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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, the rest is created analytically using auxiliary verb esti – ‘to be’ and participles.
I will show the simple forms first, followed by the complex forms. See also suffixes ig and in chapters 4.2.2.1 and 4.2.2.2. Because of the purpose of this grammar overview, I will not spend time with describing all aspects of the usage of all these various forms. This topic is covered in PAG §110-119.

3.8.1 Infinitive

Infinitive (infinitivo) is formed from the stem by adding the ending i.
estito be, sidito sit, kaptito catch, martelito hammer, skribito write, bezonito need.
Infinitive has the same meaning as in many other languages:
Mi ĝojas vin vidi. = Mi ĝojas, 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 kaptasI catch
kaptantacatching
kaptatabeing caught
i for the past tense, anteriority, perfectness
mi kaptisI caught
kaptintahaving caught
kaptitahaving been caught
o for the future tense, succession, intention
mi kaptosI will catch
kaptontagoing to catching
kaptotagoing to be caught

3.8.3 Indicative

Indicative (indikativo) is formed by adding a vowel expressing tense plus 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-usI would catch

3.8.5 Imperative

Imperative (volitivo) is formed by adding the ending u to the stem:
kapt-ucatch
ni kapt-ulet’s catch
Volitive is used also as subjunctive:
Mi petas, ke li venu.HI ask that he comes.
Mi deziras al vi, ke vi resaniĝu.HI wish you to get healthy again.
Mi alportis la libron, por ke vi ĝin tralegu.HI 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.HWalking, they are singing.
Reveninte hejmen, ŝi komencis legi.HHaving came home, she started to read.
Pagonte li foriris.HHe 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.HBeing persecuted, they jumped into the river.
Kaptite ŝi vane provas liberiĝi.HHaving been caught, she is trying to free herself.
Jam kaptote, li eskapis.HNearly 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

vojaĝantoone who travels, voyager, lernantoone who learns, pupil, aŭskultantoone who listens, listener, abonantoone who subscribes something, subscriber, vizitantoone who visits, visitor; mortintoone who died, the deceased, savontoone who will save, savior, messiah, parolantoone 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

senditoone who was sent, messenger, juĝotoone 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.[24]
kaptanti = esti kaptanta to be (in state of being) catching
mi kaptintus = mi estus kaptintaI 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.

[24] See chapter 3.8.7.

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