Esperanto
Esperanto phrases – the 20 you need first
Twenty phrases cover your first conversation; the topic pages below cover greetings, travel, dates, colours and love.
Basic phrases
79 everyday Esperanto phrases with pronunciation: polite words, introductions, questions, saying you don't understand, and asking for help.
Polite phrases
Thank you in Esperanto is Dankon!, please is Bonvolu or mi petas, sorry is Pardonu! Pronunciation, replies and a guide to formal and informal use.
Greetings
Hello in Esperanto is Saluton! and goodbye is Ĝis revido! or just Ĝis! All greetings by time of day, replies to "how are you?" and the customs.
Wishes
Happy birthday is Feliĉan naskiĝtagon!, Merry Christmas is Feliĉan Kristnaskon!, cheers is Sanon! Pronunciation, the -n rule and a card template.
I love you
Mi amas vin (mi A-mas vin) means "I love you" in Esperanto. Variations, pet names like karulo, compliments, proposals and the joke Edzperanto.
Feelings
Happy is feliĉa or ĝoja, sad is malĝoja, tired is laca. How to say Mi estas laca, Mi timas and Mi ĝojas, plus mal-, -iĝ-, -ig- and -em- for more feelings.
Travel
Esperanto travel phrases with pronunciation for hotels, restaurants, tickets, directions, shopping, numbers and prices, and emergencies.
City and transport
City is urbo, left maldekstre, right dekstre: Esperanto words for places, vehicles and directions, how to ask the way, and when -n shows motion.
Days and months
Esperanto days (lundo, mardo…), months (Januaro…Decembro) and seasons with pronunciation, plus how to say dates and tell the time.
Time and dates
Ask Kioma horo estas? and answer Estas la tria. Minutes with kaj, post and antaŭ, 24-hour time, parts of the day, dates, age and how often.
Colors
Red is ruĝa, blue blua, green verda: all Esperanto colours with pronunciation, plus how hel-, malhel-, -et- and -kolora create any shade you need.
Family
Mother is patrino, father patro, parents gepatroj: every Esperanto family word from grandparents to in-laws, with pronunciation and questions to ask.
Food and drink
Esperanto food words with pronunciation: matenmanĝo, fruit, vegetables, meat, drinks and tastes, plus Bonan apetiton!, Mi estas sata and how to use da.
Animals
Cat is kato, dog hundo, horse ĉevalo. Animal names in Esperanto with pronunciation, plus -id- for babies, -in- for females and animal sounds.
Body and health
Esperanto body parts (kapo, mano, koro), health words and doctor phrases with pronunciation, from Mi havas kapdoloron to Doloras al mi la dorso.
Weather
Esperanto weather verbs need no subject – Pluvas is "it's raining", Neĝas "it's snowing". Seasons, Estas varme, temperatures and useful phrases.
Nature
A tree is arbo, a river rivero, a mountain monto: Esperanto nature words with pronunciation, plus how -ar-, -et- and -ej- build forest, stream and meadow.
Countries and languages
France is Francujo or Francio, Poland Pollando, Canada Kanado. Country names, nationalities and languages in Esperanto, with -ujo, -io and -lando.
Opposites
Put mal- before a word to get its exact opposite: bona becomes malbona. 74 pairs with pronunciation, plus the opposites that need no mal-.
Jobs and work
Teacher is instruisto, doctor kuracisto, engineer inĝeniero: 43 Esperanto jobs with pronunciation, the -ist- suffix, female forms and work phrases.
House and home
A house is domo, a home hejmo, a room ĉambro: Esperanto words for rooms, furniture and parts of a house, with pronunciation and everyday phrases.
Clothes
Shirt is ĉemizo, trousers pantalono, shoe ŝuo: Esperanto clothing words with pronunciation, porti vs surmeti, false friends and phrases for shopping.
Hobbies and sports
Football is futbalo or piedpilkado, a hobby is ŝatokupo. Learn sport and hobby words, how ludi works for games and instruments, and free-time phrases.
School
School is lernejo, a pupil lernanto, a teacher instruisto: 60 Esperanto school words with pronunciation, plus when to use lerni, studi and instrui.
Technology
A computer is komputilo, the internet interreto, email retpoŝto: Esperanto words for devices, the web and apps, and how ret-, -il-, el-, al- build them.
Proverbs
Zamenhof's Proverbaro Esperanta (1910) holds about 2,630 sayings. Read 32 of them by theme, with literal meanings and English equivalents.
False friends
Esperanto eventuale means "possibly", not "eventually", and romano is a novel. 44 look-alike words, what they really mean and what to say instead.
Letters and email
Date a letter ĵaŭdon la 8-an de Oktobro 2026, open with Kara or Estimata, close with Amike. Set phrases, email words and three model letters.
Shopping and money
Esperanto shopping words: aĉeti, vendi, pagi, kosti. Prices take -n (kostas dek eŭrojn). Plus banks, currencies (eŭro, eno) and a market dialogue.
Describing people
Describe people in Esperanto: alta, juna, blonda, afabla, timema. Looks, age, height and character words with pronunciation, plus -em-, -ul- and mal-.
Music and arts
Music is muziko, a painting pentraĵo, a film filmo. Instruments, art, theatre, cinema and books in Esperanto, with pronunciation and phrases.
Kitchen and cooking
The kitchen is kuirejo, to cook is kuiri, to boil boli: Esperanto words for pots, tools and cooking verbs with pronunciation, plus a pancake recipe.
Slang
Esperanto slang explained: krokodili (speaking another language), kabei (quitting, after Kabe in 1911), mojosa (cool, coined 2003), gufujo and more.
Politics and society
Government is registaro, to vote is voĉdoni, law is leĝo: 80 Esperanto words for news, elections and debate, with pronunciation and phrases.
World geography
Europe is Eŭropo, Asia Azio, Africa Afriko. Continents, oceans, seas, rivers, mountains and compass points in Esperanto, with pronunciation.
Environment
The environment is medio, the climate klimato, to recycle recikligi. Esperanto words for pollution, energy and global warming, with pronunciation.
Cars and driving
Car is aŭto, to drive is stiri, brake is bremso: Esperanto words for car parts, driving verbs, roads, traffic, licences and breakdowns.
Religion and beliefs
Religion is religio, to pray is preĝi, a church is preĝejo: about 100 Esperanto words for faiths, holy places, festivals and clergy, with pronunciation.
Law and crime
Law is leĝo, police is polico, a thief is ŝtelisto: about 80 Esperanto words for courts, crime and news, with pronunciation and theft phrases.
Space and science
The Sun is suno, a planet planedo, a star stelo: planets, space travel, school sciences and lab words in Esperanto, with pronunciation.
Math and shapes
Say 2 + 3 = 5 as du plus tri estas kvin, plus Esperanto words for fractions, percent, decimals, shapes and school maths, with pronunciation.
Media and news
A newspaper is gazeto, news novaĵoj, television televido: about 90 Esperanto words for press, TV, radio and online news, with pronunciation and notes.
War and peace
War is milito, peace is paco, a soldier is soldato: about 80 neutral Esperanto words for news and history, with pronunciation and word-building.
Conversation
Say Laŭ mi, Mi konsentas and Vi pravas in Esperanto, plus nu, do and ja, phone phrases and polite ways to interrupt, with pronunciation.
Daily routine
Esperanto verbs for a whole day, from vekiĝi to enlitiĝi: washing, dressing, meals, work and sleep, with pronunciation, sin vs -iĝ- and a sample day.
These 20 phrases get you through a first meeting with an Esperanto speaker: greeting, thanking, asking and saying goodbye. For more, see the topic pages: basic phrases, greetings, travel and more. Esperanto is read exactly as written, so the pronunciation column only splits the words into syllables and marks the stressed syllable in capitals – always the second-to-last.
The 20 most important phrases
| Esperanto | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Saluton! | sa-LU-ton | Hello! |
| Bonan tagon! | BO-nan TA-gon | Good day! / Hello! |
| Ĝis revido! | ĝis re-VI-do | Goodbye! |
| Ĝis! | ĝis | Bye! |
| Dankon! | DAN-kon | Thank you! |
| Ne dankinde. | ne dan-KIN-de | You're welcome. |
| Mi petas. | mi PE-tas | Please. (when asking for something) |
| Bonvolu… | bon-VO-lu | Please… (with a verb: Bonvolu sidiĝi – "Please sit down") |
| Jes. / Ne. | jes / ne | Yes. / No. |
| Pardonu! | par-DO-nu | Excuse me! / Sorry! |
| Kiel vi fartas? | KI-el vi FAR-tas | How are you? |
| Bone, dankon. Kaj vi? | BO-ne, DAN-kon. kaj vi | Fine, thanks. And you? |
| Kiel vi nomiĝas? | KI-el vi no-MI-ĝas | What's your name? |
| Mi nomiĝas… | mi no-MI-ĝas | My name is… |
| Ĉu vi parolas Esperanton? | ĉu vi pa-RO-las es-pe-RAN-ton | Do you speak Esperanto? |
| Mi lernas Esperanton. | mi LER-nas es-pe-RAN-ton | I'm learning Esperanto. |
| Mi ne komprenas. | mi ne kom-PRE-nas | I don't understand. |
| Bonvolu paroli malrapide. | bon-VO-lu pa-RO-li mal-ra-PI-de | Please speak slowly. |
| Kie estas…? | KI-e ES-tas | Where is…? |
| Kiom kostas? | KI-om KOS-tas | How much does it cost? |
Read the letters as on the alphabet page: c = "ts", ĉ = "ch", ĝ = "j" in "jam", j = "y", ŝ = "sh", ŭ = "w". Vowels are pure, with no glide, and their length does not matter: a as in "father", e as in "bed", i as in "see", o as in "more", u as in "food".
Why do greetings end in -n?
Saluton, Dankon and Bonan tagon end in the accusative -n because they are short forms of full sentences: (Mi deziras al vi) bonan tagon – "(I wish you) a good day". The reference grammar PMEG lists them among traditional expressions in which the -n has become the usual form. You do not need to analyse them – just learn them as fixed phrases. More about the ending is on the accusative.
Common questions
What is the most common greeting in Esperanto?
Saluton! – "Hello!". It works at any time of day and with anyone. To say goodbye, use Ĝis! or Ĝis revido!
How do you say "please" in Esperanto?
Use mi petas when asking for something (Akvon, mi petas – "Water, please") and bonvolu plus a verb for a polite request (Bonvolu atendi – "Please wait").
Is there a formal "you" in Esperanto?
No. Vi is used for everyone, whether one person or many, friend or stranger. Politeness comes from words like bonvolu, sinjoro "sir" and sinjorino "madam".
Sources
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