A proper name identifies a particular person, place, organization, work, or other individual referent. Fully adapted Esperanto names normally behave like other -o nouns: Johano, Londono, Afriko. They can take plural -j, accusative -n, and productive derivatives. Their reference, however, makes them definite without an article in the ordinary case.
Not every name is fully adapted. Esperanto also uses partially adapted forms such as Zamenhof and original spellings such as Shakespeare. This page focuses on noun-phrase grammar once a form has been chosen; foreign names in Esperanto explains the orthographic choice itself.
Fully adapted names as -o nouns
A fully adapted name uses Esperanto letters and sound patterns, normally ends in -o, and follows the regular ending order.
| Function | Person | Place |
|---|---|---|
| basic form | Johano | Londono |
| accusative | Johanon | Londonon |
| plural, multiple bearers/instances | Johanoj | Londonoj |
| plural accusative | Johanojn | Londonojn |
Johano loĝas en Londono.
Johano lives in London.
Mi renkontis Johanon en Londono.
I met Johano in London.
The minimal contrast Johano/Johanon marks subject versus direct object exactly as amiko/amikon does. A name is not exempt from the accusative merely because capitalization identifies it.
Morgaŭ ni vizitos Londonon kaj poste veturos al Oksfordo.
Tomorrow we will visit London and then travel to Oxford.
Londonon is a direct object and takes -n. Oksfordo follows the preposition al, so it normally does not take accusative -n.
Normal proper names usually need no article
Names such as Marta, Petro, Parizo, Brazilo, and Esperanto already direct the listener to an identifiable referent. They therefore normally appear without la.
Marta studas en Parizo, sed ŝia familio loĝas en Brazilo.
Marta studies in Paris, but her family lives in Brazil.
Zamenhof kreis Esperanton.
Zamenhof created Esperanto.
Ĉu vi jam vizitis Parizon? — Ne, sed mi iros tien en Majo.
Have you visited Paris yet? — No, but I will go there in May.
This is not simply a capitalization rule. When an ordinary noun or descriptive phrase serves as a name, la may remain because the head word is not inherently a name: la Ruĝa Maro, la Persa Golfo, la Granda Ursino. Conversely, an adjective that is an integral part of a normal name does not automatically trigger an article: Suda Ameriko, Sankta Petro.
Ni transiris la Ruĝan Maron kaj poste vizitis Sudan Amerikon.
We crossed the Red Sea and later visited South America.
The article issue has real conventional complexity; “never use la with a name” is too simple. For major categories and edge cases, consult la with proper names.
When la reappears with a normal name
An article can present one version or manifestation of a named referent in contrast with another: la Parizo de 1900 treats historical Paris as a particular version of Paris. It also appears when a common-noun head is followed by an identifying name: la rivero Nilo, la aŭtoro Ŝekspiro.
Mi ofte imagas la Parizon de la deknaŭa jarcento.
I often imagine the Paris of the nineteenth century.
La rivero Nilo fluas tra pluraj landoj.
The River Nile flows through several countries.
Here la determines rivero, an ordinary noun; Nilo identifies which river. If you say simply Nilo, no article is required.
Named works and institutions follow established conventions. La Biblio and la Korano conventionally take the article; well-known organization names and their abbreviations show some variation. Learn the conventional form rather than deriving every article mechanically from capitalization.
Original and partially adapted names
A partially adapted or original name may lack -o. It still functions as a proper noun phrase and normally appears without la: Zamenhof, William Shakespeare, Kálmán Kalocsay. Case marking has several accepted solutions. A vowel-final original form can often take -n directly; a consonant-final form may take visibly attached -on, omit the ending when context is clear, or use a title/common noun that carries the case.
Mi renkontis Annan post la prelego.
I met Anna after the lecture.
Mi renkontis profesoron Smith post la prelego.
I met Professor Smith after the lecture.
La muzeo ekspozicias manuskripton de Shakespeare.
The museum is exhibiting a manuscript by Shakespeare.
These are accepted structural choices, not evidence that Esperanto has abandoned -n. When a bare foreign form would make the roles unclear, attach a workable ending or restructure the phrase.
Names with titles and apposition
A title or role noun before a name becomes the grammatical head: la kuracisto Petro, profesoro Silva, sinjorino Chen. Article use with courtesy titles varies because a frequently used title may feel like part of the name, but a genuinely descriptive, identifiable phrase normally takes la.
La kuracisto Petro respondos al viaj demandoj.
The doctor Petro will answer your questions.
Mi dankis la kuraciston Petro pro lia helpo.
I thanked the doctor Petro for his help.
The case ending appears on the common-noun head kuraciston. Appositional names and titles can have additional agreement patterns, developed under apposition and names, titles, and honorific nouns.
Plural names
-J can signal multiple people with the same name, a family or dynasty in an appropriate convention, or multiple places sharing a name. The plural does not mean that one individual has somehow become plural; it counts bearers or instances of the naming relation.
En nia grupo estas du Johanoj kaj tri Petroj.
There are two Johanos and three Petros in our group.
La mapo montras plurajn urbojn nomatajn Springfield.
The map shows several cities named Springfield.
With a fully Esperanto name, Johanoj is straightforward. Original names may be left unchanged after a plural-counting expression if an Esperanto ending would look awkward, as in pluraj Springfield. A clearer paraphrase such as pluraj urboj nomataj Springfield avoids ambiguity.
Names whose conventional base form is already plural, such as Alpoj, Andoj, and Filipinoj, show variable article usage. Their -j belongs to the name’s established form, not to a momentary decision by the speaker.
Derivatives from names
A stable adapted name can support adjectives and other derivatives: Londono → londona, Ŝekspiro → ŝekspira. Capitalization of derived forms depends on whether the derivative remains part of a proper name or functions as an ordinary relational word; conventions are covered under capitalization in titles and names.
La londona metroo estas vasta, kaj ŝekspiraj dramoj ankoraŭ plenigas teatrojn.
The London Underground is extensive, and Shakespearean dramas still fill theaters.
Do not assume that adding -o to any foreign spelling produces a good adaptation. Established usage balances recognition, pronunciation, and tradition.
Common Mistakes
1. Omitting accusative -n from a fully adapted name. Proper names still have sentence roles.
❌ Mi renkontis Johano hieraŭ.
Incorrect — Johano is the direct object and needs -n.
✅ Mi renkontis Johanon hieraŭ.
I met Johano yesterday.
2. Adding la before every normal proper name. Ordinary inherent names are definite by themselves.
❌ La Marta loĝas en la Parizo.
Incorrect in the ordinary intended reading — neither normal proper name needs la.
✅ Marta loĝas en Parizo.
Marta lives in Paris.
3. Removing la from every descriptive name. Some names retain an ordinary-noun structure.
❌ Ni velis trans Ruĝa Maro.
Incorrect for the conventional descriptive name — the phrase takes la and the object ending.
✅ Ni velis trans la Ruĝan Maron.
We sailed across the Red Sea.
4. Importing English apostrophe-s. Esperanto uses a de phrase or possessive construction.
❌ Tio estas Marta’s biciklo.
Incorrect — Esperanto does not mark possession with apostrophe-s.
✅ Tio estas la biciklo de Marta.
That is Marta’s bicycle.
Key Takeaways
- Fully adapted names behave like regular -o nouns and take -j/-n predictably.
- Normal inherent proper names are definite without la.
- Descriptive names, named common-noun phrases, and conventional titles may require la.
- Original and partially adapted names permit several case-marking strategies; choose a clear one.
- Plural names count bearers or named instances, while derivation from established names follows the ordinary root system.
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Start learning Esperanto →Related Topics
- Foreign Names in EsperantoA2 — How to choose among full adaptation, partial adaptation, and original spelling while keeping names recognizable and usable.
- Capitalization in Titles and NamesA2 — Capitalize Esperanto titles and multiword names clearly without importing English title case or erasing accepted editorial variation.
- La with Proper NamesB1 — Learn why ordinary Esperanto proper names omit la, while descriptive names, title phrases, plural names, and certain traditional works may use it.
- Names, Titles, and Honorific NounsB1 — How personal names combine with regular Esperanto title nouns, articles, number, case, and direct address.
- AppositionA1 — How a second noun phrase renames the same referent, matches its case, and differs from an identifying name or predicate complement.