Porti is the regular transitive verb for carrying or bearing something so that it accompanies the carrier. The same verb also means “wear”: clothes, glasses, jewelry, and even a name can be things that a person portas. These senses are not an arbitrary collision; in each one, the object remains with its bearer.
Complete regular paradigm
| Form | Function | Typical translation |
|---|---|---|
| porti | infinitive | to carry, to wear |
| portas | present indicative | carries, wears |
| portis | past indicative | carried, wore |
| portos | future indicative | will carry, will wear |
| portus | conditional | would carry, would wear |
| portu | volitive | carry!, wear! |
The endings are identical for every subject. As a transitive verb, porti normally has an accusative object.
Mi portos la pli pezan valizon, se vi prenos la dorsosakon.
I'll carry the heavier suitcase if you take the backpack.
Ŝi portis ruĝan mantelon, do mi tuj rekonis ŝin.
She was wearing a red coat, so I recognized her immediately.
Portu akvobotelon, ĉar sur la vojo ne estas vendejoj.
Bring a water bottle along, because there are no shops on the way.
The last example is naturally translated with English “bring,” but Esperanto still views the bottle primarily as something the traveler should carry. When delivery to a goal is the central event, alporti is more precise.
Carrying: an object accompanies its bearer
Concrete porti does not specify how the object is supported. Someone may carry a child in their arms, a wallet in a pocket, or a table together with another person. Nor does the verb itself require a destination.
Li portis sian dormantan filinon de la aŭto ĝis ŝia lito.
He carried his sleeping daughter from the car to her bed.
Mi ĉiam portas iom da kontanta mono en mia monujo.
I always carry some cash in my wallet.
Ni portis la tablon kune, ĉar ĝi ne trapasis la pordon horizontale.
We carried the table together because it would not fit through the door horizontally.
Contrast teni, which focuses on continued control or position. You can teni skatolon while someone closes it, then porti la skatolon downstairs. The distinction is conceptual rather than a strict movement test: a seated passenger can porti dorsosakon sur la genuoj throughout a journey because the bag accompanies them.
— Ĉu vi povas teni mian kafon? — Jes, sed mi ne povas porti ankaŭ viajn sakojn.
— Can you hold my coffee? — Yes, but I can't carry your bags too.
See Teni: To Hold Or Keep for control and maintained-state constructions.
Wearing clothes and accessories
For clothes, jewelry, glasses, and similar items, porti means “wear” as a regular condition or visible choice. This sense is neutral and extremely common.
Ĉu mi devas porti kravaton al la ceremonio?
Do I have to wear a tie to the ceremony?
Ekde la pasinta jaro ŝi portas okulvitrojn por legado.
She has worn glasses for reading since last year.
Li ne plu portas sian geedziĝan ringon.
He no longer wears his wedding ring.
Surhavi foregrounds the state of having an item on the body at this moment. Porti can do that too, but it more easily describes a habit, style, or chosen item. Vesti sin per focuses on the act or manner of dressing.
Mi surhavas la jakon nun, sed mi portas ĝin nur kiam estas tre malvarme.
I have the jacket on now, but I wear it only when it is very cold.
These boundaries are not absolute. Both porti and surhavi are standard; the choice is about viewpoint, not correctness.
Figurative things one bears
The carrying image extends naturally to responsibilities, names, consequences, and identifying features. Such uses are established, not poetic inventions.
La administranto portas la finan respondecon pri la decido.
The administrator bears final responsibility for the decision.
La placo portas la nomon de loka verkistino.
The square bears the name of a local woman writer.
Tiu ŝajna ŝparo portos gravajn sekvojn poste.
That apparent saving will carry serious consequences later.
For causing a result, kaŭzi is often plainer than figurative porti: la decido kaŭzos problemojn. In formal and journalistic prose, porti respondecon and porti sekvojn are especially at home; they remain comprehensible in ordinary speech.
Porti, alporti, and direction
Bare porti is neutral about the conversational center. Alporti packages movement toward a relevant recipient or destination into the verb; forporti packages removal away from one.
Portu la skatolojn singarde; la glasoj interne estas rompiĝemaj.
Carry the boxes carefully; the glasses inside are fragile.
Bonvolu alporti la dokumentojn al mia oficejo antaŭ la tria.
Please bring the documents to my office before three.
La rubkolektistoj jam forportis la malnovan meblon.
The refuse collectors have already taken away the old piece of furniture.
English chooses “bring” or “take” according to viewpoint. Esperanto often makes the relevant spatial relation explicit through al-, for-, en-, or el-. Read Alporti: To Bring for recipient frames and goal orientation.
Participles
All six participles are available because porti is ordinarily transitive.
| Active | Meaning | Passive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| portanta | carrying/wearing now | portata | being carried/worn |
| portinta | having carried/worn | portita | having been carried/worn |
| portonta | about to carry/wear | portota | about to be carried/worn |
La virino portanta flavan ĉapelon estas nia ĉiĉerono.
The woman wearing the yellow hat is our guide.
La pakaĵoj estos portitaj supren post la tagmanĝo.
The packages will be carried upstairs after lunch.
The participle describes relative time: portinta is earlier than the reference point, while portonta is later. It does not create an irregular tense. See The Six Participles.
Compounds and transport derivatives
Direction prefixes produce a productive family, though frequent compounds can acquire conventional meanings.
| Form | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| alporti | bring to a goal | goal or recipient is contextually central |
| forporti | carry away, remove | movement away from the relevant place |
| enporti | carry/import in | literal or commercial import |
| elporti | carry out; bear, endure | literal and established figurative senses |
| reporti | carry back, bring back | from re- + porti |
| transporti | transport | organized movement of people or goods |
Ĉu vi povas reporti la teleron al la kuirejo?
Can you carry the plate back to the kitchen?
Do not confuse reporti “carry back” with raporti “report, give an account.” Their vowels distinguish two unrelated verbs. Elporti can be literal or mean “endure”: Mi ne plu elportas la bruon “I can't bear the noise any longer.”
Useful nouns and adjectives include portilo “carrier/supporting device,” portanto “bearer/carrier,” portebla “portable,” and transportilo “means of transport.” Portisto denotes someone whose occupation is carrying goods, such as a porter.
Register, norm, and frequency
Porti and its carrying and wearing senses belong to foundational Esperanto. They are neutral across everyday, formal, and literary use. The figurative combinations above are accepted and well attested, although plain alternatives such as kaŭzi or respondecas pri may be clearer in practical prose.
The directional compound system is productive, but common compounds deserve dictionary-style learning. Transporti often suggests a logistical process, whereas porti retains an individual bearer. The recommended learner distinction is therefore semantic, not a rigid rule about distance or means of travel.
Common Mistakes
Omitting accusative -n
❌ Mi portos la peza valizo.
Incorrect — the carried thing is a direct object.
✅ Mi portos la pezan valizon.
I will carry the heavy suitcase.
Using teni for clothing
❌ Ŝi tenas verdan robon ĉe la festo.
Incorrect for the intended meaning — teni means hold or keep, not wear.
✅ Ŝi portas verdan robon ĉe la festo.
She is wearing a green dress at the party.
Using porti for “take” meaning choose or pick up
❌ Portu unu kuketon de la telero.
Incorrect for ‘take one’ — porti means carry, not choose or pick up.
✅ Prenu unu kuketon de la telero.
Take one cookie from the plate.
Confusing reporti and raporti
❌ Mi raportos la librojn al la biblioteko morgaŭ.
Incorrect for carrying them back — raporti means to give a report.
✅ Mi reportos la librojn al la biblioteko morgaŭ.
I will take the books back to the library tomorrow.
Copying English “wear” as uzi
❌ Mi uzas okulvitrojn ekde infanaĝo.
Possible only with a focus on using them; it is not the ordinary wording for wearing them.
✅ Mi portas okulvitrojn ekde infanaĝo.
I have worn glasses since childhood.
Key Takeaways
- Porti means that an object accompanies its bearer, whether carried physically or worn.
- Use teni for holding or maintaining position, and alporti when arrival at a goal is central.
- Clothing, glasses, jewelry, responsibilities, and names can all be objects of porti.
- All six participles are regular because the verb is transitive.
- Learn frequent compounds such as forporti, elporti, reporti, and transporti with their established nuances.
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Start learning Esperanto →Related Topics
- Teni: To Hold Or KeepB1 — Use teni for holding, keeping, maintaining a state, and reflexive posture or conduct.
- Alporti: To BringB1 — Use alporti when carrying culminates at a relevant goal, with clear object, recipient, and destination frames.
- Meti: To PutB1 — Use meti with a direct object and a destination complement, including directional -n, result phrases, participles, and productive compounds.
- Direct ObjectsA1 — Learn which Esperanto verb complements are direct objects, how -n marks them, and how object marking remains stable when word order changes.
- Transitive and Intransitive VerbsA2 — Learn which verbs license a direct object, which require another construction, and how Esperanto systematically changes valency.
- 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.