Ties: The Demonstrative Possessor Correlative | Esperanto Grammar

Ties means “that person’s,” “those people’s,” or more literally “of that one/those ones.” It points to a possessor already identified by the situation or discourse. The form is fully standard but less frequent than lia, ŝia, ĝia, or ilia; in present-day usage it is especially valuable when it prevents ambiguity or completes a kies ... ties correlation.

Its Place in the 5×9 System

The 45 table words combine five fixed initials with nine fixed endings. In ties, ti- supplies demonstrative force (“that/those”), while -es supplies the possessor relation (“whose/of”). The result is not an adjective assembled from productive affixes; it is one member of a closed grammatical system.

Initial	Force	Possessor form
ki-	question or relative	kies — whose
ti-	demonstrative	ties — that one's
i-	indefinite	ies — someone's
ĉi-	universal	ĉies — everyone's
neni-	negative	nenies — nobody's

The -es meaning includes the relation normally expressed by de. Compare ties opinio with la opinio de tiu persono. The shorter form places the possessor before the possessed noun.

Mi ne konsentas kun tiu fakulo, sed mi respektas ties opinion.

I don't agree with that expert, but I respect that expert's opinion.

Ĉu vi memoras tiun familion? Ties plej juna filo nun studas en Bruselo.

Do you remember that family? Their youngest son now studies in Brussels.

English “whose” can be interrogative or relative, but ties is neither. It points demonstratively. To ask, use kies; to answer by pointing back to an established possessor, ties is possible.

Ĉu tiu estas la nova redaktoro? — Jes, kaj la virino apud li estas ties asistanto.

Is that the new editor? — Yes, and the woman beside him is his assistant.

That reply is grammatical but somewhat marked in conversation; lia asistanto would often sound more spontaneous. The connected kies ... ties construction below is much more characteristic.

No Plural or Accusative Ending

Ties never takes -j or -n. This is a foundational rule for all -es table words. Its form does not change when the possessor is plural, when the possessed noun is plural, or when the whole noun phrase is an object. Number and case appear on the possessed noun and any ordinary adjectives.

Meaning	Correct form	Where marking appears
that person's proposal	ties propono	singular nominative noun
those people's proposals	ties proponoj	-j on the noun
I read that person's proposal	Mi legis ties proponon	-n on the noun
I read those people's proposals	Mi legis ties proponojn	-jn on the noun

La komitato ekzamenis la kandidatojn kaj poste publikigis ties rezultojn.

The committee assessed the candidates and later published their results.

Here ties can point to the plural group la kandidatojn, but remains unchanged. Context must make the intended possessor clear; ties itself does not encode singular versus plural.

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Look to the noun after ties for case and number. The possessor word is always exactly ties.

A Definite Determiner

Like possessive pronouns, -es table words are determiners. Ties normally stands directly before the possessed expression and makes it definite. Do not add la: use ties nova adreso, not la ties nova adreso. A corresponding de phrase follows the noun and normally requires the article: la nova adreso de tiu organizaĵo.

La muzeo okupas malnovan palacon kaj renovigis ties ĉefan enirejon.

The museum occupies an old palace and renovated the palace's main entrance.

Mi legis la raporton de tiu organizaĵo kaj kontrolis ties ciferojn.

I read that organization's report and checked its figures.

The second sentence illustrates ties referring to a thing or institution. This is grammatically allowed. Nevertheless, because the word is relatively uncommon, use it when the antecedent is salient and the gain in clarity is real.

Ties versus Personal Possessives

In ordinary conversation, lia, ŝia, ĝia, and ilia are usually preferred when gender and number are known. Ties does not replace them automatically. Its special strength is reference to a different, non-subject participant when a personal possessive could mislead.

La infano ludis kun sia pupo, kiam ties kapo rompiĝis.

The child was playing with its doll when the doll's head broke.

Sia pupo belongs to the clause subject, la infano. Ties kapo then deliberately points to the other salient referent, la pupo. If the child’s head had been meant, a personal possessive such as lia, ŝia, or ĝia would be natural. This contrast appears especially in careful narrative prose (literary) and precise expository writing (formal).

Lina prezentis Davidon kaj ties proponon al la direktoro.

Lina introduced David and his proposal to the director.

Even ties can be ambiguous if several possible antecedents are equally salient. It means “belonging to that previously indicated person or thing,” not mechanically “the latter’s.” Good writing still arranges the context so the antecedent is unmistakable.

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Use ties as a precision tool, not as a compulsory translation of English “his,” “her,” “its,” or “their.” Personal possessives remain the everyday default.

The Kies ... Ties Correlation

The clearest classical pattern pairs interrogative/relative kies with demonstrative ties: roughly “whose ... that person’s.” In this construction kies introduces the identifying condition and ties points back to its possessor.

Kies gasto mi estas, ties feston mi festas.

Whose guest I am, that person's celebration I celebrate.

This proverb-like pattern is standard but elevated (literary). A more contemporary connected context can use the same logic:

Kies projekto ricevos la premion, ties teamo gvidos la sekvan fazon.

Whose project receives the prize, that person's team will lead the next phase.

Mi ankoraŭ ne scias, kies propono venkos. Ties teamo ricevos respondon morgaŭ.

I still don't know whose proposal will win. That person's team will receive a reply tomorrow.

The first word asks or relativizes within the possessor domain; the second points back within that same domain. No invented form such as tiukies is needed.

Common Mistakes

Making ties agree like an adjective

❌ Mi legis tiesan artikolon.

Incorrect — ties does not take the adjective ending -a.

✅ Mi legis ties artikolon.

I read that person's article.

Adding plural or accusative marking

❌ Ni kontrolis tiesajn dokumentojn.

Incorrect — neither -j nor -n attaches to ties.

✅ Ni kontrolis ties dokumentojn.

We checked those people's documents.

Combining ties with the article

❌ La ties aŭto blokas la enirejon.

Incorrect — ties is already a definite determiner.

✅ Ties aŭto blokas la enirejon.

That person's car is blocking the entrance.

Using ties where a question is required

❌ Ties ŝlosiloj estas sur la tablo?

Incorrect for 'Whose keys?' — ties points; it does not ask.

✅ Kies ŝlosiloj estas sur la tablo?

Whose keys are on the table?

Key Takeaways

Ties is demonstrative ti- plus possessor -es: “of that one/those ones.” It is invariant, precedes the possessed noun, and excludes la. Modern speakers more often use personal possessives, but ties is standard and useful for contrasting referents and in kies ... ties structures. See the complete table-word system and compare the question/relative form on the kies page.

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