Letters
Esperanto Reading 1
Chapter 3 · Letters and Messages
✉️ Letters and Messages — Leteroj kaj mesaĝoj
Much real Esperanto is written to a person: a postcard, an email, a note on a forum. These texts have a frame (an opening and a closing) and a middle that says something. This chapter shows you the frames so you can see through them to the message.
Openings and closings
| Tone | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|
| Friends and family | Kara Anna, (Dear Anna) Saluton, Petro! (Hello, Peter!) | Kore, (warmly) Amike, (in friendship) Ĝis baldaŭ! (See you soon!) |
| Polite, to someone you know a little | Kara kolego, (Dear colleague) | Kun salutoj, (with greetings) |
| Formal, to a stranger | Estimata sinjoro, (Dear Sir) Estimata sinjorino, (Dear Madam) | Kun saluto, Atendante vian respondon, (awaiting your reply) |
Notice that kara (dear) and estimata (esteemed) are adjectives, and the closings kore and amike are adverbs. The ending -ante in atendante is a participle (Chapter 4): "while waiting for your reply".
Greetings that take -n
Many wishes end in -n, because they are the object of an unspoken "I wish you":
| Esperanto | English |
|---|---|
| Bonan tagon! | Good day! |
| Dankon! | Thank you! |
| Gratulon! | Congratulations! |
| Feliĉan naskiĝtagon! | Happy birthday! |
| Bonan legadon! | Enjoy your reading! |
A postcard
Poŝtkarto
| Esperanto | English | Esperanto | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| poŝtkarto | postcard | vetero | weather |
| vizitis | visited | kastelo | castle |
| muzeo | museum | sendi | to send |
| saluto | greeting | multaj | many |
Look at the tenses: vizitis (-is, past) for what happened today, iros (-os, future) for tomorrow, and sendas (-as, present) for what he is doing now.
An email
Retpoŝto
Kara Petro, ĉu vi povas veni al la kunveno vendrede vespere? Ni kunvenos en la biblioteko je la sepa. Bonvolu respondi baldaŭ. Amike, Maria
| Esperanto | English | Esperanto | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| retpoŝto | temo | subject | |
| kunveno | meeting | klubo | club |
| povi | to be able, can | je la sepa | at seven o'clock |
| respondi | to reply | baldaŭ | soon |
Take retpoŝto apart: ret- (net) + poŝto (mail), "net mail". Kunveno is kun- (together) + veno (coming), a coming-together. The question begins with ĉu, the word that opens a yes/no question.
A formal letter
Formala letero
| Esperanto | English | Esperanto | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| pro | because of, on account of | anonco | announcement, advert |
| gazeto | newspaper | interesiĝi pri | to be interested in |
This is the "bicycle" advert from Chapter 2 seen from the buyer's side. A formal letter is polite and complete: it says why you are writing (pro via anonco), what you want to know and when you hope to hear back.
A forum post and a reply
Online, Esperanto speakers meet on forums and in chat groups. The tone is friendly and short:
Forumo
| Esperanto | English | Esperanto | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| forumo | forum | ĉiuj | everyone |
| jam | already | monato | month |
| serĉi | to look for | iu | someone, anyone |
| konsilo | advice | antaŭe | in advance |
| rekomendi | to recommend | rakonto | story |
| provu | try (command) | legado | reading |
Note Mi lernas Esperanton jam du monatojn: Esperanton is the object of lernas, and du monatojn carries the -n that shows how long.
Abbreviations you will meet
| Abbreviation | Full form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ktp | kaj tiel plu | and so on, etc. |
| s-ro | sinjoro | Mr |
| s-ino | sinjorino | Mrs, Ms |
| UEA | Universala Esperanto-Asocio | Universal Esperanto Association |
✏️ Try It Yourself — Ekzercoj
Say the answer first, then click to check.
1. Which opening would you use for a friend, and which for a stranger: Kara Anna or Estimata sinjoro?
Show answer
Kara Anna for a friend; Estimata sinjoro for a stranger.
2. Rank these closings from the warmest to the most formal: Kun saluto, Kore, Amike.
Show answer
Kore and Amike are warm, and Kun saluto is the formal one.
3. Why does Bonan tagon end in -n?
Show answer
It is the object of an unspoken "I wish you", so both words take the object ending.
4. In the postcard, which verbs are past, present and future?
Show answer
Past: vizitis. Present: estas, sendas. Future: iros.
5. What is the subject of the email, and when and where is the meeting?
Show answer
The subject is the club meeting (Kunveno de la klubo). It is on Friday evening, at seven, in the library.
6. Take retpoŝto and kunveno apart.
Show answer
ret + poŝto (net mail); kun + ven + -o (a coming together).
7. Why does Maria write to the owner of the bicycle in the formal letter?
Show answer
She saw an advert in the newspaper (pro via anonco en la gazeto), is interested in the old bicycle and asks if it is still for sale.
8. What does Ruth ask for on the forum, and what does Tomaso advise?
Show answer
She asks for advice on a good book to read. Tomaso advises easy stories, a small book, and reading slowly.
9. Expand the abbreviation ktp and say what it means.
Show answer
kaj tiel plu: and so on.
10. Write a short postcard of two sentences from a place you know, with an opening and a closing.
Show answer
One possibility: Kara Anna, saluton el Glasgovo! La urbo estas granda kaj interesa. Kore, Petro
Words used in this chapter
kara dear · estimata esteemed · kore warmly · amike in friendship · saluto greeting · atendi wait for · respondo reply · dankon thank you · gratulon congratulations · feliĉa happy · naskiĝtago birthday · poŝtkarto postcard · vetero weather · viziti visit · kastelo castle · muzeo museum · sendi send · retpoŝto email · temo subject · kunveno meeting · klubo club · povi can · respondi reply · baldaŭ soon · pro because of · anonco announcement · gazeto newspaper · interesiĝi pri be interested in · forumo forum · monato month · serĉi look for · konsilo advice · rekomendi recommend · rakonto story · provi try