# Esperanto phrases – the 20 you need first

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-07

> The 20 most useful Esperanto phrases with pronunciation, from Saluton! (hello) to Mi ne komprenas (I don't understand), plus phrasebooks by topic.

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](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/basic/), [greetings](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/greetings/), [travel](https://esperantopedia.org/phrases/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](https://esperantopedia.org/learn/alphabet/): *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](https://esperantopedia.org/grammar/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

- [PMEG: Mallongigitaj frazoj – traditional expressions like Saluton! and Bonan matenon!](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/frazospecoj/mallongigitaj_frazoj.html)
- [PMEG: Bazaj elparolaj reguloj (stress)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/skribo_elparolo/elparolo/bazaj_reguloj.html)
- [PMEG: Personaj pronomoj (vi and ci)](https://bertilow.com/pmeg/gramatiko/pronomoj/personaj.html)
- [Wiktionary: ne dankinde](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ne_dankinde)
- [Wiktionary: ĝis revido](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%C4%9Dis_revido)