# Esperanto conversation phrases: opinions, agreeing, fillers

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/conversation/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-08

> Say Laŭ mi, Mi konsentas and Vi pravas in Esperanto, plus nu, do and ja, phone phrases and polite ways to interrupt, with pronunciation.

To give an opinion in Esperanto say ***Laŭ mi…*** "in my view" or ***Mi pensas, ke…*** "I think that…". To agree say ***Mi konsentas*** or ***Vi pravas***; to disagree say ***Mi ne konsentas***. Small words such as *nu*, *do* and *ja* keep the talk flowing. The phrases are grouped by what you want to do; for hello, goodbye and introductions see [greetings](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/greetings/) and [basic phrases](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/basic/). In the pronunciation column the stressed syllable is in capitals; it is always the second-to-last.

## Giving an opinion

| Esperanto | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| *Laŭ mi…* | laŭ mi | In my view… |
| *Mi pensas, ke…* | mi PEN-sas, ke | I think that… |
| *Mi opinias, ke…* | mi o-pi-NI-as, ke | I am of the opinion that… |
| *Mi kredas, ke…* | mi KRE-das, ke | I firmly believe that… |
| *Mi supozas, ke…* | mi su-PO-zas, ke | I suppose that… |
| *Ŝajnas al mi, ke…* | ŜAJ-nas al mi, ke | It seems to me that… |
| *Kion vi pensas pri tio?* | KI-on vi PEN-sas pri TI-o | What do you think about that? |

The verbs differ in strength. ReVo defines *opinii* as having an opinion or judging, and lists "opinii" as one sense of *pensi*, so *Mi pensas, ke…* is the everyday "I think". *Kredi* is stronger: ReVo's first sense is a firm conviction, and it marks the weak sense "I suppose" as *evitinde*, "to be avoided". For a guess use *supozi* (to accept something provisionally, without sure proof) or *ŝajni al* (to seem). PMEG treats *Laŭ mi* as equal to *Mi opinias, ke…*.

## Agreeing and disagreeing

| Esperanto | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| *Mi konsentas.* | mi kon-SEN-tas | I agree. |
| *Mi samopinias.* | mi sa-mo-pi-NI-as | I'm of the same opinion. |
| *Vi pravas.* | vi PRA-vas | You are right. |
| *Certe.* | CER-te | Certainly. |
| *Jes ja!* | jes ja | Yes, indeed! |
| *Eble.* | E-ble | Maybe. |
| *Ne nepre.* | ne NE-pre | Not necessarily. |
| *Mi ne konsentas.* | mi ne kon-SEN-tas | I disagree. |
| *Mi pensas, ke vi eraras.* | mi PEN-sas, ke vi e-RA-ras | I think you are mistaken. |
| *Vi malpravas.* | vi mal-PRA-vas | You are wrong. |
| *Tute ne.* | TU-te ne | Not at all. |

***Pravi*** is a verb. ReVo defines it as *esti prava*, "to be right", so *Vi pravas* needs no *estas*, and *malpravi* is "to be wrong". The adjective also works (*Vi estas prava*). *Vi malpravas* is blunt; *Mi pensas, ke vi eraras* is softer. Add *kun* for the person and *pri* for the point: *Mi konsentas kun vi pri tio.* ReVo adds that *konsenti* is agreement on a particular point, often reached after discussion.

To a negative question like *Ĉu vi ne konsentas?*, *jes* and *ne* can be read two ways, so PMEG advises a short clause: *Jes, mi konsentas* or *Ne, mi ne konsentas*. See [questions and negation](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/questions-negation/).

## Asking again and not understanding

| Esperanto | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| *Kion vi diris?* | KI-on vi DI-ris | What did you say? |
| *Pardonu, mi ne komprenis.* | par-DO-nu, mi ne kom-PRE-nis | Sorry, I didn't understand. |
| *Ĉu vi povas ripeti?* | ĉu vi PO-vas ri-PE-ti | Can you repeat that? |
| *Bonvolu paroli pli malrapide.* | bon-VO-lu pa-RO-li pli mal-ra-PI-de | Please speak more slowly. |
| *Kion signifas la vorto "do"?* | KI-on sig-NI-fas la VOR-to do | What does the word "do" mean? |
| *Kion vi volas diri per tio?* | KI-on vi VO-las DI-ri per TI-o | What do you mean by that? |
| *Ĉu mi bone komprenis?* | ĉu mi BO-ne kom-PRE-nis | Did I understand correctly? |

*Ĉu vi povus…?* "Could you…?" is a more polite request, says PMEG. *Mi ne komprenas* and *Kiel oni diras … en Esperanto?* are in the [basic phrases](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/basic/).

## Fillers and linking words

| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ***nu*** | nu | well, come on | *Nu, ni vidu.* "Well, let's see." |
| ***hm*** | hm | a pause to think | *Hm, mi ne scias.* "Hm, I don't know." |
| ***do*** | do | so, then | *Pluvas, do ni restu hejme.* "It's raining, so let's stay home." |
| ***ja*** | ja | indeed, after all | *Vi ja scias tion.* "You do know that." |
| ***fakte*** | FAK-te | in fact | *Fakte, mi ne ŝatas kafon.* "Actually, I don't like coffee." |
| ***tamen*** | TA-men | however, still | *Estas malfrue, sed mi tamen venos.* "It is late, but I will come anyway." |
| ***ĉu ne?*** | ĉu ne | right? | *La vetero estas bela, ĉu ne?* "The weather is lovely, isn't it?" |
| ***alivorte*** | a-li-VOR-te | in other words | *Alivorte, vi ne konsentas.* "In other words, you disagree." |
| ***ekzemple*** | ek-ZEM-ple | for example | *Mi ŝatas fruktojn, ekzemple pomojn.* "I like fruit, for example apples." |

Three of these are easy to misuse:

- ***Ja*** is not "yes". *Jes* answers a question; *ja* sits inside a sentence and stresses that it is true (PMEG). It can stress a negation (*Mi ja ne diris tion!* "I certainly did not say that!") or concede a point before *sed*: *Li ja estas afabla, sed mi ne fidas lin.* "He is kind, true, but I don't trust him." *Jes ja!* is the emphatic yes.
- ***Do*** has two jobs, says PMEG: it marks a conclusion ("so"), and it adds emphasis to questions and commands: *Kio do okazis?* "So what happened?", *Venu do!* "Do come!"
- ***Nu*** is an all-purpose interjection. PMEG lists nine uses, from impatience and consent to doubt, resignation and ending a talk; the tone decides. See [interjections](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/interjections/) for *nu*, *ha*, *ho* and *hm*, and [conjunctions](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/conjunctions/) for *tamen*.

## Changing the subject and ending a conversation

| Esperanto | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| *Parenteze…* | pa-ren-TE-ze | By the way… |
| *Cetere…* | ce-TE-re | Besides… |
| *Ni ŝanĝu la temon.* | ni ŜAN-ĝu la TE-mon | Let's change the subject. |
| *Mi devas foriri.* | mi DE-vas fo-RI-ri | I have to leave. |
| *Estis plezuro paroli kun vi hodiaŭ.* | ES-tis ple-ZU-ro pa-RO-li kun vi ho-DI-aŭ | It was a pleasure talking to you today. |
| *Dankon pro la agrabla konversacio.* | DAN-kon pro la a-GRA-bla kon-ver-sa-CI-o | Thanks for the pleasant conversation. |

ReVo defines *parenteze* as an explanatory aside and glosses *cetere* ("besides, on the other hand") with German *übrigens*, "by the way". To say goodbye, see [greetings](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/greetings/).

## Phone calls and messages

| Esperanto | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| *Saluton!* / *Halo!* / *Ha lo!* | sa-LU-ton / HA-lo / ha lo | Hello! (answering a call) |
| *Mi estas Maria. Kun kiu mi parolas?* | mi ES-tas ma-RI-a kun KI-u mi pa-RO-las | This is Maria. Who am I speaking with? |
| *Kiu parolas?* | KI-u pa-RO-las | Who is speaking? |
| *Ĉu mi povas paroli kun Petro?* | ĉu mi PO-vas pa-RO-li kun PE-tro | Can I speak to Peter? |
| *Momenton, mi vokos lin.* | mo-MEN-ton, mi VO-kos lin | One moment, I'll call him. |
| *Ĉu mi povas lasi mesaĝon?* | ĉu mi PO-vas LA-si me-SA-ĝon | Can I leave a message? |
| *Mi telefonos al vi poste.* | mi te-le-FO-nos al vi POS-te | I'll call you later. |
| *Mi sendos al vi mesaĝon.* | mi SEN-dos al vi me-SA-ĝon | I'll send you a message. |

ReVo lists *hola* and *halo* as a phone greeting. It adds that PIV's authors suggest the spelling *ha lo* to avoid confusion with *halo* "hall", and that one usage guide it cites prefers *Saluton!*. For "call back", *revoki* is a trap. Some speakers use it that way (Tatoeba #542287), but ReVo defines it as calling someone or something back to a place, or declaring something void, not as returning a call. Say *Mi telefonos al vi poste*, or *Mi retelefonos*, which follows PMEG's pattern for *re-* (*saluti* → *resaluti*, "greet back"); ReVo has no entry for *retelefoni* itself. See [prefixes](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/prefixes/).

| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| *mesaĝo* | me-SA-ĝo | message, including a voicemail |
| *tekstmesaĝo* | tekst-me-SA-ĝo | text message (SMS) |
| *retmesaĝo* | ret-me-SA-ĝo | e-mail message |
| *tujmesaĝilo* | tuj-me-sa-ĜI-lo | instant-messaging program |
| *mesaĝi* | me-SA-ĝi | to send a message: *Mi mesaĝos al vi.* |

ReVo has entries for *mesaĝo*, *retmesaĝo*, *tujmesaĝilo* and *mesaĝi*; it uses *tekstmesaĝo* only in an example.

## Politeness in a discussion

| Esperanto | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| *Pardonu, ke mi interrompas.* | par-DO-nu, ke mi in-ter-ROM-pas | Sorry to interrupt. |
| *Ĉu mi rajtas aldoni ion?* | ĉu mi RAJ-tas al-DO-ni I-on | May I add something? |
| *Bonvolu lasi min fini.* | bon-VO-lu LA-si min FI-ni | Please let me finish. |
| *Mi respektas vian opinion, sed…* | mi res-PEK-tas VI-an o-pi-NI-on, sed | I respect your opinion, but… |
| *Mi komprenas vian vidpunkton, sed…* | mi kom-PRE-nas VI-an vid-PUNK-ton, sed | I understand your point of view, but… |
| *Eble mi eraras.* | E-ble mi e-RA-ras | Maybe I'm wrong. |

ReVo defines *interrompi* as stopping someone's speech by speaking yourself, and *rajti* as having permission, so *Ĉu mi rajtas…?* asks for leave. *Pardonu*, *bonvolu* and *Ĉu vi povus…?* are explained in [polite phrases](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/thanks-and-politeness/). Learn five or six phrases at a time and say them aloud; more advice in [how to learn Esperanto](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/how-to-learn/).

## Common questions

### How do you say "I agree" in Esperanto?

*Mi konsentas* (mi kon-SEN-tas), or *Mi samopinias*. Add *kun vi* for the person and *pri tio* for the point. "I disagree" is *Mi ne konsentas*.

### How do you say "I think" in Esperanto?

*Mi pensas, ke…* is the everyday choice; *Mi opinias, ke…* and *Laŭ mi…* state a view. *Mi kredas, ke…* means firm conviction, and ReVo advises against it for a mild "I suppose".

### Is "vi pravas" correct?

Yes. *Pravi* is a verb meaning "to be right" (ReVo), so *Vi pravas* is correct, and so is *Vi estas prava*. The opposite is *Vi malpravas*.

### What do nu, do and ja mean?

*Nu* is "well" or "come on", *do* is "so" or an emphasis in questions and commands, and *ja* stresses that something is true. *Ja* is not "yes"; that is *jes*.

### How do you answer the phone in Esperanto?

*Saluton!* or *Halo!* (also written *Ha lo!*). To ask who is calling, say *Kun kiu mi parolas?*

## Sources

- PMEG: [Ja](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/e-vortecaj_vortetoj/ceteraj/ja.html), [Do](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/e-vortecaj_vortetoj/ceteraj/do.html), [Tamen](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/e-vortecaj_vortetoj/ceteraj/tamen.html), [Oficialaj ekkriaj vortetoj (nu, ha, ho)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/ekkrioj_sonimitoj/oficialaj_ekkrioj.html), [Neoficialaj ekkrioj (hm)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/ekkrioj_sonimitoj/neoficialaj_ekkrioj.html), [Respondvortoj (jes ja, negative questions)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/demandoj_respondoj/respondvortoj.html), [Ĉu (ĉu ne?)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/demandoj_respondoj/chu.html), [Laŭ](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/rolmontriloj/rolvortetoj/aliaj_rolvortetoj/lau.html), [Fraztipoj kaj frazfunkcioj (Ĉu vi povus…?)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/frazospecoj/fraztipoj_frazfunkcioj.html), [Prefikso RE](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/vortfarado/afiksoj/prefiksoj/re.html)
- Tatoeba: [sentence 542287](https://tatoeba.org/en/sentences/show/542287), *revoki* used for a return call (CC BY 2.0 FR)
- ReVo: [opinii, samopinii](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/opini.html), [pensi, pripensi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/pens.html), [kredi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/kred.html), [supozi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/supoz.html), [pravi, malpravi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/prav.html), [konsenti](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/konsen.html), [erari](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/erar.html), [ŝajni](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/sxajn.html), [nu](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/nu.html), [do](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/do.html), [ja](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/ja.html), [hm](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/hm.html), [fakte](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/fakt.html), [alivorte](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/vort.html), [ekzemple](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/ekzemp.html), [cetere](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/ceter.html), [parenteze](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/parent.html), [temo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/tem.html), [interrompi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/romp.html), [rajti](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/rajt.html), [respekti](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/respek.html), [vidpunkto](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/punkt.html), [hola, halo](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/hola.html), [voki, revoki](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/vok.html), [telefoni](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/telefo.html), [mesaĝo, retmesaĝo, tujmesaĝilo, mesaĝi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/mesagx.html), [lasi](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/las.html), [tekstmesaĝo in an example](https://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/posx.html)