What famous people speak Esperanto?

Asked by: Dangelo Hudson  |  Last update: July 17, 2026
Score: 4.7/5 (39 votes)

Famous people who have spoken or supported Esperanto include author Leo Tolstoy, who learned it in two hours, billionaire philanthropist George Soros (a native speaker), and author Jules Verne. Other notable speakers include Ho Chi Minh, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Pope John Paul II, who delivered speeches in the language.

Who speaks Esperanto in the world?

Concentration of speakers is highest in Europe, East Asia, and South America. Although no country has adopted Esperanto officially, Esperantujo ('Esperanto land') is used as a name for the collection of places where it is spoken. The language has also gained a noticeable presence on the Internet.

How many people speak Esperanto in the UK?

There are estimated to be more than 2,000 Esperanto speakers in the UK and anything between 500,000 and two million worldwide.

Is Esperanto a dying language?

After World War II ended, Esperanto was almost completely gone. It was only able to survive the 20th century thanks to small groups of Esperanto enthusiasts. The language had an outsider status and was not often taken seriously, but the important thing was that it was kept from dying out.

Which language will dominate in 2050?

Mandarin. Mandarin is likely to be the most spoken language in 2050 because of its vast number of speakers. The economic influence of China will also prove vital for the continued use and spread of Chinese languages around the world.

Famous people on Esperanto

39 related questions found

What is the longest word in Esperanto?

As of April 2024, the longest word found in the Tekstaro de Esperanto text corpus is the 66-letter word unue-volapukista-poste-esperantista-poste-idista-poste-denove-esperantista, meaning "first-volapukist-then-esperantist-then-idist-then-again-esperantist", which was used in a review published in Monato in 1997 to ...

What is the fastest growing language in the UK?

Based on enrolment figures from 2019 to 2024, they have revealed that those opting to learn the language has surged 155% in the last 5 years. Irish was listed just behind Swedish, which saw a 208% rise in enrolments. Korean was in third place, followed by Welsh then Cornish.

What currency does Esperanto use?

Utility of the Stelo

Since the Stelo was the currency of Esperantists, a good example of its utility was the publication of a monthly magazine and the payment of rents and salaries.

What are some Esperanto phrases?

Esperanto Phrases

  • Saluton – Hello.
  • Jes – Yes.
  • Ne – No.
  • Bonan matenon – Good morning.
  • Bonan vesperon – Good evening.
  • Bonan nokton – Good night.
  • Dankon – Thank you.
  • Ne dankinde – You're welcome.

Is Esperanto hard to learn?

Esperanto is an extremely easy language to learn

There are no irregular past tenses, no irregular plurals, no irregularly used prepositions… Additionally, the pronunciation is easy, and the writing system is completely phonetic.

What is someone who speaks Esperanto called?

An Esperantist (Esperanto: esperantisto) is a person who speaks, reads or writes Esperanto. According to the Declaration of Boulogne, a document agreed upon at the first World Esperanto Congress in 1905, an Esperantist is someone who speaks Esperanto and uses it for any purpose.

What are the top 3 languages to learn?

The top 3 languages to learn often center on global influence, business, and sheer number of speakers, with Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and English (if not already known) frequently topping lists, followed closely by French and German for European/business connections, and Arabic or Hindi for vast speaker bases. Your choice depends on your goals, but these languages offer massive reach, economic power, and cultural access. 

What is the hardest language to learn if you don't speak English?

10 Hardest Languages to Learn (Overall)

  1. Cantonese (Chinese) Like many languages in the Sino-Tibetan language family, the Chinese writing system is based on characters without strict rules on pronunciation. ...
  2. Mandarin (Chinese) ...
  3. Arabic. ...
  4. Korean. ...
  5. 5. Japanese. ...
  6. Hungarian. ...
  7. Finnish. ...
  8. Basque.

What does Malo Lei Lei mean?

A prominent Tongan linguist says the Tongan word for hello - "mālō e lelei" (Thanks for being well) - was not used as a common greeting in the Kingdom until it was mentioned in the works of an Australian missionary named Clerk Maxwell Churchward in the 1950s.

What does fefe hake mean?

How are you? Fefe hake? ( Idiomatic) Fine, thank you.