dankon / bonvolu

Thank You, Please and Sorry

Level 1

Four small expressions cover thanks, replies, requests and apologies.

How It Works

SayMeaning
Dankon!thank you
Multan dankon!many thanks
Ne dankinde.you are welcome
Bonvolu atendi.please wait
Pardonu!sorry, excuse me

Dankon is short for "I give you thanks", so it ends in -n like saluton. In multan dankon the adjective takes -n to match.

After bonvolu comes a verb in the -i form: Bonvolu atendi, Bonvolu sidi. Bonvolu already carries the polite request, so no second command ending follows it. Used alone, as in du kafojn, bonvolu, it simply means please.

Ne dankinde means "not worth thanking", a modest way to answer thanks.

Pardonu says sorry after a mistake and also opens a polite question: Pardonu, ĉu vi parolas Esperanton?

Examples (5)

  1. Dankon, Ana!

    Thank you, Ana!

    Dankon ends in -n, like a greeting.

  2. Multan dankon, Kofi.

    Many thanks, Kofi.

    The adjective multan agrees with dankon, so both end in -n.

  3. Ne dankinde.

    You are welcome.

    The usual reply to thanks.

  4. Bonvolu atendi, Kenji.

    Please wait, Kenji.

    Bonvolu is followed by the -i form of the verb.

  5. Pardonu, ĉu vi parolas Esperanton?

    Excuse me, do you speak Esperanto?

    Pardonu gets attention politely before a question.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting a command ending after bonvolu.

    Bonvolu atendu.
    Bonvolu atendi.

    Bonvolu already carries the polite request, so the next verb is the plain -i form. Two command endings do not go together.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

dankon / bonvoluLevel 1Thank You, Please and Sorry

Learn This First

Thanks and please belong with the greetings and use the same polite words.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.