Ch 15 · Lesson 17Esperanto · Chapter 15 · Lesson 17 · Grammar primer
Plaĉi, manki, helpi: the person after al
is I like the book: , , and never take an object. takes either: , .
The short version
; .
Why?Hide
claims that you are pleasing to a book with opinions. is how you say I like the book, and the same reversal runs through ( ), , , and : the thing takes the subject slot and the person goes after . It is a specific list rather than a rule about feelings, because and are ordinary transitive verbs. If you want the person as subject, and are waiting.
. .
Why?Hide
and mean the same, and both are good Esperanto. works the same way ( , ), and is used both ways too. Pick one habit and keep it within a text. But the list is short: , and never take an object, so it is only ever .
The verbs that put the person after al
does not mean to like; it means to be pleasing. The thing is the subject, and the person comes after :
.- I like the book..- I like the book. (The book pleases me.)
A short set of common verbs works the same way, and none of them ever takes an object:
| Verb | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| . | She likes the town. |
| . | I am short of money. |
| . | That is enough for us. |
| . | The house belongs to me. |
| ? | What happened to you? |
| . | That seems strange to me. |
It is a list, not a rule about feelings. and take an ordinary object:
.- The noise bothers me..- The book interests me.
To put the person first with an object, use (like) or (need): . - I need money.
The helpi class: object or al
A few verbs take either an object or , and both are correct. Each pair below means the same: I help him, forgive me, obey the law.
| Verb | With an object | With |
|---|---|---|
| . | . |
| ! | ! |
| . | . |
With , the offence can be the object while the person takes :
.- She forgave me the mistake.
Two pieces of advice. Pick one habit for and keep it within a text. And do not generalise: is not on this list, so is the only form.
Going further: One root, one class and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
10-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
Esperanto · Free printables
Worksheets for this lesson
Worksheets with answer keys built in. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekLesson 17 of 29 in this chapter