Contents

INTRODUCTORY LESSON

Ido(pronounced ee-doh) was developed by scientists and linguists for the purpose of giving the world one common language. Their hope was that people throughout the world would adopt it as a second language so that we could easily communicate with each other. Ido is the "new and improved" version of Esperanto, an earlier attempt at an international language. The advantage of Ido is that it is simplified and logical and can be learned quicker than other languages, even for speakers of non Latin based languages.

The Ido and English alphabet's are written the same. Some of the letters are pronounced differently though. It is important to pronounce these correctly.

The vowels aeiou are pronounced as follows:

a, ah!

e, eight

i, machine

o, old

u, ruby

bdfklmnpvwz are all pronounced as in English.

The remaining consonants are pronounced as follows:

c, like the ts in rats

g, galaxy

h, heaven

j, as in the French word bonjour.

qu, as in quit

r, is trilled (as in the Scottish language)

s, as in simple

t, talk

x, x-ray

y, yellow

ch, church

sh, sheep

This is a phonetic language. The words are spelled the way they sound. This makes spelling much easier for the student. There are no silent letters. However, there are two diphthongs (vowel pairs) in Ido: eu and au are pronounced like the ow in cow.

At this point, if you have committed all of the letter sounds above to memory, then you will now be able to read anything in Ido. The next step to becomming fluent in Ido is to memorize some vocabulary and a few grammar rules. How fast you learn this language is up to you.

From now on please note that letters in parenthesis may be dropped. For ex. el(u)= she. Either elu or el is permitted.

There is no Ido word for "a" or "an" because they are not needed in this language. (hundo=a dog , animalo= an animal). The definite article "the" is pronounced "la". ( Ex., la hundo= the dog)

Accents are on the last syllable and make the words sound Italian. Ex., machIno, pardOno, muzikIsto, etc.

All nouns end in the letter o (or i if it's plural) ex. book-libro, books-libri. That's all! Now give yourself an A+ on the pop quiz.

Infinitive verbs end in "ar" but the tense changes the endings as follows: "as" = present, "is" = past, "os" = future, "us" = conditional. ex. to call=vocar ( vocas=call, vocis=called, vocos=will call, vocus= should, could or might call). I need vocar the school and tell Miss Behinder I want to retake that grammar test!

Adjectives end in the letter "a". So every time you see an Ido word that ends in the letter “a�Eyou know that it is an adjective. An example is klara=clear. Is this getting easier or is it still as klara as mud?

Adverbs end in the letter "e". For example, klare=clearly. By now you are klare at the head of your class.

Ido was made easy to learn due to it's simplicity, logic and word economy. For ex. the noun beleso (beauty) becomes the adjective bela (beautiful) becomes the adverb bele (beautifully). Now that's what I call bela!

Here's a list of friends and relatives:

family=familio(pronounced fa MI lyo),mother=matro, father=patro, child=puero, boy child=puerulo, girl child=puerino, baby=infantano,

son or daughter=filio, son=filiulo, daughter=filiino

sibling=frato, brother=fratulo, sister=fratino

human being,person, man or woman=homo, man(adult male)=viro or homulo, woman(adult female)=muliero or homino

teenager/youth=yuno, girl teenager=yunino, boy teenager=yunulo

grandparent=avo, grandfather=avulo, grandmother=avino, grandson=nepotulo, granddaughter=nepotino

parent=genitiro, spouse=spozo, wife=spozino, husband=spozulo, aunt=onklino, uncle=onklulo, adult=adulto

kuzo=cousin, nevo=nephew/niece, nevino=niece, nevulo=nephew, friend=amiko,

Directions:

North=nordo, south=sudo, east=esto, west=westo, up=supre, left=sinistro, right=dextro, around=cirkum, above/over=super, down/below=infre, under=sub, top=supro, bottom=fundo.

Calendar words:

Capital letters are not used for days or months in Ido.

Jan.=januaro, Feb.=februaro, March=marto, April=aprilo, May=mayo, June=junio, July=julio, August=agosto, Sept.=septembro, Oct.=octobro, Nov.=novembro, Dec.=decembro.

year-yaro, month-monato, week-semano, day-dio, hour-horo, minute-minuto, second-sekundo, midnight-noktomezo, afternoon-posdimezo, today-hodie, tomorrow-morge, yesterday-hiere.

Sun.-sundio(SUN-dyo), Mon.-lundio(LUN-dyo), Tues.-mardio(MARR-dyo), Wed.-merkurdio(merr-KURR-dyo),Thurs.-jovdio(JOV-dyo), Frid.-venerdio(ve-NERR-dyo), Sat.-saturdio(sa-TURR-dyo).

Clothing:

shirt=kamizo, undershirt=subkamizo, pants=pantalono, panties=kalsoneto, underwear=kalsono, socks=kalzeto, shoes=shuo, clothes=vesti, blouse=bluzo.

Computer words:

computer=komputoro, mouse=muso, internet=interreto enter=enirar, file=dokumento, start=eniciar, subscribe=abonar, enroll=enregistrigar, search for=serchar, sign=signo, password=pasvorto, open=apertar, print=imprimar, printer=imprimoro, scanner=skanoro, web site= reto-situo.

Foods:

cheese=fromajo, meat=karno(KARR-no), egg=ovo, margarine=magarino, bread=pano, sugar=sukro, salt=salo, pepper=pipro, potato=terpomo(tairr PO mo), milk=lakto, tea=teo, coffee=cafeo.

Body parts:

body=korpo, arm=brakio, bone=osto, buttocks=gluteo, face=vizajo, forehead=fronto, leg=gambo, foot=pedo, head=kapo, lip=labio, kneecap=patelo, ear=orelo, eye=okulo, heart=kardio, abdomen=abdomino.

Measurements:

meter=metro, kilometer=kilometro, liter=litro, kilogram=kilogramo, centimeter=centrimetro, centigrade=centigrado

Colors

blue=blua, green=verda, red=reda, yellow=flava, white=blanka, black=nigra, grey=griza, brown=bruna, purple=purpura.

Numbers:

Numbers zero through ten are:

zero, un, du, tri, quar, kin, sis, sep, ok, non, dek.

The letter 'a' indicates that numbers are multiplied together. The letter 'e' indicates that numbers are added together. Dek-e-un indicates 10 + 1= 11, Duadek-e-un indicates 2x10+1=21.

Numbers eleven through 20 are:

dek-e-du, dek-e-tri, dek-e-quar, dek-e-kin, dek-e-sis, dek-e-sep, dek-e-ok, dek-e-non, duadek.

The pattern continues: duadek-e-un,duadek-e-du,. . . duadek-e-non, triadek(thirty). . .quaradek(forty). . . kinadek(fifty). . . sisadek(sixty) sepadek(seventy). . . okadek(eighty).. . nonadek(ninety). . . cent(one hundred). . . duacent(two hundred). . . triacent(three hundred). . . triacent-e-un(301). . .triacent-e-dek-e-du (312). . . kinacent-e-kinadek(550). . . mil(one thousand). . . milion(one million). . . bilion(one billion).

The suffix esm is used for numbers like first, second etc., for example: unesma=first(1ma), duesma=second(2ma), triesma=third(3ma) etc.

You say phone numbers by naming each digit: 764- 5012= sep sis quar - kin zero un du

The word for times when counting is translated as foye. Three times (as in I've told you three times) is tri-foye. Once = un-foye, Twice= du-foye, etc.

Quante vu evas? How old are you?

Me evas dek-e-du yari. I am twelve years old.

Question Words:

Often questions are asked by beginning the sentence with ka(d) (a letter placed in parenthesis means it can be dropped ). For example, the statement la stulo esis hike - (the chair was here) is made into a question by prefacing it with ka(d) - Kad la stulo esis hike ? = Question the chair was here? Or as we might say, "Was the chair here"?

The word 'ne' negates the word following it. For ex. the verb savar (to know) is negated in the following way: The past form of savar is savis. I knew= Me savis(pronounced may saw-vees) can be changed into I did not know= Me ne savis(pronounced may nay saw-vees). Similarly,I know(Me savas)can be changed to I do not know(me ne savas).

Practice your pronunciation on the following phrases until you can say them without hesitation. Know them by heart because you will use them often.

Ka(d) vu es(as) fatigita? Are you tired?

Yes, kelke. Yes, a little.

Ka(d) vu parolas Ido? Do you speak Ido?

La Angla. English.

Ye vua saneso! Cheers!

Pasable. So-so.

No,sioro. No, sir.

Kad me voluntus . . . Could I please . . .

Quo eventis? What happened?

Quo eventas? What is happening?

Quon vu dicis? What did you say?

Me ne audis quon vu dicis. I didn't hear what you said.

Yen Mea . . . Here are my . . .

Quale vu standas? How are you?

Quo vua nomo es(as)? What is your name?

Tre bone, danko. Very well, thank you.

Ne importas. It doesn't matter.

Apertez la pordo! Open the door!

Klozez la fenestro! Close the window!

Kad vu ja lernas la linguo internaciona? Are you already learning the international language?

Me komencis studiar ol kelka dii ante nun. I started to study it a few days ago.

Donez a(d) me mapo. Give to me a map.

Kad ita esas vua . . . Is that your . . .

Me nomesas Tom. . . I am called Tom . . .

Ube ni iras? Where are we going?

Ni irez. Let's go.

Kande ni komensas? When do we begin?

Qua venas kun ni? Who is coming with us?

Ka vu komprenis? Did you understand?

Kad vu komprenas? Do you understand?

Ka vu komprenos? Will you understand?

Kad vu komprenus? Should/would/might/etc. you understand?

Me ne komprenas. I do not understand.

Me komprenas. I understand.

Me komprenis. I understood.

Me komprenos. I will understand.

Ube vu residas? Where do you live?

Kad vu durstas? Are you thirsty?

Ka vu deziras . . . Do you want . . .

Quante to kustas? . . . How much is this?

Quale on dicas to en Ido?. . . How do you say this in Ido?

Me kompros ol. I'll buy it.

Yen ol(u).Here it is or there it is.

Quo es(as)? What is it?

Quo eventas? What is the matter?

Li du iris a(d) la automobilo. They both went to the car.

Ni du kuris. We were both running.

Qau kloko es(as)? What time is it?

Bona matino. Good morning.

Bona posdimezo. Good afternoon.

Bon(a) Jorno. Good day/greetings/hello/etc.

Bona vespero. Good evening.

Bona nokto. Good night.

Me joyas renkontrar vu. Nice to meet you.

Please. voluntez.

Danko. Thank you.

Dankego. Thank you very much.

Pardonez a(d) me or exkuzez me. . .Excuse me.

Nedankinda. You're welcome.

Felica nasko dio. Happy Birthday.

Saluto. Greetings

Adio. Goodbye.

Til rivido. Until we meet again.