Core Vocabulary in Esperanto #
What are the most basic concepts that virtually all languages express? I’ve done my best to answer this question with a list of 200 core vocabulary items, and this is the Esperanto version. To learn how I settled on these particular concepts and see what other languages have been added so far, check out “Core Vocabulary Across Languages.”
Nouns #
- name = nomo
- water = akvo
- blood = sango
- fire = fajro
- stone/rock = ŝtono, roko
- dog = hundo
- fish = fiŝo
- louse/flea = pediko, pulo
- hand/arm = mano, brako
- eye = okulo
- ear = orelo
- nose = nazo
- tongue = lango
- tooth = dento
- bone = osto
- horn = korno
- tail = vosto
- egg = ovo
- leaf = folio
- night/evening = nokto, vespero
- star = stelo
- sun = suno
- moon = luno
- earth/soil = tero, grundo
- salt = salo
- mountain = monto
- tree = arbo
- rain = pluvo
- wind = vento
- bird = birdo
- flesh/meat = karno, viando
- liver = hepato
- skin/hide = haŭto
- knee = genuo
- breast/chest = brusto, mamo
- person/human = homo, persono, ulo
- man = viro
- woman = virino
- child = infano
- hair/fur = haro, felo
- mouth = buŝo
- neck = kolo
- foot/leg = piedo, kruro
- feather = plumo
- grease/fat = graso
- smoke = fumo
- ash/soot = cindro, fulgo
- sand = sablo
- wood = ligno
- root = radiko
- rope/cord = ŝnuro
- path/road = vojo, strato
- year = jaro
Verbs #
- die = morti
- see/look/watch = vidi, rigardi, spekti
- hear/listen = aŭdi, aŭskulti
- know = scii, koni
- drink = trinki
- give = doni
- come = veni
- stand = stari, starigi
- sit/set = sidi, meti
- lie/lay = kuŝi, kuŝigi
- fly = flugi
- eat = manĝi
- bite = mordi
- burn = bruli
- kill = mortigi
- say/tell/speak/talk = diri, paroli, rakonti
- laugh = ridi
Adjectives #
- new = nova
- full = plena
- good = bona
- long = longa
- red = ruĝa
- black = nigra
- white = blanka
- green = verda
- yellow = flava
- small/little = malgranda, eta
- big/large = granda
- wide/broad = larĝa
- heavy = peza
- old = malnova, maljuna
- dry = seka
Other #
- I/me = mi/min
- you = vi/vin
- what/which = kio/kion, kiu/kiun
- who/whom = kiu/kiun
- one = unu
- two = du
- not/no = ne
- this/these = ĉi tio/tion/tioj/tiojn, tiu/tiun/tiuj/tiujn
- we/us = ni/nin
- all/everything/everyone = ĉio/ĉion/ĉioj/ĉiojn, ĉiu/ĉiun/ĉiuj/ĉiujn
Nouns, Secondary #
- time/instance/occurrence = tempo, horo, fojo
- shade/shadow = ombro
- house/home = domo, hejmo
- head = kapo
- belly/abdomen = ventro, abdomeno
- navel/belly-button = umbiliko
- heart/core = koro, kerno
- back = dorso
- thigh = femuro
- wing = flugilo
- nail/claw = ungo, ungego, krifo
- animal/beast = besto, animalo
- ant = formiko
- cat = kato
- pig = porko
- snake = serpento
- worm = vermo
- parent/father/mother = patro, patrino
- sibling/brother/sister = frato, fratino
- spouse/husband/wife = edzo, edzino
- day = tago
- cloud = nubo
- snow = neĝo
- ice = glacio
- river/stream = rivero, rivereto
- sea/ocean = maro, oceano
- seed = semo
- grass/lawn = herbo, herbejo
- flower/blossom = floro, floraĵo
- bark/husk = ŝelo
Verbs, Secondary #
- do/make = fari
- be = esti
- become/get = iĝi, fariĝi
- have = havi
- want = voli
- can/be-able-to = povi
- think/consider = pensi
- go = iri
- walk/run = marŝi
- take = preni
- carry/wear = porti, surhavi
- tie/bind = ligi, nodi
- hide = kaŝi
- fall = fali
- cry/weep = krii, plori
- blow = blovi
- suck = suĉi
- hit/beat = bati, trafi
- crush/grind = pisti, frakasi, mueli
- live = vivi
- sleep = dormi
- work = labori
- play = ludi
- swim = naĝi
- hunt = ĉasi
- dance = danci
- sing = kanti
- count = kalkuli
- vomit = vomi
Adjectives, Secondary #
- right/correct/proper = ĝusta, prava
- bad/wrong = malbona, malĝusta
- far/distant = malproksima
- hard (not soft) = malmola
- thick = dika
- thin = maldika
- narrow = mallarĝa
- sweet = dolĉa
- bitter = maldolĉa
- hot = varmega
- warm = varma
- cold = malvarma
- wet = malseka
- smooth = glata
- sharp = akra
- dull (not sharp) = malakra
- dirty = malpura
- short = mallonga
- round = ronda
Other, Secondary #
- it/he/him/she/her/they/them/the = ĝi/ĝin, li/lin/ŝi/ŝin, ili/ilin, la
- itself/oneself/himself/herself/themself/-self = sin, mem
- that/those = tio/tion, tiu/tiun/tiuj/tiujn
- other/another/others = alia/aliaj
- no/none/no-one = neniu
- and = kaj
- or = aŭ
- but/yet/except = sed, tamen, krom
- at/in/on = ĉe, en, sur
- to/toward = al
- of/from/’s (possessive) = de, el
- by/through/per/for/because = per, tra, po, por, ĉar
- with = kun
- over/above/on = super, supre, sur
- for/in-order-to = por
- so/then (effect) = do, tiam
- then/right-away (sequence) = poste, tuj
- now/still/doing (ongoing) = nun, ankoraŭ
- did/done (past) = -is
- will/be-going-to (future) = -os
- much/many = multa/multaj
- very/really = tre, vere
- where = kie
- when = kiam
- how/like/as = kiel
- if/whether = se, ĉu
- yesterday = hieraŭ