ke

That Clauses

Level 3

Ke starts the clause that tells what someone says or thinks.

How It Works

SentenceMeaning
Mi pensas, ke li venos.I think that he will come.
Ŝi diras, ke ŝi estas laca.She says that she is tired.
Mi scias, ke vi parolas Esperanton.I know that you speak Esperanto.
Mi ĝojas, ke vi venis.I am glad that you came.

Ke has no meaning of its own. It only shows where a new clause begins. The clause has its own subject and verb, and it can have its own tense: Ŝi diras, ke li venos.

A ke clause never takes -n itself. If you replace the clause with tio, that word takes -n: Mi scias tion.

In reported speech ke is sometimes left out, as in Mi diras al vi, ŝi ricevos, but it is clearer to keep it.

Examples (5)

  1. Mi pensas, ke li venos.

    I think that he will come.

    The ke clause tells what I think.

  2. Ana diras, ke ŝi estas laca.

    Ana says that she is tired.

    The clause after ke has its own subject and verb.

  3. Kofi scias, ke mi parolas la japanan.

    Kofi knows that I speak Japanese.

    Ke follows scias, a verb of knowing.

  4. Mi ĝojas, ke vi estas ĉi tie, Wei.

    I am glad that you are here, Wei.

    Ke also follows a verb of feeling.

  5. Ni aŭdis, ke la kongreso estos en Brazilo.

    We heard that the congress will be in Brazil.

    The future ending stays inside the ke clause.

Common Mistakes

  • Using ke for a person.

    La viro, ke venis, estas mia amiko.
    La viro, kiu venis, estas mia amiko.

    Ke only starts a clause that tells what is said or thought. A clause that describes a person starts with kiu.

How It Connects

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

keLevel 3That Clauses

Learn This First

Ke also starts a part of a sentence, after a comma.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.