Compound active forms combine esti with an active adjectival participle: estas laboranta, estis laborinta, estos laboronta. The finite form of esti establishes a reference point; -ant-, -int-, or -ont- locates the subject’s action as ongoing, completed, or still ahead relative to that point. These forms are fully grammatical, but Esperanto usually prefers a simple verb unless the internal timing genuinely matters.
How the system is built
Use a finite form of esti plus an active participle ending in -a:
| Reference point | Ongoing -ant- | Completed -int- | Prospective -ont- |
|---|---|---|---|
| present | estas skribanta | estas skribinta | estas skribonta |
| past | estis skribanta | estis skribinta | estis skribonta |
| future | estos skribanta | estos skribinta | estos skribonta |
The subject performs the action in every cell. That active role distinguishes these forms from passive estas skribata, skribita, skribota, where the subject undergoes the writing.
Je la sesa mi estis ankoraŭ laboranta en la oficejo.
At six I was still working in the office.
Je la sesa mi estis jam fininta la raporton.
At six I had already finished the report.
Je la sesa mi estis ĝuste forironta el la oficejo.
At six I was just about to leave the office.
This three-way contrast keeps the past reference point constant. The participle then views the subject during, after, or before the secondary action.
-ANT-: action in progress or repeated
An -ant- compound highlights an action as continuing or repeatedly unfolding at the reference point.
Ne telefonu nun; ŝi estas prezentanta la novan projekton.
Don’t call now; she is presenting the new project.
After esti, the participle is adjectival: ni estis dormantaj, not adverbial dormante. It agrees with the plural subject.
Kiam la alarmo eksonis, ĉu ni estis dormantaj aŭ ankoraŭ parolantaj?
When the alarm went off, were we sleeping or still talking?
English requires a progressive form in many contexts. Esperanto does not. Ŝi prezentas la projekton and Ni dormis are normally sufficient; choose estas prezentanta or estis dormantaj when ongoingness is being contrasted, timed, or emphasized.
-INT-: completion before the reference point
An active -int- compound presents the subject after completing the action.
Mi estas jam sendinta la aliĝilon, do vi ne bezonas rememorigi min.
I have already sent the registration form, so you do not need to remind me.
Ŝi estis foririnta antaŭ ol mi atingis la stacidomon.
She had left before I reached the station.
Ĝis vendredo ni estos finintaj ĉiujn intervjuojn.
By Friday we will have completed all the interviews.
Estas sendinta looks back from now, estis foririnta from a past arrival, and estos finintaj from Friday in the future. The -int- suffix does not mean “past from the moment of speaking.” It means completed before the selected viewpoint.
In everyday Esperanto, a simple tense plus jam, antaŭe, ĝis tiam is often lighter:
Mi jam sendis la aliĝilon.
I have already sent the registration form.
The compound is useful when the relative-time contrast is central; it is not required merely because English uses a perfect tense.
-ONT-: intention or action still ahead
An -ont- compound places the subject before an expected, intended, or imminent action.
Ni estas ekirontaj; ĉu vi volas veni kun ni?
We are about to leave; do you want to come with us?
Ĉu vi jam pakis? — Ne, mi estas ĝuste pakonta.
Have you packed yet? — No, I am just about to.
Mi estis respondonta al ŝi, sed la kunveno subite komenciĝis.
I was about to answer her, but the meeting suddenly began.
Kiam vi alvenos, la teamo estos prezentonta la lastan proponon.
When you arrive, the team will be about to present the final proposal.
The intended action need not occur. Mi estis respondonta, sed… explicitly cancels it. -Ont- profiles the preparatory or prospective state, not a guaranteed later fact.
Agreement and complements
The active participle is an -a word and agrees with the subject in number. It does not change for person.
Mi estis atendanta la trajnon, sed miaj amikoj estis jam sidantaj en ĝi.
I was waiting for the train, but my friends were already sitting in it.
La esploristoj estas kolektintaj sufiĉe da datumoj por la unua analizo.
The researchers have collected enough data for the first analysis.
Atendanta is singular with mi; sidantaj and kolektintaj are plural. Verbal complements remain attached to the participle: atendanta la trajnon, kolektintaj datumojn. The object retains accusative marking.
Beyond present, past, and future esti
The same construction can use estus, estu, or infinitive esti, although those are mood or nonfinite forms rather than additional tenses:
Mi estus veninta pli frue, se la trajno ne estus paneinta.
I would have come earlier if the train had not broken down.
Estu preta kaj estu atendanta ĉe la ĉefa enirejo je la oka.
Be ready and be waiting at the main entrance at eight.
The second command is grammatical but stylistically heavy; Atendu ĉe la ĉefa enirejo je la oka is more direct. Productive morphology gives many possible forms, but communicative need decides which are worth using.
See relative time in participles for the viewpoint logic and compound passive tenses for the parallel passive system.
Foundational status and register
The active participial suffixes and their combination with esti belong to foundational Esperanto. Modern texts attest the full system, especially estis -anta, estis -inta, and estis -onta where a narrative contrast matters. Nevertheless, frequent compound forms can make prose sound translated or overengineered. Simple finite verbs remain the neutral default in conversation, journalism, and most expository writing. Dense future-on-future forms such as estos faronta occur mainly when that exact layered viewpoint is needed.
Common Mistakes
Combining esti with a finite verb
❌ Mi estas laboras nun.
Incorrect — estas and laboras cannot form one compound predicate.
✅ Mi estas laboranta nun.
I am working now.
Using an adverbial participle after esti
❌ Ili estis dormante kiam mi telefonis.
Incorrect — the complement of esti here is adjectival and must agree.
✅ Ili estis dormantaj kiam mi telefonis.
They were sleeping when I called.
Forgetting plural agreement
❌ Ni estas jam fininta la laboron.
Incorrect — the active participle agrees with plural ni.
✅ Ni estas jam finintaj la laboron.
We have already finished the work.
Treating -int- as past from now
❌ Morgaŭ ni estis finintaj la intervjuojn.
Incorrect — the reference point is future, so esti must be future.
✅ Morgaŭ ni estos finintaj la intervjuojn.
Tomorrow we will have finished the interviews.
Choosing passive voice for the doer
❌ La teamo estas verkita la raporton.
Incorrect — the team performs the writing, so an active participle is required.
✅ La teamo estas verkanta la raporton.
The team is writing the report.
Key Takeaways
Compound active forms use esti + -ant/-int/-ont-a. The finite esti supplies the viewpoint; the participle shows ongoing, completed, or prospective action relative to it. The participle agrees with the subject and retains the verb’s complements. Use the compounds when relative aspect matters, but prefer a simple tense plus a clear time word when it conveys the same information more naturally.
Related Topics
- The Six Participles: A System MapB1 — Map Esperanto's six participles by voice and relative time, then use them as adjectives, adverbs, nouns, and compound verb forms.
- Relative Time in ParticiplesC2 — Interpret participial time relative to the described situation, separating ongoing, completed, and prospective action from calendar tense.
- Compound Passive TensesB2 — Combine esti with passive participles to present an affected subject during, after, or before an action.
- Active Present Participle -ANT-B1 — Learn how -ant- presents the doer of an action while that action is in progress or regularly repeated.
- Active Past Participle -INT-B1 — Use -int- to present the doer of an action after that action has been completed relative to another point in time.
- Active Future Participle -ONT-B2 — Use -ont- for the active participant before an intended, expected, or imminent action begins.