de
Of and from
De shows belonging, origin and a starting point.
How It Works
| Meaning | Example |
|---|---|
| belonging | la libro de Ana (Ana's book) |
| where a movement starts | Mi venas de la laboro. (I come from work.) |
| where something comes from | Mi ricevis leteron de Kofi. (I got a letter from Kofi.) |
| when something starts | de lundo ĝis vendredo (from Monday to Friday) |
De has many meanings, and the sentence shows which one is meant.
After de the noun keeps its plain form, so you write de Ana, not de Anan.
Do not mix up de with da. The word da joins an amount to the thing counted, as in a cup of tea (taso da teo). A later topic explains it.
Examples (5)
- Jen la libro de Ana.
Here is Ana's book.
De shows that the book belongs to Ana.
- Mi venas de la laboro.
I am coming from work.
De shows where the movement starts.
- La kongreso daŭras de lundo ĝis vendredo.
The congress lasts from Monday to Friday.
De shows the time when it starts.
- Mi ricevis leteron de Kofi.
I got a letter from Kofi.
De shows who the letter comes from.
- La domo de Tomasz estas granda.
Tomasz's house is big.
De Tomasz names the owner.
Common Mistakes
Using da for belonging.
Jen la libro da Ana.Jen la libro de Ana.Da joins an amount to the thing counted. To show that the book belongs to Ana, use de.
How It Connects
Learn This First
De is one of the small place words that go before a noun.
Related Patterns
- Amount + da + NounDa After Amounts
The word that follows an amount.
Level 2 - alTo
The word for the direction in which something goes.
Level 2 - el: Out Of and FromOut of
The word for coming out of a place.
Level 2 - mia, via, lia, ŝia, ĝia, nia, iliaMy, Your, His, Her, Our, Their
Belonging can also be shown with a possessive.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice de in Bubblegum
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