Kilo Lingo
Esperanto grammar Part of Chapter 19

CEFR A1-A2

3 min read

Test yourself (24 questions)

Esperanto Language Names: la angla, la anglan and angle

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

An Esperanto language name is the people's adjective with : is English, short for . As the object of a verb it takes -n; to say something is done in a language, use the adverb in -e. Esperanto itself is a name.

-a, the language-e, in that languageobject -nWhat do the colours mean?
UseExampleEnglish
the language English
as the subject .English is hard.
as the object .I am learning English.
in a language .Write it in English.
.I speak .

Quick check

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

Pick the right one

0/3

Choose the form that fits the gap and the English.

  1. Mi lernas . (I am learning Spanish)

  2. estas bela lingvo. (Italian is a beautiful language)

  3. Ŝi skribis la leteron . (she wrote the letter in English)

The adjective is the language

-a, the languageobject -nWhat do the colours mean?

Take the word for the people, give it the adjective ending -a, and put in front. is understood, so it is usually left off:

an English person; the English language; English
LanguageEnglish
French
German
Spanish
Italian
Russian
Chinese
Japanese
Arabic

The stays, because the adjective is standing in for a noun. And the phrase takes -n like any object:

RoleExampleEnglish
subject .Italian is a lovely language.
object .I am learning Spanish.
object .She understands French.

A nationality adjective is not automatically a language. Brazilians speak Portuguese, so brazila is not a language:

  • Brazilo . - In Brazil people speak Portuguese.

angle: in English

-a, the language-e, in that languageobject -nWhat do the colours mean?

The adverb in -e says what language something is done in. It is the form to use when the verb already has an object ( , with a preposition, says the same):

  • . - She wrote the letter in English.
  • ? - How do you say that in English?
  • . - He answered me in French.

Esperanto is a name

-e, in that languageobject -nWhat do the colours mean?

Esperanto is not built from a people. Its name is a noun, from the pen name on the first textbook in 1887, Esperanto, so it is used as a name, with no :

FormExampleEnglish
the name . is easy.
object .I speak .
adverb .We spoke in .
adjective the movement

Capital letters

Countries take a capital; the people, their adjectives and the language names usually do not:

WordKindEnglish
Franciocountry
persona French person
adjectiveFrench
languageFrench
  • Francio . - The French live in France and speak French.

English would capitalise every one of those. A capital on a language name is also met ( ), but lower case is the usual style. keeps its capital because it is a name; capital letters has the full list.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
the object takes -n
the object takes -n
is already the object
brazila Brazil speaks Portuguese

What to do next

  1. Say which languages you speak and which you are learning: ..., ....
  2. Ask ? about three words today.
  3. Then read countries and peoples for the countries behind these adjectives.

See also

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/6

Choose the form that fits the gap and the English.

  1. Mi lernas . (I am learning Spanish)

  2. estas bela lingvo. (Italian is a beautiful language)

  3. Ŝi skribis la leteron . (she wrote the letter in English)

  4. Mi parolas . (I speak Esperanto)

  5. Ĉu vi komprenas ? (do you understand Chinese?)

  6. En Brazilo oni parolas . (in Brazil people speak Portuguese)

Sort into groups

0/7

Is it the name of a language?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Each sentence has one wrong word. Tap it.

Complete the story

0/4

Choose the right form for each gap.

A letter from Spain

Mia amiko loĝas en Hispanio, kaj estas lia gepatra lingvo. Nun li lernas , ĉar li volas labori en Londono. Hieraŭ li skribis al mi leteron , sed mi respondis .

Gap 1 of 4

Translation drill

0/3

Translate into Esperanto.

  1. I am learning French.

  2. English is hard.

  3. Write it in English, please.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say English in Esperanto?
, short for , the English language. The adjective comes from , an English person, and is left off because it is understood: , English is a hard language. Every language built from a people works the same way: , , .
Is it or ?
. The language is the object of , so it takes -n like any object: , . As the subject it stays bare: . The stays in both cases, because is standing in for the noun .
What is the difference between and ?
With , both are fine: and both say he speaks English. The adverb angle means in English, so it is the one to use when the sentence already has an object: , she wrote the letter in English; ?, how do you say that in English? says the same: .
Why is it and not ?
Because the language's name is a noun, the pseudonym on the first textbook, Esperanto, so it is used as a name: , Esperanto . The adjective exists and means of Esperanto, as in , the Esperanto movement. The adverb is : .
Are language names capitalised in Esperanto?
Usually not. , and are normally written in lower case, as are the people words (, ) and the days (). A capital is also met in some writing. Country names always take one (Anglio, Francio), and so does Esperanto, because it is a name.