Ch 22 · Lesson 9Esperanto · Chapter 22 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
Oni: you, one, they, people
is people in general: , ... is they say that... It covers English you, one and they, takes , and often replaces a passive.
The short version
1900.
Why?Hide
is people in general, or someone it does not matter to name. It covers English generic you, one and they: , , they say he is rich. Where English uses a passive because the doer does not matter, Esperanto often uses and an ordinary verb.
Oni: you, one, they, people
is people in general, or someone it does not matter to name. English needs four words for its one job:
| English | Esperanto | English sentence |
|---|---|---|
| you | . | You should not smoke here. |
| one | . | One must be careful. |
| they | , . | They say he is rich. |
| people | . | People speak there. |
It is a third-person pronoun, so it takes and :
.- One must look after one's health.
Oni or iu?
is one particular person you cannot name. leaves the person out of the picture:
- Iu frapas ĉe la pordo.someone (I wonder who)
- Oni frapas ĉe la pordo.there is knocking
- Pluvas.no one in it
can be one unknown person too, as at the door: the difference is where the attention goes, so the scale shows a tendency, not a rule.
.- Somebody took my book. (Who was it?), .- People say the book is good.
Oni instead of the passive
Where English uses a passive because the doer does not matter, Esperanto very often uses and an ordinary verb:
| Way | Esperanto | English |
|---|---|---|
| passive | 1900. | The house was built in 1900. |
| 1900. | They built the house in 1900. |
| passive | . | is spoken there. |
| . | People speak there. |
Both columns are correct. The version is lighter and the more everyday one; the passive puts the thing acted on first. The passive article has the participles.
Going further: No dummy subject and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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