IDO QUICK REFERENCE
WRITING AND PRONUNCIATION
Ido uses the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet. The following
consonant letters have the same pronunciation as in English:
b,d,f,k,l,m,n,p,t,v,w,z,qu,sh.
Other consonant letters as follows:
'c' as "ts"; 'g' always "hard"; 'h' always pronounced; 'j' like the "s"
in "pleaSure"; 'r' rolled if possible, but always pronounced, even
after vowels (this is important); 's' always unvoiced; 'x' as English
"ks"; 'y' always a consonant as in 'Yellow'; 'ch' always as in "CHurCH".
Vowels as follows:
'a' as in "fAther"; 'e' as in "pEt"; 'i' as in "machIne"; 'o' as in
"glOry"; 'u' as in "rUde".
In words of more than one syllable, a stress accent falls on the next
to last syllable, except that verb infinitives have the stress accent
on the last syllable, and if the last vowel is preceded by 'i' or 'u',
the two vowels are treated as if in one syllable.
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GRAMMATICAL ENDINGS
-o singular noun NOTE: The accusative forms
-i plural noun -on and -in are only used
-a adjective in the instance of inverted
-e adverb word order.
in addition to the verb endings below.
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VERB ENDINGS
-ar present infinitive, -ir past infinitive, -or future infinitive
-as present tense, -is past tense, -os future tense
-us conditional
-ez imperative, hortative
-ab- suffix used in conjunction with past, future and conditional
endings to form perfect tenses (e.g., had gone, will have gone, would
have gone). In 1947 it was decided that -ab- may also be used with
the present to form a perfect tense: me vidabas - I have seen.
-es- passive
-ant- present active participle: e.g., seeing
-int- past active participle: e.g., having seen
-ont- future active participle: e.g., going to see
-at- present passive participle: e.g., being seen
-it- past passive participle: e.g., having been seen
-ot- future passive participle: e.g., going to be seen
The participles are most commonly found with the adjective ending -a,
but also sometimes with -e (adverb) or -o/-i (noun).
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COMPARISON
plu more min less
maxim most minim least
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DIRECT DERIVATION
These are the four methods of direct derivation in Ido:
Verb to noun: By replacing the -ar of an infinitive with -o, we form
the noun meaning the simple action or state implied by the verb:
brosar - to brush, broso - a brushing. The continuous or frequent
action is indicated by -ad-: brosado - brushing.
Adjective to noun: By replacing the -a of an adjective with -o, we
form the person or thing having that property: bona - good, bono -
good one, good man.
Noun to adjective: By replacing the -o of a noun with -a, we describe
something as made of the substance indicated by the noun: oro - gold,
ora - made of gold.
Adjective to adverb: By replacing the -a of an adjective with an -e,
we describe something as happening in the manner indicated by the
adjective: bela - beautiful, bele - beautifully.
The last element in a compound is the main one in determining the
meaning, while the preceding element only modifies the meaning.
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PREFIXES
These are placed before a word (often with a hyphen) in order to
change its meaning.
arki- pre-eminence: arki-episkopo archbishop
bo- related by marriage: bo-patro father-in-law
centi- hundredth part, centi-: centi-litro centilitre
des- contrary, direct opposite: des-facila difficult
dis- separation: dis-sendar to distribute
equi- equality, equi-: equi-distanta equidistant
ex- former, late, retired: ex-oficiro ex-officer
ge- both sexes together: ge-frati brother(s) and sister(s)
(Note: in 1929 genitori replaced ge-patri for "parents".)
hiper- over-, excessively, hyper-: hiper-agiva hyperactive
hipo- under, insufficiently, hypo-: hipo-pela hypodermic
ho- "in which one is living": ho-die today
mi- half: mi-horo a half-hour
mis- wrongly: mis-komprenar to misunderstand
ne- negation: ne-utila useless
par- completely, thorough action (with verb roots):
par-lektar to read through
para- warding off: para-suno parasol
poli- many (more than one), poly-
pre- before: pre-dicar to predict
prim- primitive: prim-avi forefathers
pseudo- false, pseudo
retro- back, backward (with verbal roots): retro-venar to return,
come back
ri- again, repetition (with verbal roots): ri-dicar to say again
sen- without: sen-viva lifeless
stif- step-: stif-matro = stepmother
vice- vice-, deputy
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SUFFIXES
These are placed at the end of a word, but before the grammatical
ending, in order to change its meaning. Hyphens are not used.
-ach- pejorative, giving an unfavourable or disparaging meaning:
domacho hovel
-ad- frequency, repetition: dansado dancing
-ag- used with nouns (especially tools) to form verbs meaning to act
with the tool: martelo hammer, martelagar to hammer
-aj- material substance: manjajo food; act, process etc.: amikalajo
act of friendship; that which: rezultajo something which results,
a result
-al- relating to: nacionala national
-an- member of: senatano senator
-ar- collection: homaro mankind
-ari- receiver, object of an action: legacario legatee
-atr- like: sponjatra spongy
-e- coloured: rozea rose-coloured
-ebl- possibility: videbla visible
-ed- quantity held by: manuedo handful
-eg- largeness: pluvego downpour
-em- inclined to: laborema industrious
-end- something to be done: solvenda which must be solved
-er- amateur: fotografero (amateur) photographer
-eri- establishment: distilierio distillery
-es- to be: amesar to be loved
-esk- to begin to, become: dormeskar to fall asleep
-estr- head, chief: urbestro mayor
-et- smallness: rivereto stream
-ey- place for: kavaleyo stable
-i- domain: komtio parish
-id- offspring, descendent: Izraelido Israelite
-ier- 1) holder; 2) a tree or plant bearing the fruit etc indicated;
3) characterised by
-if- to produce: florifar to bloom
-ig- to cause to be or do, make, render, transform into:
beligar to beautify
-ik- sick: alkoholiko an alcoholic
-il- tool, instrument, means (verbal roots): brosilo a brush
-im- fraction: duimo half
-in- feminine: fratino sister
-ind- worthy of, deserving to be: aminda lovable
-ism- system, doctrine: socialismo socialism
-ist- professional, adherent: artisto artist
-iv- that can do, capable of: instruktiva instructive
-ivor- indicates what something eats: karnivora meat-eating, carnivorous
-iz- to supply or cover with: armizar to arm
-oid- having the form of, -oid: cirkloida in the form of a circle
-oz- full of, containing: poroza porous
-ul- masculine: katulo tom-cat
-um- all-purpose suffix with indeterminate meaning: foliumar to flick
through, leaf through (a book etc.)
-ur- result or product of action: pikturo picture
-uy- container: inkuyo inkpot
-yun- young of: bovyuno calf
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NUMERAL SUFFIXES
These are only used with numbers.
-esm- ordinal: unesma first
-im- fraction: duimo a half
-op- distributive: quarope four at a time
-opl- mutiplying: triopla triple
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NUMBERS
1 un 11 dek-e-un
2 du 12 dek-e du
3 tri 20 duadek
4 quar 30 triadek
5 kin 45 quaradek-e-kin
6 sis 57 kinadek-e-sep
7 sep 726 sepacent-e-duadek-e-sis
8 ok
9 non
10 dek
100 cent
1000 mil 1000000 miliono
Note the use of the letter 'a' to link numbers which are multiplied
together (as in duadek for twenty, i.e., two times ten), and the
use of -e- to link numbers which are added to make the required
larger number.
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CORRELATIVES
The following table gives the correlatives that exist in Ido. It
should be read first along the top, then down the left, e.g., what
place=where=ube.
| WHAT THAT SOME ANY NO EVERY
---------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
PERSON | qua/i (i)ta/i ulu/i irgu/i nulu/i omnu/i
THING | quo/i (i)to/i ulo/i irgo/i nulo/i omno/i
PLACE | ube ibe ul-loke irga-loke nul-loke omna-loke
TIME | kande lore ul-tempe irga-tempe nul-tempe sempre
WAY | quale tale ul-maniere irga-maniere nul-maniere omna-maniere
REASON | pro quo pro to pro ulo pro irgo pro nulo pro omno
QUANTITY | quanto/e tanto/e ul-quanto/e irga-quanto/e nulo/e omno/e
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COMPARISON
Comparatives and superlatives are made using the words plu, min, maxim
and minim. For example, plu forta = stronger, and min forta = less
strong. Similarly, maxim granda = biggest or largest, while minim saja
= least wise.
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PRONOUNS
The main personal pronouns are:
me - I, me
tu - you (intimate singular form)
vu - you (singular)
ilu or il - he, him
elu or el - she, her
olu or ol - it
lu - he, she or it
ni - we, us
vi - you (plural of 'vu')
li - they (plural of 'lu'); (ili, eli, oli for specificity)
onu or on - one
su - oneself, himself, herself, itself, themselves
mea - my, mine
vua - your, yours (singular)
ilua - his
elua - her, hers
olua - its
lua - his, her, hers, its
nia - our, ours
via - your, yours (plural)
lia - their, theirs
onua - one's
sua - one's own, his own, her own, its own, their own
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GRAMMATICAL WORDS
a(d) - to
aden - into
alonge - along (alongside)
an - at, on (contiguity, juxtaposition)
anke - also, too
ankor(e) - still, yet
ankorfoye - again
ante - before, by, earlier than
ante nun - ago
apud - beside, at
apuda - adjacent
avan - in front of
balde - soon
ca - this
che - at (with) (French "chez")
ci - these
co - this (thing)
da - by, done by (doer of action)
de - from, of (starting from, origin, derivation, quantity)
di - of
do - therefore
dop - behind
du - two
dum - during, through
dum ke - while
e(d) - and
ek - from, of (out of, made of)
en - in
exter - outside (of), besides
fore - away
forsan - perhaps, maybe
hike - here
hodie - today
ibe - there
irga - any (at all)
infra - bottom (lowest (of several levels))
inter - between, among
interne di - inside
irgakande - whenever
irge qua - whichever
irgube - wherever
iti - those, those ones
ito - that, that thing
ja - already, yet
ka(d) - whether, if (interrogative)
kam - than
kand(e) - when
ke - that [conj.]
kom - [prep.] as (being), in the capacity of
konseque - therefore
kontre - against
kun - with [together]
la - the (definite article; no indefinite article)
lor - on (at the time of)
lore - then (at that time)
ma - but
malgre - in spite of
min - less
ne - [placed before the verb] not
no - no (as an answer)
nula - no (before a noun)
nun - now
nur - only [prep.]
o(d) - or; o(d)...o(d) - either...or
per - with, by means of, through
plu - [with adjective or adverb] more
po - at (the price of), for, per; in exchange for
por - for, to (in order to + inf.)
por ke - in order that
pos - after
pose - then (after that)
pri - concerning, about, on
pro - because of, due to, on account of, owing to
pro ke - because
pro quo - why
proxim - near, by, close to (in time or space)
qua - which
quale - how
quankam - while (although)
quo - what
retro - [adv.] back, backwards
se - if
segun - according to
sen - without
singla - each [adj.]
singlu - each [pron.]
sub - under
sur - on, upon, on top of; [arith.] divided by
ta - that (not this)
tam...kam - as...as
tamen - nevertheless, however
til - until [prep.]
til ke - until [conj.]
til nun - yet, until now
tra - through
trans - across (the other side of)
tre - very
tro - too (+ adj.)
tri - three
ube - where
un - one
unfoye - once, one time
ya - indeed, truly (emphatic)
ye - [prep.] at, by (used when no other fits the meaning)
yes - yes
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CALENDAR
Sunday sundio January januaro
Monday lundio February februaro
Tuesday mardio March marto
Wednesday merkurdio April aprilo
Thursday jovdio May mayo
Friday venerdio June junio
Saturday saturdio July julio
August agosto
September septembro
October oktobro
November novembro
December decembro
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