Phrases
Law, police and crime in Esperanto: words for news
The words you need to read court and crime news, plus phrases for reporting a theft while travelling.
Law in Esperanto is leĝo for one law and juro for law as a whole. The police are the polico, a crime is a krimo and a thief is a ŝtelisto. About 80 words are grouped by topic below, followed by phrases for a traveller whose wallet was stolen. The words are neutral labels; where the dictionary ReVo marks a sense as one to avoid, the table gives the recommended word. Parliament and elections are on politics and society. Pronunciation guides split words into syllables, with the stressed syllable in capitals.
Law and rules
Leĝo is one law: ReVo defines it as a binding decision proclaimed by the highest state authority. Juro is the whole system of rules that define people's rights and duties. Compare la nova leĝo "the new law" and Ŝi lernas juron "She is studying law".
| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| a law | leĝo | LE-ĝo | one statute |
| law (system, subject) | juro | JU-ro | an expert is a juristo; "legal" is jura |
| lawful | laŭleĝa | laŭ-LE-ĝa | laŭ "according to" + leĝo |
| illegal | kontraŭleĝa | kon-traŭ-LE-ĝa | kontraŭ "against" + leĝo |
| to allow, to forbid | permesi, malpermesi | per-ME-si, mal-per-ME-si | mal- "opposite" |
Courts and trials
Juĝi is "to judge" in the legal sense: to decide by law whether someone is guilty. A juĝejo is a "judging place". ReVo gives tribunalo as a synonym and also defines it as a body of one or more judges. Kortumo names various courts, especially high ones, as in la Internacia Kortumo "the International Court". All three translate "court".
| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| to judge | juĝi | JU-ĝi | |
| judge | juĝisto | ju-ĜIS-to | |
| court | juĝejo, tribunalo | ju-ĜE-jo, tri-bu-NA-lo | synonyms in ReVo |
| court (often high) | kortumo | kor-TU-mo | common in names |
| lawsuit, trial | proceso | pro-CE-so | for "process" say procezo (ReVo) |
| lawyer | advokato | ad-vo-KA-to | defends someone in court |
| prosecutor | prokuroro | pro-ku-RO-ro | also akuzisto |
| to accuse | akuzi | a-KU-zi | charge: akuzo |
| the accused | akuzito | a-ku-ZI-to | -it- "who was accused" |
| witness | atestanto | a-tes-TAN-to | atesti "to testify" |
| proof, evidence | pruvo | PRU-vo | pruvi "to prove" |
| to defend | defendi | de-FEN-di | |
| guilty | kulpa | KUL-pa | |
| innocent | senkulpa | sen-KUL-pa | sen- "without" |
| verdict | verdikto | ver-DIK-to | |
| to convict, to sentence | kondamni | kon-DAM-ni | the person: kondamnito |
| to acquit | senkulpigi | sen-kul-PI-gi | declare innocent |
| punishment | puno | PU-no | to punish: puni |
| fine | monpuno | mon-PU-no | mono + puno |
Police and investigation
Polico is the administration for public order and safety. Anyone who works in it is a policano. ReVo defines policisto as such a person, especially one who investigates, guards or helps the public.
| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| police | polico | po-LI-co | |
| police officer | policisto, policano | po-li-CIS-to, po-li-CA-no | |
| police station | policejo | po-li-CE-jo | -ej- "place" |
| detective | detektivo | de-tek-TI-vo | police or private |
| to arrest | aresti | a-RES-ti | the person: arestito |
| to investigate | enketi, esplori | en-KE-ti, es-PLO-ri | esplori is more general: "explore" |
| investigation | enketo, esploro | en-KE-to, es-PLO-ro | enketo also means a survey |
| to suspect | suspekti | sus-PEK-ti | assume guilt without sure proof |
| trace | spuro | SPU-ro | |
| clue | indikaĵo | in-di-KA-ĵo | ReVo marks indico here as archaic |
| to make a complaint | plendi | PLEN-di | to a court or police; plendo |
Crimes and criminals
Krimo is an act that most gravely breaks a moral or civil law, in ReVo's definition. The person is a krimulo. ReVo glosses delikto as a "misdemeanour", an act punishable by law.
| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| crime | krimo | KRI-mo | |
| offence | delikto | de-LIK-to | |
| criminal (person) | krimulo | kri-MU-lo | krim·ul·o |
| criminal (adjective) | krima | KRI-ma | ReVo also has kriminala |
| theft, to steal | ŝtelo, ŝteli | ŜTE-lo, ŜTE-li | |
| thief | ŝtelisto | ŝte-LIS-to | habitual thief, see below |
| burglar | domŝtelisto | dom-ŝte-LIS-to | steals inside houses |
| pickpocket | poŝoŝtelisto | po-ŝo-ŝte-LIS-to | takes from pockets and bags |
| to rob (a person or place) | prirabi | pri-RA-bi | ReVo: avoid rabi in this sense |
| to take by force | rabi | RA-bi | robber: rabisto |
| murder, to murder | murdo, murdi | MUR-do, MUR-di | |
| murderer | murdinto | mur-DIN-to | ReVo: murdisto kills for pay |
| to kill | mortigi | mor-TI-gi | ReVo: mortigo is preferred to hommortigo |
| violence | perforto | per-FOR-to | bodily force to impose one's will |
| to attack | ataki | a-TA-ki | attack: atako |
| fraud | fraŭdo | FRAŬ-do | cheating on amounts or accounts; to deceive: trompi |
| smuggling | kontrabando | kon-tra-BAN-do | smuggler: kontrabandisto |
| victim | viktimo | vik-TI-mo | one who suffers because of something |
Prison and release
Malliberejo is mal·liber·ej·o, "place of un-freedom". PMEG equates it with prizono, though ReVo defines prizono as an official prison.
| English | Esperanto | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| prison | malliberejo, prizono | mal-li-be-RE-jo, pri-ZO-no | |
| prisoner | malliberulo, prizonulo | mal-li-be-RU-lo, pri-zo-NU-lo | |
| to imprison | malliberigi | mal-li-be-RI-gi | |
| to release | liberigi | li-be-RI-gi |
Building more words
PMEG defines -ist- as a person who often does something, perhaps professionally; its own example is ŝtelisto, someone who often steals. For one act, use a participle: la ŝtelinto "the one who stole". Likewise suspektato "person under suspicion" (suspekti + -at-) is a regular formation, not a ReVo entry.
| Word part | Meaning | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ist- | person who often does it | ŝtelisto, rabisto | thief, robber |
| -ej- | place | juĝejo, policejo | court, police station |
| -ul- | person with a trait | krimulo, malliberulo | criminal, prisoner |
| -ant-, -int-, -it- | doing, did, was done to | akuzanto, murdinto, akuzito | accuser, murderer, accused |
| -ig- | to make, to cause | malliberigi, senkulpigi | to imprison, to acquit |
| mal-, sen- | opposite, without | malpermesi, senkulpa | to forbid, innocent |
See suffixes, prefixes, participles and word building.
If something is stolen
For "Help!" and "Call the police!" see travel phrases. Oni means "one, someone, they" (PMEG), so Oni ŝtelis mian monujon is literally "someone stole my wallet", the usual way to say "my wallet was stolen" (see pronouns). Driving fines are on the cars and driving page.
| Esperanto | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kie estas la policejo? | KI-e ES-tas la po-li-CE-jo? | Where is the police station? |
| Oni ŝtelis mian monujon. | O-ni ŜTE-lis MI-an mo-NU-jon. | My wallet has been stolen. |
| Oni prirabis min. | O-ni pri-RA-bis min. | I have been robbed. |
| Mi volas plendi al la polico pri ŝtelo. | mi VO-las PLEN-di al la po-LI-co pri ŜTE-lo. | I want to report a theft to the police. |
| Oni atakis min. | O-ni a-TA-kis min. | I was attacked. |
| Mi bezonas interpretiston. | mi be-ZO-nas in-ter-pre-TIS-ton. | I need an interpreter. |
| Ĉu mi rajtas voki advokaton? | ĉu mi RAJ-tas VO-ki ad-vo-KA-ton? | May I call a lawyer? |
| Mi volas telefoni al mia ambasado. | mi VO-las te-le-FO-ni al MI-a am-ba-SA-do. | I want to phone my embassy. |
| Mi estas senkulpa. | mi ES-tas sen-KUL-pa. | I am innocent. |
Use ŝteli for stolen things and perdi for lost ones (Mi perdis mian pasporton).
Sentences from the news
| Esperanto | English |
|---|---|
| La polico arestis du ŝtelistojn. | The police arrested two thieves. |
| La polico ankoraŭ esploras la aferon. | The police are still investigating the matter. |
| La advokato defendas sian klienton. | The lawyer is defending his client. |
| La akuzito diras, ke li estas senkulpa. | The accused says he is innocent. |
| La juĝisto kondamnis la ŝteliston al du jaroj en malliberejo. | The judge sentenced the thief to two years in prison. |
| La tribunalo decidos en Novembro. | The court will decide in November. |
Direct objects take -n: du ŝtelistojn, la aferon. Month names take a capital letter, as in Novembro.
Common questions
How do you say "law" in Esperanto?
Leĝo is a law that was passed; juro is law as a whole or as a subject: Ŝi lernas juron. "Legal" is jura (relating to law) or laŭleĝa (in line with the law).
How do you say "police" and "Call the police" in Esperanto?
Polico is the police, policisto or policano an officer and policejo the station. "Call the police!" is Voku la policon!
What is the difference between juĝejo, tribunalo and kortumo?
All three translate "court". ReVo gives tribunalo as a synonym of juĝejo; it also means a body of judges. Kortumo names various courts, especially high ones.
How do you say "thief", "robber" and "murderer" in Esperanto?
Ŝtelisto, rabisto and murdinto. ReVo defines murdisto as a person who kills for pay; murdinto is anyone who committed a murder.
How do you say "guilty" and "innocent" in Esperanto?
Kulpa and senkulpa. A court kondamnas (convicts) or senkulpigas (acquits), and its decision is a verdikto.
Sources
- ReVo, law and courts: leĝo, juro, juĝi, tribunalo, kortumo, proceso, advokato, prokuroro, akuzi, atesti, pruvo, defendi, kulpa, verdikto, kondamni, puno, permesi
- ReVo, police: polico, detektivo, aresti, enketi, esplori, suspekti, spuro, indico, indikaĵo, plendi
- ReVo, crimes: krimo, kriminala, delikto, ŝteli, rabi, murdi, mortigi, perforto, ataki, fraŭdo, trompi, kontrabando, viktimo
- ReVo, prison and phrases: malliberejo, prizono, interpretisto, rajti, telefoni, ambasado
- PMEG: IST, UL, EJ, IG, MAL, participles, third-person pronouns (oni)
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