"Oni diras, ke Esperanto estas facila lingvo."

Translation: One says that Esperanto is an easy language.

[Balaur]

I tried "It is said that Esperanto is an easy language" and it was accepted.

[TuLaim]

When are you supposed to use a comma with a subordinate clause?

[kostarewski]

Always, before "ke" ;-)

[JohnMoser1]

In English, that comma would be incorrect; also you optimize out "that" in that context (Strunk pushed for removing useless words). I guess the grammar is different in Esperanto.

In English, you'd have a sentence: "He says that Esperanto is easy." In this context, "He says Esepranto is easy" is equally correct and better form (it's more compact, thus more forceful: it stays more coherent in the listener's mind).

In Esperanto, the comma before "ke" is required, or simply convention? Is it correct to simply omit "ke"; and, if so, do you still need the comma? "Oni diras Esperanto estas facil lingvo" is correct or no?

[BlossomCoeur94]

I see you are learning German. The rule is the same. Before "dass", you use a comma. :)

[Flavio_do_Brasil]

This will be strange for me, since in Portuguese you never put a comma in subordinative clauses.

[Tellusis]

How are we supposed to distinguish between Tio and Ke? Can they just be used interchangeablly?

[Lawrence347525]

It sounds like the computer voice is not pronouncing both the "n" and "g" but is substituting a back n [ŋ] like we do in English in words such as "singer".

[KatherineFW]

Why is ke used here to mean that, whereas tio is used in other lessons?

[SeanMero]

The answer is that there are two different ideas which in English are both referred to by the word "that".

(1) "That thing over there." This that refers to an object or an idea which is physically or conceptually some small distance away. In Esperanto, this is "tio".

(2) "I want to tell you that there is a clear answer to your question." This that is being used to introduce a clause. In Esperanto, we use "ke" for this.

[TTerrakion]

Esperanto estas tre facila, ĉu ne?

[Wolfgang-Amadeus]

Mas o mano. I suppose it takes a little to get use with, with the accusatives.

[vincemat]

Hear hear! ...'s a lingot :)

[Wolfgang-Amadeus]

Dankon! Mia amiko!

[Peyton935745]

jes esperanto estas tre falicila

[SuddenlyCoding]

Esperanto estas malfacila, sed Esperanto estas pli facila ol la hispanan, la germanan, etc.

[markon-markon]

chu vi pensas same kiel?

[TolStarStrider]

Would "One could say" also be correct for "Oni diras"? If no, why not?

[emiirose]

I read the notes, but I'm still confused on the grammatical use of "Oni". Does it mean "they"? or the number one?

[phle70]

Esperanto oni is a non-specified / generic personal pronoun.
In English it would in most cases probably be translated as a non-specific "one", "you", "they".

English Wiktionary, on the Esperanto pronoun "one".
English Wiktionary, on the English pronoun "one".

Considering you've recently leveled up to 7 in Esperanto, I guess you've already learned that the number "one" (i.e. 1) is called unu in Esperanto, but I'm adding this reply in case someone else has got the same question later on.

[JOSXIKO]

Ili pravas!

[RichardSel8]

Why is Esperanto the only language that is capitalized?

[phle70]

To distinguish between esperanto (one who hopes) and Esperanto (Esperanto - the language) the latter has an initial uppercase-"e".

The -ant- part is the present active participle (compare English's "~ing"; (explanation borrowed from Lernu! (lernu.net)), and esper'o means hope.

(Interesting fact: Originally, the language was called "Lingvo internacia" (or Internacia lingvo), i.e. "International language.)

[Kim903918]

First I pictured, "Bona ideas..." and after that I misspelled the e-o word for facile as falicia