You may want to support further development of this grammar overview by donating via PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account):

S

3.8 Verb

Esperanto has most of the verb forms found in western languages, and some more. All forms are regular. The forms used more often are created synthetically using suffixes, the rest is created analytically using auxiliary verb esti – ‘to be’ and participles.

I discuss the simple forms first, then the complex forms. See also suffixes ig and iΔ? in Β§4.2.2.1 and Β§4.2.2.2. For detailed information on usage of the verb forms, see PAG Β§110-119.

3.8.1 Infinitive

Infinitive (infinitivo) is formed from the stem by adding the ending i.
esti – to be, sidi – to sit, kapti – to catch, marteli – to hammer, skribi – to write, bezoni – to need.

Infinitive has the same meaning as in many other languages:
Mi Δ?ojas vin vidi. = Mi Δ?ojas, ke mi vin vidas. – I am happy to see you.
Mi vidis la knabon kuri. = Mi vidis, ke la knabo kuras. – I see the boy running.
Kritiki estas facile, sed fari estas malfacile. – It is easy to criticize, but it is hard to work.
Mi povas legi. – I can read.

3.8.2 Vowels of tense

All tenses (relative and absolute) are formed uniformly using three vowels:
  • a for the present tense, contemporaneous, imperfectness
    mi kaptas – I catch
    kaptanta – catching
    kaptata – being caught
  • i for the past tense, anteriority, perfectness
    mi kaptis – I caught
    kaptinta – having caught
    kaptita – having been caught
  • o for the future tense, succession, intention
    mi kaptos – I will catch
    kaptonta – going to catching
    kaptota – going to be caught

3.8.3 Indicative

Indicative (indikativo) is formed by adding the appropriate tense vowel followed by s to the stem:

present mi kapt-a-s I catch
past mi kapt-i-s I caught
future mi kapt-o-s I will catch

The form of the verb is the same for all persons:

mi kaptas I catch ni kaptas we catch
vi kaptas you catch vi kaptas you catch
li kaptas he catches ili kaptas they catch

3.8.4 Conditional

Conditional (kondicionalo) is formed by adding the ending us to the stem.
mi kapt-us – I would catch

3.8.5 Imperative

Imperative (volitivo) is formed by adding the ending u to the stem:
kapt-u – catch
ni kapt-u – let’s catch
Volitive is used also as subjunctive:
Mi petas, ke li venu.H – I ask that he comes.
Mi deziras al vi, ke vi resaniΔ?u.H – I wish you to get healthy again.
Mi alportis la libron, por ke vi Δ?in tralegu.H – I brought the book for you to read.

3.8.6 Participles, Gerunds, Verbal nouns

3.8.6.1 Participles

There are three types of active and three types of passive participles – present, past (perfect) and future (predicative).
Active participle is created from the stem by adding a vowel of tense, followed by nt, followed by adjective ending a.
present
kapt-a-nt-a
catching
past
kapt-i-nt-a
having caught
future
kapt-o-nt-a
going to catch
Passive participle is created from stem by adding a vowel of tense, followed by t, followed by adjective ending a.
present
kapt-a-t-a
caught, being caught
past
kapt-i-t-a
having been caught
future
kapt-o-t-a
going to be caught

3.8.6.2 Gerunds

Gerunds are formed from participles by replacing the adjective ending a by the adverbial ending e.
Active gerunds:
present
kapt-a-nt-e
catching
past
kapt-i-nt-e
having caught
future
kapt-o-nt-e
going to catch

Promentante ili kantas.H – Walking, they are singing.
Reveninte hejmen, ŝi komencis legi.H – Having came home, she started to read.
Pagonte li foriris.H – He left before paying.

Passive gerunds:
present
kapt-a-t-e
caught, being caught
past
kapt-i-t-e
having been caught
future
kapt-o-t-e
going to be caught

Persekutate ili saltis en riveron.H – Being persecuted, they jumped into the river.
Kaptite ŝi vane provas liberiΔ?i.H – Having been caught, she is trying to free herself.
Jam kaptote, li eskapis.H – Nearly caught, he escaped.

3.8.6.3 Verbal nouns

Verbal nouns are formed from participles by replacing the adjective ending a by the noun ending o.
Active verbal nouns:
present
kapt-a-nt-o
the one who is catching
past
kapt-i-nt-o
the one who is having caught
future
kapt-o-nt-o
the one who is going to catch

vojaΔ?anto – one who travels, voyager, lernanto – one who learns, pupil, aŭskultanto – one who listens, listener, abonanto – one who subscribes something, subscriber, vizitanto – one who visits, visitor; mortinto – one who died, the deceased, savonto – one who will save, savior, messiah, parolanto – one who speaks, speaker

Passive verbal nouns:
present
kapt-a-t-o
the one who is being caught
past
kapt-i-t-o
the one who is having been caught
future
kapt-o-t-o
the one who is going to be caught

sendito – one who was sent, messenger, juΔ?oto – one who will be judged

3.8.6.4 Verbalized participles

“Verbalized participles” are formed from participles by replacing the adjective ending a by the verbal ending i and using it as a normal verb (of course not forming participle). These forms are quite rare, they are equivalents of complex verbal forms (see Β§3.8.7 below)
kaptanti = esti kaptanta – to be (in state of being) catching
mi kaptintus = mi estus kaptinta – I would have caught

3.8.7 Complex verbal forms

Complex verbal forms are created using the auxiliary verb esti + participle. This way are expressed secondary active tenses, passive voice, and nuances of conditional and imperative.
These complex forms are not so often used. Very often if you use complex form in English you can use simple form in Esperanto.

3.8.7.1 Imperfect

Imperfect (Imperfekto) is expressed by the auxiliary verb esti + active present participle.
present
mi estas kaptanta
I am catching
past
mi estis kaptanta
I was catching
future
mi estos kaptanta
I will be catching
Imperfect is used when you want to express that the process was occurring in the same time as another process or that the process was continuous.
Li mortis. – He died.
Li estis mortanta. – He was dying.
Imperfect is not so often as English progressive tense, because it is often possible to use nonmarked simple verbal form.

3.8.7.2 Perfect

Perfect (perfekto) is expressed by the auxiliary verb esti + active past participle.
present
mi estas kaptinta
I have caught
past
mi estis kaptinta
I had caught
future
mi estos kaptinta
I will have caught
Perfect is used when you want to express that the process was already finished before some point in the present, past, or future.

3.8.7.3 Predicative

Predicative (predicativo) is expressed by the auxiliary verb esti + active future participle.
present
mi estas kaptonta
I am going to catch
past
mi estis kaptonta
I was going to catch
future
mi estos kaptonta
I will be going to catch
Predicative is used when you want to express that the process was going to happen after some point in the present, past, or future. Predicative is very often replaced by modal verbs with infinitive:
Mi estas kaptonta. – I am going to catch.
Mi volas/devas/intencas kapti. – I want to/must/am going to catch.

3.8.7.4 Infinitive complex forms

Complex active infinitives are formed from the infinitive of the auxiliary verb esti + active participle.
imperfect
esti kaptanta
to be (in state of being) catching
perfect
esti kaptinta
to have caught
predicative
esti kaptonta
to be going to catch

3.8.7.5 Conditional and Imperative active complex forms

More precise forms of conditional or imperative can be expressed by combining of the auxiliary verb esti in simple form conditional/imperative with active participles.
Conditional
imperfect
mi estus kaptanta
I would be catching
perfect
mi estus kaptinta
I would have caught
predicative
mi estus kaptonta
I would be going to catch
Imperative
imperfect
estu kaptanta
be catching!, You be catching
perfect
estu kaptinta
You have been/were catching
predicative
estu kaptonta
You shall catch

3.8.7.6 Passive voice

Passive voice (pasiva voĉo) is expressed by the auxiliary verb esti + passive participle.
Imperfect
present
mi estas kaptata
I am (being) caught
past
mi estis kaptata
I was (being) caught
future
mi estos kaptata
I will be (in state of being) caught
Perfect
present
mi estas kaptita
I have been caught
past
mi estis kaptita
I had been caught
future
mi estos kaptita
I will have been caught
Predicative
present
mi estas kaptota
I am going to be caught
past
mi estis kaptota
I was going to be caught
future
mi estos kaptota
I will be going to be caught
Infinitive
imperfect
esti kaptata
to be (in state of being) caught
perfect
esti kaptita
to have been caught
predicative
esti kaptota
to be in state of going to be caught
Conditional
imperfect
mi estus kaptata
I would be caught
perfect
mi estus kaptita
I would have been caught
predicative
mi estus kaptota
I should be caught
Imperative
imperfect
estu kaptata
Be caught!, You be caught
perfect
estu kaptita
Be caught!, You have been/were caught
predicative
estu kaptota
You shall/should be caught,
Passive voice is very often expressed by different, simpler means:
Topic-Focus articulation:
La kato estis persekutata de la hundo. = La katon persekutis la hundo. – The cat was chased by the dog.
General subject:
La cervo estis pafita. = Oni pafis la cervon. – The deer was shot.