-intus / -atas

Shortened Compound Verbs

Level 6

Sciintus means estus sciinta, and legatas means estas legata.

How It Works

Normal formShortened
estas legantalegantas
estus legintalegintus
estas legatalegatas
estus legitalegitus

The short form turns the participle into a verb, in the same way as writers often make a verb from another kind of word. PMEG says that Zamenhof never used these forms. They are logical, but they pack a lot of meaning into one word, and in practice they are hard to understand.

Two kinds have become common. The -intus forms are popular for an unreal past: Se mi sciintus tion, mi agintus alie means Se mi estus sciinta tion, mi estus aginta alie. The -atas forms are quite common in notices: Serĉatas nova redaktisto means Estas serĉata nova redaktisto.

You will understand a text with these forms by reading them back as esti and the participle. When you write, the normal forms with esti are the clearer choice.

Examples (5)

  1. Se Pedro sciintus pri la kunveno, li venintus.

    If Pedro had known about the meeting, he would have come.

    Sciintus and venintus replace estus sciinta and estus veninta.

  2. Serĉatas nova redaktisto por la revuo.

    A new editor is wanted for the magazine.

    Serĉatas replaces estas serĉata in a notice.

  3. Bezonatas gastigantoj por la kongreso.

    Hosts are needed for the congress.

    Bezonatas is a short form of estas bezonataj.

  4. Se Ana havintus pli da tempo, ŝi restintus ĝis la fino.

    If Ana had had more time, she would have stayed until the end.

    Havintus and restintus are short forms of the compound with estus.

  5. Mi estus helpinta vin, aŭ pli mallonge: mi helpintus vin.

    I would have helped you; the second form is the short one and means the same.

    The two forms say the same thing.

How It Connects

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-intus / -atasLevel 6Shortened Compound Verbs

Learn This First

Shortened compound verbs fold estus -inta and estas -ata into one verb.