Step by Step in Esperanto

KIE la birdoj flugas? kato kantas? hundo dormas? figoj kreskas? patro laboras? Kie S-ino T loĝas?

Useful Words and Phrases

102. MI NE SCIAS, I do not know (Pronounce mi nest-sias, with the “t” is sts clearly sounded, as in best seat, or Don’t let the guest see us). Li scias, he knows (pr. list-sias, as in least seen). (614)

BEDAŬRINDE, unfortunately, I am sorry to say that…

EBLE, perhaps, possibly, maybe, It may be that…

EFEKTTVE, as a matter of fact

KOMPRENEBLE, of course

SE, if (supposition)

VERE, really, truly

103. (a) IF meaning whether=ĉu; IF meaning supposing that=se. Tell me if he is alive or not, diru al mi, ĉu li vivas aŭ ne. If he agrees, the matter is in order, se li konsentas, la afero estas en ordo. Se la okulo ne vidas (see), la koro ne deziras.

(b) Tell me if he really lives there, or not. Of course, if he is in Edinburgh he is not in Dublin. As a matter of fact, I don’t know if the child is a boy or a girl. Unfortunately, that is not enough for him.

104. SE JES, if so, if you do, if it is, etc., according to context. SE NE, if not, if you don’t, if it isn’t, etc.

105. Ĉu li estas tie? Eble (Eble jes), Perhaps he is. Eble ne, Perhaps he isn’t. Maybe not. Kompreneble jes, Of course he is. Kompreneble ne, Of course not. Nu, mi ne scias, ĉu jes aŭ ne. Well, I don’t know whether he is or not. Se jes, If he is … Se ne, If he is not … Ĉu vere? Really? Ne vere? Not really? Vere ne, He really isn’t. Efektive jes, As a matter of fact, he is. Bedaŭrinde ne, I am sorry to say (it is to be regretted) that he isn’t; Unfortunately not.

The «kio» Family ( Thing )

106. -O=Object, thing (as a whOle). O is the noun-ending, and “a noun’s the name of any thing”.

KIO, what thing, what

TIO, that thing, that

IO, something (or other)

ĈIO, everything, all

NENIO, nothing, naught

Accent the i in nenio.

107. These words consist of five beginnings, each followed by the ending ‑O (=thing). There are eight other groups of the kind, each with the same beginnings, but a diflerent ending.

108. BEGINNINGS: I-, some; KI-, which, what; TI-, that; ĈI-, each, every, all; NENI-, no. I- stands for Indefinite; K- and T- = English wh- and th. K- stands for Kwestion[18]; CI- is each backwards! (Cp. French chacun, chaque.) NEN- is simply ne (=no) with n added to make it easier to say.

I- is like a sign-post pointing Indefinitely, in some direction or other; K-, a post pointing in various directions—Which shall I follow? T-, a post pointing in one definite direction — That one, as shown below:

The accent over Ĉ is like a family umbrella, sheltering every one, each, all, beneath it; the letter Ĉ itself is shaped like arms stretched out to embrace each and every one.

109. (a) Kio estas en la valizo? sur la tablo? Make similar sentences, replacing kio by tio, ĉio, io, nenio.

(b) Tio estas nenio. Ĉu tio estas ĉio? Estas io en la skatolo, ĉu ne? Ĉio atendas por vi. Nenio urĝas.

(c) Multo (much) en kapo, sed nenio en poŝo. Kio servas por ĉio, taŭgas (is fit) por nenio.

The «kie» Family ( Place )

110. -E = in … place (Think of place, where).

KIE, in which place, where.

TIE, in that place, (over) there, yonder.

IE, in some place, somewhere (or other).

ĈIE, in every place, everywhere.

NENIE, in no place, nowhere.

N.B.—Accent the i in nenie.