Kilo Lingo
Esperanto grammar Part of Chapter 6

CEFR A2-B1

4 min read

Test yourself (21 questions)

Esperanto Aspect Affixes: ek-, re-, -ad-, dis- and mis-

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

Esperanto's endings say when; five affixes say what shape the event has. - starts it, - repeats or returns it, -- keeps it going, - scatters it and - gets it wrong.

the affixWhat do the colours mean?
AffixJobExampleEnglish
-it startsto fall asleep
-again, or backrelegito read again
--it goes onto sleep on and on
-in all directionsto hand out
-wronglyto misunderstand

Quick check

Now use it: three quick questions on the chart above. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Which verb says the English?

  1. He fell asleep at once.

  2. I misread the word.

  3. They went their separate ways.

dormi, ekdormi, dormadi: to sleep, to fall asleep, to sleep on and on

Two axes, not one

the affixtense endingWhat do the colours mean?

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:

EsperantoShapeEnglish
.neutralHe slept.
.the startHe fell asleep.
.the stretchHe slept on and on.
.the startHe 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

the affixWhat do the colours mean?

On a state or a long process, - is the moment you cross into it:

Plain verbWith ek-English
, sleepto fall asleep
, sitto sit down
, knowto find out

On an action that is already brief, there is nothing long to begin, so - gives one sudden instance:

Plain verbWith ek-English
, shoutto cry out
, seeto 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

the affixWhat do the colours mean?

As a rule of thumb, - means back when the action has a starting point to return to, and again when it has none:

EsperantoEnglishWhy
to come backcoming has a start
to give backgiving has a giver
relegito read againreading has no start
to see againseeing 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

the affixWhat do the colours mean?

On a verb, -- stretches the action out or makes it a habit:

Plain verbWith -ad-English
, sleepto sleep on and on
, knockfrapadito keep knocking
  • frapadis . - Someone kept knocking at the door.

On a noun, -- names the activity rather than one act:

One thingThe activityEnglish
, an utterancea speech, speaking
, a lifeliving, life as it goes on
, a movemotion; 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.

dis-: apart, in all directions

the affixWhat do the colours mean?

- sends the action outwards, to several places at once:

Plain verbWith dis-English
, giveto hand out
, goto go separate ways
, sendto send out (to many)
, breakto smash to pieces
, fallto fall apart
  • . - The teacher handed out the books.

It is not -, which turns a word into its opposite. gives (give back, to one person) and (give out, to many), and neither is the opposite of giving. (distance) is a plain root.

mis-: wrongly

the affixWhat do the colours mean?

- says the action happened, but went wrong:

Plain verbWith mis-English
, understandto misunderstand
, readto misread
, useto misuse
, calculateto miscalculate
  • . - You misunderstood me.

Compare . (you did not understand me): says it did not happen, - says it happened wrongly. And is a mystery, with no - in it.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
is slept for eight hours: - is only the dropping off
is did not follow at all: - is understanding wrongly
is is new books, out to the class: out to many is -

What to do next

  1. Take five verbs you know and give each - and --.
  2. Say three things you did again today with -.
  3. Then read the compound tenses to see why the affix usually beats them.

See also

Practise: test yourself

Build the word

0/5

Build the word: affix, root, ending.

  1. to fall asleep (dormi)

    Accents optional - cx, gx, ux work for ĉ, ĝ, ŭ

    Your word is empty.

  2. to sleep on and on (dormi)

    Accents optional - cx, gx, ux work for ĉ, ĝ, ŭ

    Your word is empty.

  3. to come back (veni)

    Accents optional - cx, gx, ux work for ĉ, ĝ, ŭ

    Your word is empty.

  4. to hand out (doni)

    Accents optional - cx, gx, ux work for ĉ, ĝ, ŭ

    Your word is empty.

  5. to misunderstand (kompreni)

    Accents optional - cx, gx, ux work for ĉ, ĝ, ŭ

    Your word is empty.

Sort into groups

0/8

What does the opening or ending do in each word?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Pick the right one

0/4

Which verb says the English?

  1. He fell asleep at once.

  2. I misread the word.

  3. They went their separate ways.

  4. We went back home.

Translation drill

0/4

Translate into English.

  1. La infano ekdormis.

  2. Li ekkriis.

  3. Mi relegis la leteron.

  4. Ŝi disdonis la librojn.

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Frequently asked questions

What does ek- mean in Esperanto?
It marks the start of an action, or a single sudden burst of one, and the root decides which. On a state or a long process, ek- is the moment you cross into it: is to sleep, i is to fall asleep. On an action that is already brief, it gives one sharp instance: is to shout, is to cry out. , to catch sight of, and , to sit down, work the same way.
What is the difference between i and i?
i is the moment you fall asleep; i is the long stretch of sleeping. Plain says neither. So is is he fell asleep, is he slept, and is is he slept on and on. All three are past, because the affix shapes the event and the -is ending places it in time.
When should I use -ad- in Esperanto?
When the length or the repetition is the point. On a verb it stretches the action or makes it a habit: is to knock, frapadi is to keep knocking. On a noun it names the activity rather than one act or a result: is something said, is a speech. Where the plain verb already says what you mean, leave -ad- off.
Does re- mean again or back in Esperanto?
Both, and the verb usually settles it. As a rule of thumb, a movement or a handing-over has a starting point to go back to, 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. When both readings are possible, say for again, or add where for back.
Which Esperanto words start with , or without the prefix?
Plenty. (to exist), and (outside) are plain roots; so are (to stay), (to answer) and (a daydream), and is a mystery, not a wrong earth. The test: strip the letters and see whether a root you know is left. minus ek- leaves zisti, which is nothing.