Tiu: The Demonstrative Individual Correlative | Esperanto Grammar

Tiu points to a particular individual: “that person,” “that one,” or, before a noun, “that.” It combines demonstrative ti- with individualizing -u. Because -u table words can identify one or more members of a set, tiu takes both plural -j and accusative -n when its clause requires them.

Demonstrative column, individual row

The 45 table words form a five-by-nine grid. Their first element gives their referential force, while their final element gives their semantic category:

Element	Contribution	Contrast
ti-	points to something contextually identifiable	ki- which, i- some, ĉi- every, neni- no
-u	an individual person or thing	-o a thing/fact generally, -a a kind or quality

The -u row gives kiu “which individual,” tiu “that individual,” iu “some individual,” ĉiu “every individual,” and neniu “no individual.” These words can accompany a noun or stand alone when the noun is understood.

Tiu buso iras rekte al la flughaveno.

That bus goes directly to the airport.

— Kiun tason vi volas? — Tiun apud la kaldrono.

— Which cup do you want? — The one beside the kettle.

In the first example, tiu identifies buso. In the reply tiun, the noun tason is omitted because the context supplies it. The accusative remains visible on the standalone table word.

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Use tiu when you can mentally supply an individual noun: tiu libro, tiu persono, or simply tiu [libro/persono]. Use tio for an unnamed thing, situation, statement, or fact.

Before a noun: a complete determiner

Before a noun, tiu works as a determiner and identifies the referent. Do not add la: both la and tiu fill the determiner role, so la tiu libro is not the neutral standard construction.

Ĉu vi memoras tiun restoracion apud la rivero?

Do you remember that restaurant beside the river?

Tiuj novaj reguloj ekvalidos lunde.

Those new rules will take effect on Monday.

Mi metis tiujn purajn glasojn en la ŝrankon.

I put those clean glasses in the cupboard.

Agreement makes the noun phrase transparent. An attributive adjective and noun agree with tiu in number and accusative marking: tiu nova regulo, tiuj novaj reguloj, tiun novan regulon, tiujn novajn regulojn.

Role	Singular	Plural
non-accusative	tiu libro	tiuj libroj
accusative	tiun libron	tiujn librojn

This is licensed specifically by the -u ending. It differs from invariant rows such as -al, -el, and -om, and from -o, which takes -n but normally not -j. See case and number on correlatives for the full pattern.

Standing alone: “that one” or “that person”

When no noun follows, tiu selects an individual already available in the situation or discourse. If context does not suggest an object, a standalone -u word is often interpreted as referring to a person.

Tiu ĉe la fenestro estas nia nova kolego.

The person by the window is our new colleague.

La unua propono estas tro multekosta; mi preferas tiun de Nora.

The first proposal is too expensive; I prefer Nora's.

Mi provis tri ŝlosilojn, sed nur tiu kun la ruĝa marko funkciis.

I tried three keys, but only the one with the red mark worked.

English often uses one/ones in these sentences. Esperanto does not need an equivalent noun: tiu already identifies the relevant member of the known set. A following phrase such as de Nora, kun la ruĝa marko, or ĉe la fenestro distinguishes it.

Near and far: adding ĉi

Bare tiu is demonstrative but does not grammatically encode a fixed distance. To mark proximity explicitly, add the separate particle ĉi before or after it: ĉi tiu or tiu ĉi, “this one/this.” Both orders are standard.

Prenu ĉi tiun seĝon; tiu apud la pordo estas rompita.

Take this chair; the one by the door is broken.

— Ĉu vi celas tiun ĉi dosieron? — Jes, ĝuste tiun.

— Do you mean this file? — Yes, exactly that one.

In natural usage, gestures, physical context, or previous mention often do most of the identifying work. Ĉi adds a near-to-the-speaker or near-to-the-current-focus nuance; it does not create a new cell in the table. The dedicated ĉi proximity guide covers placement and punctuation.

Tiu, kiu: an individual and its relative clause

The natural relative pair is tiu, kiu: tiu identifies the individual in the main clause, while kiu introduces information about that individual. Crucially, each form receives case according to its role in its own clause.

Mi parolis kun tiu, kiu organizas la festivalon.

I spoke with the person who organizes the festival.

Mi invitis tiun, kiun vi rekomendis.

I invited the person whom you recommended.

Tiu, kiun mi invitis, alvenos post la oka.

The person whom I invited will arrive after eight.

In the second example, tiun is the object of mi invitis, and kiun is the object of vi rekomendis. In the third, tiu is the subject of alvenos, while kiun remains the object of mi invitis. English case is mostly invisible here, which makes independent Esperanto case marking easy to miss.

The antecedent tiu can sometimes be omitted in established generalizations: Kiu frue venas, pli bonan lokon elektas “Whoever comes early chooses a better place.” Omission is not automatic, especially after a preposition. At A2, keeping the full tiu, kiu pair is the clearer productive model.

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Assign case twice in tiu, kiu constructions: first inside the main clause, then inside the relative clause. Never copy the ending mechanically from one word to the other.

Tiu, tio, and tia

The endings distinguish three questions that English that can hide:

Form	Domain	Example meaning
tiu	selected individual	that person/book; that one
tio	unnamed thing, fact, or situation	that; that fact
tia	kind or quality	that kind of; such

Tiu libro klarigas la problemon; tio estas ĝuste tio, kion mi bezonas.

That book explains the problem; that is exactly what I need.

Here tiu libro selects an individual book. The first tio refers to the preceding fact, and the second denotes the needed thing more generally. Tio libro is impossible because -o table words do not determine nouns.

Norm, variation, and actual usage

The determiner and standalone uses, the -j/-n forms, and the contrast with tio are foundational. PMEG also documents tiu(j) as a substitute for a previously mentioned noun, especially when a following phrase distinguishes one member from another. These uses are frequent in contemporary speech and writing.

Both ĉi tiu and tiu ĉi are standard. Bare tiu can correspond to either English that or contextually this because Esperanto does not force a two-way distance contrast in every demonstrative. For active production, use ĉi tiu when proximity matters and bare tiu when identification is enough.

Common Mistakes

Using tio before a noun

❌ Tio libro apartenas al mi.

Incorrect — -o table words cannot determine a noun.

✅ Tiu libro apartenas al mi.

That book belongs to me.

Combining two determiners

❌ La tiu libro estas mia.

Incorrect in neutral usage — tiu already determines the noun.

✅ Tiu libro estas mia.

That book is mine.

Failing to mark plural and object together

❌ Mi aĉetis tiu librojn hieraŭ.

Incorrect — the determiner, adjective if present, and noun must agree.

✅ Mi aĉetis tiujn librojn hieraŭ.

I bought those books yesterday.

Copying case from the wrong clause

❌ Mi vidis tiu, kiu telefonis al vi.

Incorrect — tiu is the object of vidis and needs -n; kiu is the subject of telefonis.

✅ Mi vidis tiun, kiu telefonis al vi.

I saw the person who phoned you.

Inventing a possessive form

❌ Mi prenis tiuan jakon.

Incorrect — tiua is not the possessive member of the table.

✅ Mi prenis ties jakon.

I took that person's jacket.

Key Takeaways

ti- points demonstratively; -u identifies an individual.
Tiu can determine a noun or stand alone for an understood person or thing.
Its forms are tiu, tiun, tiuj, tiujn.
Do not combine neutral determiner tiu with la.
In tiu, kiu, mark each word for its role in its own clause.

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