What is Esperanto?
Esperanto is the most widely constructed language in the world. Esperanto was first developed by L.L Zamenhof who published the Unua Libro (First Book) describing Esperanto in 1887.So what is the point in a constructed language like Esperanto?
First of all, people all over the world speak Esperanto, the chances are that if you go to any major city you will be able to find someone who speaks it.Secondly, when you use Esperanto, you feel more equal from a linguistic standpoint than, for example, if you're trying to speak Japanese to a native Japanese speaker.
Lastly and most importantly, it is designed to be incredibly easy to learn. In fact it's so easy, you can pick up the basic grammar and start having conversations after just a couple of hours of study!
For those of you interested in learning Esperanto, here are some Useful Phrases:
| English | Esperanto |
| Hello | Saluton |
| Goodbye Bye |
Gxis la revido Gxis |
| How are you? | Kiel vi fartas? Kiel vi? (less formal) |
| What is your name? | Kiel vi nomigxas? |
| How old are you? | Kiom vi agxas? Kiom da jarojn vi havas? |
| I'm 17 | Mi havas deksep jarojn Mi estas deksepjarulo |
| Please | Bonvolu |
| Thank you | Dankon |
| It's nice to see you | Estas plezuro vidi vin |
| I'm sorry | Mi bedauxras |
| I (don't) speak Esperanto | Mi (ne) parolas Esperanton |
| Do you speak Esperanto? | Cxu vi parolas Esperanton? |
| I (don't) speak English | Mi (ne) parolas la anglan |
| Where is ...? | Kie estas ..? |
| I like ... | Mi sxatas ... |
| I would like ... | Mi volas ... |
| I love you | Mi amas vin |
| I miss you | Mi sentas la mankon de vi |
| I'm hungry | Mi malsatas |
| I'm thirsty | Mi soifas |
| I'm ill | Mi estas malsana |
| I'm lost Where am I? |
Mi estas perdita Kie mi estas? |