Esperanto is much more simple to learn than any other language. So much so that you can teach yourself! It uses root words with the addition of suffixes and prefixes to create other words, like building with lego blocks. Take the following example:

When learning English, you will need to learn the words good, bad, great, awful, better, worse, best, worse, well (as in well done) and badly. All these words are related but have nothing in common when it comes time for you to try and remember them.

In Esperanto, all these words are formed from one root: bon. By adding the same prefixes and suffixes that you can also apply to any other root word you learn, you can come up with all the words above:

good: bona
bad: malbona
great: bonega
awful: malbonega
better: pli bona
worse: pli malbona
best: plej bona
worst: plej malbona
well: bone
badly: malbone

So in that case, you can learn one word in Esperanto instead of 10 in English. This drastically cuts down the time it takes you to build up your vocabulary and allows you to speak confidently in a matter of months.

We say it’s easier to learn than other languages, but this isn’t the matrix; you can’t just plug in and become fluent – it will still take some amount of effort on your behalf. Luckily there are many wonderful, free resources on the internet and through local Esperanto clubs to help you on your way.