ŝajne ankaŭ ĝi volas lerni Esperanton.

<details>
<summary>English translation</summary>

São Paulo, 6 August

Dear Tomo,

A week ago we were still together at the congress, and now I'm back in São Paulo. When I got home, I slept for twelve hours!

Do you remember the first day? I was very nervous. I thought: "I'm only a beginner, I won't understand anything." But an hour later I was already chatting with people from ten countries. Nobody laughed at my mistakes, and everyone helped me.

I liked everything: the lectures, the excursion through the old town, the concerts and the long evenings in the café. I can still see the dancing congress participants at the International Evening.

Yesterday my brother Pedro asked me: "What did you learn there?" I answered: "I learned that a language isn't just grammar. A language is people."

Now I have new plans. The novel I bought at the bookshop is waiting on my table, and I'll read it by the end of the month. I also want to talk with you every week, like before – but now about everything, not just the weather!

Don't forget our plan for the next congress! I'm already saving money. Please give my regards to your grandmother (and to her mushroom soup)!

Warmly,\
Ana

P.S. Kafo is sleeping on the novel. It seems it wants to learn Esperanto too.

</details>

## New words

| Esperanto | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| *kara* | dear | in letters: *Kara Tomo* |
| *denove* | again | |
| *antaŭe* | before, earlier | *kiel antaŭe* "like before" |
| *reveni* | to come back | *re-* "again, back" + *veni* |
| *memori* | to remember | |
| *pensi* | to think | |
| *kompreni* | to understand | |
| *legi* | to read | *leganto* "reader" |
| *nenio* | nothing | correlative (Lesson 11) |
| *neniu* | nobody | |
| *babili* | to chat | |
| *lando* | country | |
| *ridi* | to laugh | *ridi pri* "to laugh at" |
| *eraro* | mistake | |
| *prelego* | lecture, talk | |
| *ekskurso* | excursion, trip | |
| *danci* | to dance | *dancanta* "dancing" |
| *respondi* | to answer | |
| *ke* | that (conjunction) | *Mi lernis, ke…* "I learned that…" |
| *forgesi* | to forget | |
| *ŝpari* | to save (money, time) | |
| *mono* | money | |
| *ĉiusemajne* | every week | *ĉiu* + *semajno* + *-e* |
| *ŝajne* | apparently, it seems | |
| *kore* | warmly, cordially | letter ending; *koro* "heart" |

## Grammar

### Six participles

A participle is a verb used as an adjective: "a *dancing* person", "a *bought* book". Esperanto has six, built from three active and three passive suffixes. The vowels *a, i, o* match the tenses *-as, -is, -os*. The full chapter is on the [participles](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/participles/) page.

| | Present (*a*) | Past (*i*) | Future (*o*) |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Active** – doing | *leganta* – reading | *leginta* – having read | *legonta* – about to read |
| **Passive** – being done | *legata* – being read | *legita* – read, already read | *legota* – to be read |

Examples from Ana's letter:

| Esperanto | English |
|---|---|
| *la dancantaj kongresanoj* | the dancing congress participants |
| *la romano aĉetita ĉe la libroservo* | the novel bought at the bookshop |
| *la venonta kongreso* | the coming (next) congress |

:::match Six participles of legi
leganta = reading (now)
leginta = having read
legonta = about to read
legata = being read
legita = read, already read
legota = to be read
:::

### Participles as nouns: *-anto*, *-into*, *-onto*

With *-o*, a participle names a person: *komenc·ant·o* "someone who is beginning, a beginner", *lern·ant·o* "learner, pupil", *parol·ant·o* "speaker". You have used *komencanto* since Lesson 1. Don't confuse *-ant-* with the suffix *-an-* from Lesson 10: *kongres·an·o* is a member of a congress, not someone "congressing".

:::write Participles as nouns
? someone who is learning, a learner (*lerni*)
= lernanto
! lernano → *-an-* means a member. Someone who learns takes *-ant-*: *lernanto*.
? someone who is reading (*legi*)
= leganto
? someone who is singing (*kanti*)
= kantanto
! kantisto → *Kantisto* is a professional singer (*-ist-*). Someone singing right now is a *kantanto*.
? someone who is dancing (*danci*)
= dancanto
! dancisto → *Dancisto* is a professional dancer (*-ist-*). Someone dancing right now is a *dancanto*.
:::

### Participles as adverbs: *-e*

With *-e*, a participle describes the circumstances of the main action. *Reveninte hejmen, mi dormis* means "Having come home, I slept". *Ridante, ŝi respondis* means "Laughing, she answered".

:::ending Which participle?
- anta inta onta ata ita ota
! The vowel shows the time (*a* now, *i* before, *o* later); *-nt-* does the action, *-t-* receives it.
? a dancing girl
= danc[anta] knabino
? the next (coming) congress
= la ven[onta] kongreso
? the novel bought at the bookshop
= la romano aĉet[ita] ĉe la libroservo
? a book that is being read right now
= libro leg[ata]
? a song that will be sung
= kanto kant[ota]
:::

### You can wait for the rest

Participles also combine with *esti* to make compound forms. You will often meet passive ones like *La libro estas legita* – "The book has been read"; active ones like *Mi estas leginta la libron* – "I have read the book" – are rare. For now, the simple tenses *-as, -is, -os* are enough for almost everything you want to say.

## Practice

:::quiz Reading check
? Where is Ana when she writes the letter?
- at the congress
- at home in São Paulo *
- in Kraków
? How did Ana feel on the first day of the congress?
- nervous *
- bored
- angry
? What did Ana tell her brother she had learned?
- "A language is people." *
- "Grammar is everything."
- "Esperanto is easy."
? What will Ana read by the end of the month?
- a songbook
- a novel *
- a letter from Tomo
? Who is sleeping on the novel?
- Pedro
- Kafo, the cat *
- Tomo's grandmother
:::

:::quiz Participles
? What does *la venonta kongreso* mean?
- the last congress
- the next congress *
- the congress happening now
? Which participle means "being read (right now)"?
- *legata* *
- *legita*
- *leginta*
? *La romano aĉetita ĉe la libroservo* is a novel that…
- will be bought
- was bought *
- is buying something
? Translate with one word: "a speaker" (a person who speaks)
= parolanto
? Make the active present participle (adjective) of *danci*.
= dancanta
:::

## Culture corner

Ana's week follows the usual World Esperanto Congress programme. It usually lasts eight days and includes an opening ceremony (*Inaŭguro*), lectures of the International Congress University, concerts, a national evening, an international evening and an excursion day. Young people also have their own International Youth Congress, first held in 1938 and now run by the youth organisation TEJO. The next World Congress is planned for Melbourne, Australia, on 3–10 July 2027 – see the [World Esperanto Congress](https://esperantopedia.org/about/world-congress/) page.

## What to do next

You now know the core of Esperanto grammar. These steps will turn it into real skill:

1. **Review.** Come back to the [course overview](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/course/) and redo the exercises of any lesson where you got less than 80% right. Use the [grammar](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/) section when a rule is unclear.
2. **Grow your vocabulary.** Learn the [100 most common words](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/vocabulary/), practise the 1,000 most common with our [flashcards](https://esperantopedia.org/tools/flashcards/), and look up new ones in the [dictionary](https://esperantopedia.org/dictionary/), which shows how each word is built.
3. **Read and listen every day.** Pick a graded reader, a podcast or a second course from our list of [free resources](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/resources/).
4. **Talk to people.** Join an online conversation group, a local club or an event. Our guide on [how to learn Esperanto](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/how-to-learn/) explains where to find them.

## Common questions

### Do I need participles to speak Esperanto?

Not at first. The simple tenses cover almost everything. But words built with *-ant-*, like *komencanto* and *lernanto*, are everyday vocabulary, so it helps to recognise them.

### What level will I have after this course?

The course is designed to take you from zero to level A1 of the Common European Framework, with the first part of A2 in Lessons 10–12. Regular reading and conversation will take you further.

### How can I practise speaking if no one near me speaks Esperanto?

Use online conversation groups and video meetings, or apps that connect learners. Later, a week at an event or with a *Pasporta Servo* host gives you many hours of real conversation.

## Sources

- [Fundamento de Esperanto – grammar in English (rule 6, participles)](https://www.akademio-de-esperanto.org/fundamento/gramatiko_angla.html)
- [PMEG: Participoj (participles)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/participoj/index.html)
- [PMEG: Participoj kiel A-vortoj](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/participoj/a-vortoj.html)
- [PMEG: Kunmetitaj verboformoj (compound tenses)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/participoj/kunmetitaj_verboformoj/index.html)
- [Universal Esperanto Association: congress pages](https://uea.org/kongresoj)
- [Vikipedio: Internacia Kongresa Universitato](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internacia_Kongresa_Universitato) and [Internacia Junulara Kongreso](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internacia_Junulara_Kongreso)