Doni and preni describe opposite sides of transfer: a giver causes something to become available to another participant, while a taker gains control of, chooses, or removes something. Their physical meanings extend into useful collocations such as doni konsilon, doni permeson, preni buson, and preni medikamenton.
The extensions are conventional. English give and especially take occur in many idioms that Esperanto expresses differently. A reliable learner keeps the participant frame stable and learns which abstract objects naturally occupy it.
Transfer outward: doni ion al iu
The thing transferred is a direct object with -n. The recipient follows al. Either phrase may come first after the verb, but its marker does not change.
Marta donis la rezervan ŝlosilon al sia najbaro.
Marta gave the spare key to her neighbor.
La instruisto donis al ni klarajn instrukciojn por la ekzameno.
The teacher gave us clear instructions for the exam.
— Ĉu vi povas doni al mi la salon? — Jes, jen ĝi.
— Can you pass me the salt? — Yes, here it is.
English permits “give me the key” without a preposition. Esperanto does not identify the recipient by position alone. Min would be a direct object, so donu min… begins to mean “give me [to someone],” not “give [something] to me.”
This division between a direct object and an al-recipient is part of the broader system described under two objects and valency.
Abstract things that can be “given”
Information, permission, opportunities, and social actions fit the same transfer model. Frequent neutral combinations include:
| Collocation | Function | Possible simple verb |
|---|---|---|
| doni konsilon al iu | provide advice | konsili iun |
| doni respondon al demando | provide an answer | respondi demandon/al iu |
| doni permeson | authorize | permesi |
| doni klarigon | explain | klarigi |
| doni ekzemplon | illustrate | ekzempligi |
| doni ŝancon al iu | provide an opportunity | — |
La kuracisto donis al mi bonan konsilon pri dormado.
The doctor gave me good advice about sleep.
La posedanto ankoraŭ ne donis permeson pentri la murojn.
The owner has not yet given permission to paint the walls.
Bonvolu doni konkretan ekzemplon, ne nur ĝeneralan difinon.
Please give a concrete example, not only a general definition.
The noun frame is useful when the object is described or counted: doni tri praktikajn konsilojn. The simple verb is often lighter when the content alone matters: La kuracisto konsilis al mi pli multe dormi.
Names, attention, and the floor
Some collocations assign or direct something rather than transfer a physical object.
Doni nomon al io/iu means name it. Doni atenton al io directs attention toward it, though the simple verb atenti is often more concise. In a meeting, doni la vorton al iu means authorize that person to speak.
Ili donis al la nova parko la nomon de loka verkistino.
They named the new park after a local woman writer.
La prezidanto donis la vorton al la sekva parolanto.
The chair gave the floor to the next speaker.
Doni la vorton is a conventional (formal) meeting expression. It does not mean handing over a spoken word. The corresponding expression preni la vorton means begin speaking or take the floor.
Kiam la prezidanto finis, Ana prenis la vorton kaj prezentis la buĝeton.
When the chair finished, Ana took the floor and presented the budget.
Outside meeting language, ekparoli is usually simpler than a dramatic preni la vorton.
Acquisition and selection: preni ion
The direct object of preni is what enters the subject's control or is selected. A source follows de for a point, surface, or person and el for movement out of an interior or group.
Mi prenis la dosieron de la tablo kaj metis ĝin en mian sakon.
I took the file from the table and put it in my bag.
Ŝi prenis puran tason el la ŝranko.
She took a clean cup out of the cupboard.
At a restaurant, preni can mean select an item. It sounds natural because the customer chooses what they will receive.
Mi prenos la vegetaran supon kaj glason da akvo, mi petas.
I will have the vegetarian soup and a glass of water, please.
Kion vi prenos? — Verŝajne la salaton; mi ne tre malsatas.
What will you have? — Probably the salad; I am not very hungry.
The fixed core remains productive: the menu item changes, but the selection meaning and accusative object stay constant.
Transport and medicine
Modern neutral Esperanto commonly uses preni with a vehicle or service selected for a journey: preni buson, trajnon, taksion. This is a conventional extension, not a rule covering every English “take.”
Ni prenis la lastan trajnon hejmen post la koncerto.
We took the last train home after the concert.
Se plu pluvos, ni prenos taksion de la stacidomo.
If it keeps raining, we will take a taxi from the station.
Preni medikamenton means take/administer a dose to oneself. The object can be a medicine or a specified quantity.
Ĉu vi jam prenis la medikamenton? — Ne, mi devas preni ĝin post la manĝo.
Have you taken the medicine yet? — No, I have to take it after the meal.
These collocations are widely attested in current usage and are neutral across registers.
Responsibility and examples
When preni extends to an abstract burden, Esperanto often makes the relation explicit. Preni sur sin respondecon/taskon means accept it as one's own. The reflexive sin refers to the subject.
La nova direktoro prenis sur sin la respondecon pri la eraro.
The new director took responsibility for the mistake.
Neniu volis preni sur sin la taskon organizi la tutan eventon.
No one wanted to take on the task of organizing the entire event.
Preni ekzemplon de iu means use someone as a model; doni ekzemplon means supply an illustration. The noun is the same, but the event roles differ.
Prenu ekzemplon de Lea: ŝi ĉiam kontrolas la adreson antaŭ ol sendi pakaĵon.
Follow Lea's example: she always checks the address before sending a package.
The idiomatic wording is established, but in plain international prose sekvu la ekzemplon de Lea is equally clear.
Giving is not lending; taking is not borrowing
Doni by itself does not promise that the item will return. Use pruntedoni for lend and pruntepreni for borrow. The two compounds preserve opposite viewpoints.
Mi pruntedonos al vi mian biciklon, se vi redonos ĝin antaŭ la vespero.
I will lend you my bicycle if you return it before the evening.
Mi prunteprenis adaptilon de kolego kaj redonis ĝin post la kunveno.
I borrowed an adapter from a colleague and returned it after the meeting.
Other useful established compounds include redoni “give back,” transdoni “hand over/pass on,” repreni “take back/resume,” forpreni “take away,” and elpreni “take out.” Their prefixes add a real direction or reversal.
English “take” that does not use preni
English uses take as a light verb in many expressions where nothing is acquired, selected, or accepted. Esperanto normally names the event directly.
| English expression | Natural Esperanto |
|---|---|
| take a photo | foti / fari foton |
| take a shower | duŝi sin |
| take a break | paŭzi / fari paŭzon |
| take part | partopreni |
| take place | okazi |
| take care of | zorgi pri |
| take two hours | daŭri du horojn |
La riparo daŭros du horojn, do ni faru paŭzon.
The repair will take two hours, so let's take a break.
La kunveno okazos en la supra salono, kaj ĉiuj rajtas partopreni.
The meeting will take place in the upstairs room, and everyone may take part.
Register and conventionality
The physical frames doni ion al iu and preni ion de/el… belong to the foundational system. Abstract combinations vary by convention: doni permeson, preni medikamenton, and preni buson are neutral and established; doni/preni la vorton belongs especially to organized discussion.
Simple verbs often improve concise prose: permesi, klarigi, konsili, partopreni. The noun collocation remains useful when its object needs adjectives, number, or contrast. Corpus evidence supports both strategies; the pedagogical goal is not to eliminate light verbs but to avoid projecting English collocations onto them.
Common Mistakes
Copying the English double-object order
❌ Ŝi donis min bonan konsilon.
Incorrect — the recipient requires al, while the advice is the direct object.
✅ Ŝi donis al mi bonan konsilon.
She gave me good advice.
Omitting -n on the thing transferred
❌ Donu al mi via retadreso.
Incorrect — the address is the direct object, and its possessive must agree.
✅ Donu al mi vian retadreson.
Give me your email address.
Using doni when the item must return
❌ Ĉu vi povas doni al mi vian aŭton ĝis morgaŭ?
Wrong for the intended temporary loan.
✅ Ĉu vi povas pruntedoni al mi vian aŭton ĝis morgaŭ?
Can you lend me your car until tomorrow?
Translating “take a photo” literally
❌ Ni prenis foton antaŭ la muzeo.
A literal English transfer rather than the neutral Esperanto collocation.
✅ Ni faris foton antaŭ la muzeo.
We took a photo in front of the museum.
Translating “take place” literally
❌ La koncerto prenos lokon en Julio.
Incorrect — an event happens; it does not acquire a place.
✅ La koncerto okazos en Julio.
The concert will take place in July.
Key Takeaways
Use doni ion al iu for outward transfer and preni ion de/el… for acquisition or removal. Learn established abstract collocations such as doni konsilon, doni la vorton, preni buson, and preni medikamenton. Mark loans with pruntedoni/pruntepreni, and replace English light-verb idioms with the Esperanto verb that names the real action.
Related Topics
- Doni: To GiveA2 — Use doni with a direct-object theme and an al-recipient, and build its regular paradigm, participles, compounds, and common collocations.
- Preni: To TakeB1 — Use preni for taking possession, selecting, removing, and conventional activities, with clear object and source marking.
- Two Objects and ValencyA2 — How Esperanto distributes recipients, things transferred, and other participants between the accusative and prepositional phrases.
- AlA2 — Use al for movement toward a goal, recipients, orientation, and abstract targets without adding an unnecessary accusative ending.
- DeA2 — Use de for movement or development away from a source and for relationships such as possession, authorship, composition, time, and passive agency.
- Literal Translation of English IdiomsC1 — Translate an English idiom's communicative meaning, not its individual words, and choose an established Esperanto expression for the context.