"Juĝisto, rigardu tiun ŝteliston!"

Translation: Judge, look at that thief!

[RomajiAmulo]

... That's going to get an objection

[tuxayo]

Malkonsento!

[erikblomqvist]

So, what I learned from another grammar place is that the suffix -ist is used for professions, based on a noun. In this case, ŝtelo is a theft or a robbery, but is thief really a profession? Is it better to say that the -ist suffix is used for somebody who practice/do something (often)?

[soupladyofficial]

An esperantisto is one who speaks esperanto, but that doesn't mean it's their job, right? And if someone is an artisto, that doesn't guarantee they do it for a living.

I agree with you, it seems to me -isto works just the same as -ist does in English: it describes someone who does something with a certain amount of skill. Riding a bike one time doesn't make you a cyclist, but if you ride it everyday, then you are.

[samb]

I think I have heard it suggested that "esperantano" would be a better word for "esperanto speaker" than "esperantisto".

[AlexeyNezh]

This is a profession. You don't have to like it, but people do it for living. There are even schools for that.

[jan_Ilaja]

As far as I know, -isto means someone who does the word as a job.

[sim590]

Not necessarily. According to Lernu.net, "-ist-" means the name of someone who busies himself with the thing described by the root used as prefix to "ist".

So, "matematikisto" (matematik + ist + o) is a mathematician because that's what we call someone who does maths everyday, i.e. who busies himself with mathematics.

Furthermore, "ŝtelisto" (ŝtel + ist + o) is a thief because that's what we call people who busy themselves with thievery.

[DavidWolff17]

Usually a profession (as in English dentist, journalist, allergist). But also persons with a set of beliefs or activities (as in English Marxist, Baptist, polygamist, activist). See sim590's response.

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/words-that-end-in-ist

Related endings:

"-anto" is someone who is doing something at the moment (leganto = a reader, but probably not a professional reader).

"-ulo" is someone with the property of the word (bonulo = a good person, but probably not a professional do-gooder).

[xigoi]

Ŝtelisto. Stealer. Good.

[CaribbeanMax]

it comes from the German verb "Stehlen" which means "steal". Remember that in German that S is pronounced pretty close to the Esperanto Ŝ.

[LiMo42]

What about "watch that thief" instead of "look at that thief"?

[RandomCanadian12]

"spekti tiun sxteliston"

[Kliphph]

Juĝisto, kio estas proprieto? Proprieto estas ŝtelo!

[turombi]

Li ne estas ŝtelisto, li estas ŝafisto!

[Logo121]

Stealer doesn't work?

[SamuelHamm14]

This makes me imagine a future nation with the official language being Esperanto. Feel like this course is taking me down the rabbit hole

[carrots084]

did anyone try Your honour, look at that thief_