Ch 24 Ā· Lesson 16Esperanto Ā· Chapter 24 Ā· Lesson 16 Ā· Grammar primer
Ge-: gepatroj, gefratoj and the singular gepatro
Ge- means both sexes together: , parents; oj, ladies and gentlemen. Traditionally plural; the singular , one parent of any sex, is newer.
The short version
Ge-: both at once
.
Why?Hide
The ge- prefix means both sexes together: (parents), oj (brothers and sisters), oj (ladies and gentlemen). Traditionally a ge- word is plural. The singular , one parent of any sex, is a newer use that PMEG records as experimental and growing.
Ge-: both sexes together
- means both sexes. Traditionally the word it makes is plural, and these plurals are everyday words:
| Word | English |
|---|---|
| parents (mother + father) |
| brothers and sisters |
| sons and daughters |
| a married couple |
| ladies and gentlemen |
Parizo.- My parents live in.oj!- Ladies and gentlemen!
- also goes on neutral roots when you want to stress that both sexes are there: oj, pupils of both sexes. Normally plain does the job. PMEG advises against the singular o and o, since and are neutral already.
The newer use is the singular. PMEG states the tradition, that a - word with -o can only be plural, then records an experimental singular meaning any sex that has grown over the last few decades:
.- Every parent wants to help.
PMEG also names the cost. If - can mean any sex, then can mean a decision by one parent rather than by both. Both readings are in use; the plural one is understood by everyone.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
a | | adjectives do not agree for sex |
o | | -- is already there |
. | . | |
oj | oj | - already includes the women |
Going further: No grammatical gender and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
7-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 Ā· 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 16 of 25 in this chapter