Ch 6 · Lesson 12Esperanto · Chapter 6 · Lesson 12 · Grammar primer
Begin, again, keep on: ek-, re-, -ad-
i is to fall asleep, i to sleep on and on, relegi to read again. The affix gives the event its shape; the ending still says when.
The short version
ek- starts it, -ad- keeps it going
is, , is
Why?Hide
Esperanto has no aspect ending, because aspect lives in the affixes on a separate axis from tense. Ek- marks the moment you cross into an action: is to sleep, i is to fall asleep. -ad- marks duration or repetition: i is to sleep on and on. All three of is, and is are past, because the affix shapes the event and the ending places it in time.
re- means back if there is somewhere to go back to
, is .
Why?Hide
As a rule of thumb, re- means back when the action has a starting point to return to, and again when it has none. Coming and giving have one, so is to come back and i is to give back. Reading and seeing have none, so relegi is to read again and is to see again. Where both fit, say for again.
Two axes, not one
An Esperanto verb is a root, an optional affix and a tense ending. The affix gives the shape of the event; the ending gives the time. Neither touches the other:
| Esperanto | Shape | English |
|---|---|---|
. | neutral | He slept. |
. | the start | He fell asleep. |
. | the stretch | He slept on and on. |
. | the start | He will fall asleep. |
li ekdormis (fell asleep: one moment)
li dormis (slept: no comment on how long)
li dormadis (slept on and on)
Timeline from past to now, with now marked.
So the past is still -is whatever the affix does. Nearly every Russian verb is fixed as perfective or imperfective; an Esperanto verb adds an affix only when the shape matters, and plain is never wrong.
ek-: the moment it starts
On a state or a long process, - is the moment you cross into it:
| Plain verb | With ek- | English |
|---|---|---|
| | to fall asleep |
| | to sit down |
| | to find out |
On an action that is already brief, there is nothing long to begin, so - gives one sudden instance:
| Plain verb | With ek- | English |
|---|---|---|
| | to cry out |
| | to catch sight of |
.- Suddenly she caught sight of him.
Not every is the prefix. (to exist), (an example) and (outside) are plain roots: strip the and what is left (zisti, zemplo, ster) is not a word.
re-: again, or back
As a rule of thumb, - means back when the action has a starting point to return to, and again when it has none:
| Esperanto | English | Why |
|---|---|---|
| to come back | coming has a start |
| to give back | giving has a giver |
relegi | to read again | reading has no start |
| to see again | seeing has no start |
.- She came back home.relegis .- I read the letter again.
Where both readings fit, spell it out: is again, and a place makes back clear. (to stay), (to answer) and (a daydream) contain no - at all.
-ad-: the long version
On a verb, -- stretches the action out or makes it a habit:
| Plain verb | With -ad- | English |
|---|---|---|
| | to sleep on and on |
| frapadi | to keep knocking |
frapadis .- Someone kept knocking at the door.
On a noun, -- names the activity rather than one act:
| One thing | The activity | English |
|---|---|---|
| | a speech, speaking |
| | living, life as it goes on |
| | motion; a movement (organised) |
.- His speech was too long.
Leave -- off where the plain verb already says it: is I work and I am working without help.
Going further: dis-: apart, in all directions and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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