Kilo Lingo
Esperanto grammar Part of Chapter 2

CEFR A1-A2

3 min read

Test yourself (18 questions)

Esperanto Demonstratives: Tiu, Tio and ĉi for This

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 11 October 2026

Esperanto points with two words: (that one) and (that thing). takes -j and -n like an adjective; takes -n only. For this, add . That is every this, that, these and those English asks of you.

ti- (pointing)endingplural -jobject -nĉi (near)What do the colours mean?
SubjectObject
that one
those ones
that thing
this one
this thing

Quick check

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

Pick the right one

0/3

Pick the right form of tiu. The English in brackets says how many, and whether it is the subject or the object.

  1. homo parolas. (that person is speaking - one, subject)

  2. homoj parolas. (those people are speaking - several, subject)

  3. Mi vidas homon. (I see that person - one, object)

Tiu: that one

picks a specific individual out of a set. It sits before a noun, or stands alone when the noun is understood:

  • . - That person is speaking.
  • . - That one came first.

The test: could you answer which one? If so, it is .

Tio: that thing

points at something you are not naming: an unidentified object, a situation, or a whole previous sentence.

Points atEsperantoEnglish
an unknown thing ?What is that?
a situation !That is not possible!
what was said .That is the truth.

You cannot put a noun after . The same split runs through the whole correlative table: -u words pick individuals, -o words gesture at things.

One word, two jobs: adjective or pronoun

Before a noun, is an adjective: it describes the noun and copies its -j and -n, exactly as would:

  • . - I see those people.
  • . - I see good people.

Standing alone, the same word is a pronoun: it replaces the noun.

  • . - Those (people) came.

only ever does the second job, so is simply not Esperanto.

English hides the same split. In that book is mine, that is an adjective; in that is mine, it is a pronoun:

  • . - That book is mine.
  • . - That is mine.

ĉi: pulling that into this

There is no separate word for this. The particle drags a pointing word towards the speaker:

FarNear
that one this one
that this
there here
tiu homo (that person) becomes ĉi tiu homo (this person)
A speaker stands on the grass pointing at a cup right beside them; a listener a little way off has a second cup by their feet; a third, tiny cup sits far away on top of a green hill.

Two steps, not three: ĉi tiu for the cup by the speaker, plain tiu for the cup by the listener and the one on the hill alike.

can stand on either side. Both of these are correct:

  • . - This book is good.
  • . - This book is good.

on its own before a noun ( ) does turn up, but it is widely judged best avoided outside poetry. Give it its : .

Number and case: the part English does not prepare you for

takes the plural -j and the accusative -n, together when both apply. takes -n but never -j:

FormEsperantoEnglish
.Those gentlemen speak.
.I see that gentleman.
.I see those gentlemen.
.I did not say that.

The endings free the word order. Front the object for emphasis and the -n still says who sees whom:

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
.
.
  • . - I see that person.
  • . - THAT person is the one I see.

The rest of the ti- family

and are two cells of a column. The other common ones point at a place, a time, a manner or a kind:

WordEsperantoEnglish
.He is there.
.Then I came.
!Do not talk like that!
.I have never seen such a person.

All nine are in the correlative table.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
a noun follows:
. .the object takes -n on both
several: -j on both
tioj never takes -j
bare is poetic at best

What to do next

  1. Point at five things around you and say or with each noun.
  2. Make three of them objects: .
  3. Read correlatives for the whole table this column belongs to.

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/6

Pick the right form of tiu. The English in brackets says how many, and whether it is the subject or the object.

  1. homo parolas. (that person is speaking - one, subject)

  2. homoj parolas. (those people are speaking - several, subject)

  3. Mi vidas homon. (I see that person - one, object)

  4. Mi vidas homojn. (I see those people - several, object)

  5. Ni volas paroli lingvojn. (we want to speak those languages)

  6. Ŝi rigardas manon. (she is looking at that hand)

Pick the right one

0/5

Tiu or tio? Tiu goes before a noun or stands for a named one; tio is an unnamed thing or a whole situation, and never goes before a noun.

  1. Kio estas ? (what is that? - a thing you cannot name)

  2. sinjoro parolas bone. (that gentleman speaks well)

  3. estas la vero. (that is the truth - a whole situation)

  4. ne estas ebla! (that is not possible - what just happened)

  5. Kiu estas homo? (who is that person?)

Spot the mistake

0/4

Each sentence has one wrong word. Tap it.

Put the words in order

0/3

Put the words in order. Ĉi goes right beside tiu or tio.

  1. I see this person.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. I want this thing.

    Your sentence is empty.

  3. I see those people.

    Your sentence is empty.

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Practice worksheets and infographics

Practice worksheets with answer keys built in, plus infographic and listicle formats. Open any one to view, print or save.

Infographics

  1. Key points infographic
  2. Table 1
  3. Tio: that thing
  4. ĉi: pulling that into this
  5. Number and case: the part English does not prepare you for
  6. The rest of the ti- family
  7. Mistakes English speakers make

Other formats

  1. Listicle

Related grammar

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between and in Esperanto?
picks one identifiable individual out of a set: it goes before a noun ( , that person) or stands in for one, and answers the question which one? points at a thing you are not naming: an object you cannot identify, a situation, or a whole previous sentence. ? is what is that? If a noun follows, use .
How do you say this in Esperanto?
With the particle , which pulls a pointing word towards the speaker. is that one, so is this one; is that thing, so is this thing. The particle can sit on either side: and are both correct.
Does take the accusative -n?
Yes, and the plural -j too, exactly like an adjective. is I see that person; is those people as subject and as object. takes -n (tion) but never -j.
Is an adjective or a pronoun?
Both, and the position decides. Before a noun, is an adjective and agrees with the noun: , , . Standing alone, it is a pronoun: , that one came. is only ever a pronoun, which gives the quickest test there is: if a noun follows, the word must be .
What is the plural of ?
, with the same -j every noun and adjective takes. As the object it adds -n as well: . So is those gentlemen are speaking, and is I see those gentlemen.