Language/Esperanto/Grammar/CONJUNCTIONS

Conjunctions in Esperanto

Conjunctions are an essential part of any language. They are words that connect clauses, phrases, or sentences. In Esperanto, conjunctions play a crucial role in conveying the intended meaning of a sentence. In this lesson, we will learn about the different types of conjunctions in Esperanto and their usage.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Gender, Negation, Questions & Past Tense.

Types of Conjunctions in Esperanto:

1. Kaj - and
2. Aŭ - or
3. Sed - but
4. Tamen - however
5. Kiam - when
6. Ĉar - because
7. Ke - that
8. Se - if

Usage of Conjunctions:

Kaj - and

Kaj is used to connect two elements that are similar in nature.

Example: Mi aĉetis panon kaj lakton. (I bought bread and milk)

Aŭ - or

Aŭ is used to connect two elements, out of which one can be chosen.

Example: Ĉu vi volas teon aŭ kafojn? (Do you want tea or coffee?)

Sed - but

Sed is used to connect two clauses that express a contrast.

Example: Li estas riĉa, sed ne feliĉa. (He is rich, but not happy.)

Tamen - however

Tamen is used to connect two clauses that express a contrast, but with a greater emphasis on the second clause.

Example: Mi deziris helpi lin, tamen ne estis eble. (I wanted to help him, however, it was not possible.)

Kiam - when

Kiam is used to connect two clauses that express a time relationship.

Example: Kiam mi venis hejmen, la suno jam subiris. (When I came home, the sun had already set.)

Ĉar - because

Ĉar is used to connect two clauses where the second clause gives a reason for the first.

Example: Mi ne povis veni, ĉar mi havis alian rendevuon. (I couldn't come because I had another appointment.)

Ke - that

Ke is used to introduce a subordinate clause.

Example: Mi scias, ke li estas honesta. (I know that he is honest.)

Se - if

Se is used to introduce a conditional clause.

Example: Se li venu, ni iros al la kinejo. (If he comes, we will go to the cinema.)

Subordinating and Coordinating Conjunctions in Esperanto

In Esperanto, there are two main types of conjunctions: subordinating and coordinating.

• Subordinating conjunctions are used to introduce subordinate clauses, which depend on the main clause for meaning.

Examples of subordinating conjunctions in Esperanto include ke (that), kiam (when), kiel (as), and se (if).

• Coordinating conjunctions, on the other hand, are used to connect two independent clauses or words of equal grammatical rank.

Examples of coordinating conjunctions in Esperanto include kaj (and), aŭ (or), sed (but), and tamen (however).

Conjuction	Examples
subordinating	ĉar = because, since, kvankam = although, ke = that, kvazaŭ = almost, se = if  kiam (when) kiel (as)
coordinating	sed = but, tamen (however) aŭ = or, kaj = and, do = so, therefore, nu = now then, nek = neither ju pli... des pli... = the more… the…

Sources

http://esperanto.bretonio.free.fr/dokumentoj/pakeo-en3.pdf

Other Lessons

• WORD BUILDING
• Past Participle in Esperanto
• Possesive Adjectives
• Prepositions
• Suffixes —ET and —EG
• Interrogative Sentences
• THE CORRELATIVES
• Questions
• Interrogation
• THE NEGATIVE