Translation
one; people (impersonal)
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Examples
, .
They say he is a good man.
.
One cannot do everything in a single day.
.
In this country people speak two languages.
?
What is one to do?
.
One ought to think before speaking.
Oni is the impersonal pronoun, and it covers English "one", "people", "they" and the vague "you" of "you never know". It counts as singular for grammar, so the verb needs no special ending, and it is how Esperanto usually sidesteps the passive. Its reflexive is si, as in oni devas helpi sin mem.
Where this fits
Word family
Words built on oni with Esperanto's affixes. Read each one from its parts.
- onidironoun
rumour, hearsay
onidiri
Used in
Stories
(2)Grammar articles
(14)Listening to Esperanto: What to Actually Listen To
Esperanto Compound Tenses: esti + Participle, and When
The History of Esperanto in Ten Episodes, 1859 to Today
Homaranismo: Zamenhof's Creed, Kept Apart from Esperanto
Esperanto Impersonal Sentences: oni, pluvas, estas varme
Esperanto Body Parts: La Korpo, Head to Foot
Esperanto Grammar on One Page: All 16 Rules
Esperanto Language Names: la angla, la anglan and angle
Esperanto Letter Names: How to Spell Aloud (bo, co, ĉo)
Unofficial Esperanto Affixes: -oz-, -iv- and the Rest
The Esperanto Passive: -ata, -ita, -ota and esti
Esperanto Personal Pronouns: mi, vi, li, ŝi and mia
The Esperanto Reflexive: si and sia vs li and lia
Scientific Esperanto: The Register That Almost Won
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Esperanto · Free printables
oni: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Esperanto word "oni" (one; people (impersonal)): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 1, lesson 7: oni, el, unu and 8 more words.