Ch 22 · Lesson 10Esperanto · Chapter 22 · Lesson 10 · Grammar primer
Necesas, eblas, ŝajnas: verbs with no subject
says in one word, always takes , a -clause can be the subject, and with and the person comes after .
The short version
in one word
, .
Why?Hide
Esperanto turns adjectives into verbs that need no subject: gives , gives , gives , gives . and mean the same, and both are correct; the one-word form is shorter. always takes .
One-word impersonal verbs
Esperanto turns adjectives into verbs as freely as anything else. So beside (from ) sits , one word with no subject:
| Verb | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| . | It is necessary to wait. |
| ? | Is it possible to talk to him? |
| . | It is not worth worrying. |
| ! | That's enough! |
| . | It does not matter. |
| . | It is about money. |
, and , mean the same, and both are correct; the one-word form is shorter. always takes . And these verbs can take a subject when there is one: , only the result matters.
Ŝajnas, ke: a clause as subject
A whole -clause can do the subject's job, so the verb needs nothing else:
| Verb | Esperanto | English |
|---|---|---|
| , . | It seems he has already left. |
| , . | It so happens that I know him. |
| , . | It turned out the letter was false. |
| , . | It may be that she won't come. |
also takes an ordinary subject: ?, what happened?
The person after al
Some verbs put the thing in the subject slot and reach the person with , the reverse of English:
.- I like the book. (The book pleases me.).- I am short of time., .- It seems to me that he is right.
is wrong: never takes an object. The transitivity article has the full set.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
. | . | no dummy subject |
. | . | the weather: no noun, so -e |
. | . | no dummy subject |
. | . | the money is what is missing |
. | . | |
Going further: No dummy subject and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
8-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 10 of 29 in this chapter