Adverbs

Derived adverbs are formed with the ending -e. This completes the vowel system: -o for nouns, -a for adjectives, -e for adverbs.

• bele – beautifully
• forte – strongly
• rapida aŭto – a fast car
  • veturi rapide – to travel fast

The prepositions per and kun

Both can translate as "with", but they cover different meanings.

Per – with (by means of, using)

• Manĝi per kulero – to eat with a spoon
• Ŝi kantis per tre bela voĉo. – She sang with (in) a very beautiful voice.

Kun – with (together with)

• Mi iris kun la amiko. – I went with the friend.
• Mi parolos kun li. – I will talk to him.

💡 Memory aid: kun is company (you do something with someone), per is the means (you do something by means of a thing).

The Preposition post

post – after (referring to time)

• Li venis post mi. – He came after me (after I did).
• post du horoj – in two hours' time
• Li venos post tri horoj. – He will come in three hours.
• poste – afterwards, later on

The Preposition malantaŭ

malantaŭ – behind (referring to place)

• Li venis malantaŭ mi. – He came behind me (walking or driving along behind).

⚠️ Watch out: stress this word correctly — malantaŭ. Note that it is just mal- + antaŭ (in front of), so "behind" is literally the opposite of "in front of".

The suffix -ul

a person characterized by some quality:

• grandulo – a large person
• malbonulo – a bad person
• belulino – a beautiful woman, a beauty

The suffix -ej

forms the word for a place where something regularly happens:

• lernejo – school (place for learning)
• kuirejo – kitchen (kuiri – to cook)
• laborejo – workplace

💡 Memory aid: -ej turns an activity into its place:

• lerni (to learn) → lernejo (school)
• kuiri (to cook) → kuirejo (kitchen)

The suffix -ebl

denotes possibility, and corresponds to English "-able", "-ible":

• manĝebla – edible
• videbla – visible
• kompreneble – understandably (naturally, of course)
• eble – perhaps, maybe
• malebla – impossible

The Imperative

The verb ending for a command is -u:

• Manĝu! – Eat! Eat up!
• Iru! – Go! Go on!

It can also be used with a subject:

• Li lernu! – Let him learn!
• Ni vidu. – Let's see.