In Italy, Belgium, etc., where the hours are numbered from one to twenty-four, this system is equally applicable, as:--4.10 p.m. in Italy = 16.10 = _La dek-sesa_ (_horo_) _dek_.
125. There are seven classes of Pronouns:--(1) Personal, (2) Possessive, (3) Relative, (4) Interrogative, (5) Demonstrative, (6) Distributive or Collective, (7) Indefinite.
As, however, the last five classes are so intimately connected with other parts of speech, and as some of the pronouns represent two classes, and some two parts of speech, it is better to treat them as correlative words (see pars. 139-157), so under the head of "Pronouns" we give only the personal and possessive.
Singular. 1st Person. Mi = _I_. " 2nd Person. Vi = _you, thou_. (Ci = _thou_ is rarely used). " 3rd Person. Li = _he_, Ŝi = _she_, Ĝi = _it_. Plural. 1st Person. Ni = _we_. " 2nd Person. Vi = _you_, _ye_. " 3rd Person. Ili = _they_.
Singular. 1st Person. Min = _me_. " 2nd Person. Vin = _you, thee_. (Cin = _thee_ is rarely used). " 3rd Person. Lin = _him_, Ŝin = _her_, Ĝin = _it_. Plural. 1st Person. Nin = _us_. " 2nd Person. Vin = _you_. " 3rd Person. Ilin = _them_.
Oni = _one_, _people_, _they_, _we_ (like the French "on"), is an indefinite pronoun of the 3rd person. Oni may be deemed singular or plural.
Owing to the fact that in most languages the word corresponding to oni is invariable, Esperanto authors have generally avoided the accusative and possessive forms onin and onia, although they are occasionally met with. These forms are, however, perfectly regular, and may be used without hesitation if desired.
Si = _self_, _selves_, _oneself_, is a reflexive pronoun of the 3rd person, singular or plural.
Vi, like "you" in English, represents both the singular and plural, but when it refers to more than one person, words depending on it take the plural form.
Ĝi, like "it" in English, is used to represent things, and also persons and animals when the name does not reveal the sex.
Examples.--_Mi lin amas_ = I love him. _Li min vidas_ = He sees me. _Ili trovis lin kaj min en la ĝardeno_ = They found him and me in the garden. _Vi ne vidis nin_ = You did not see us. _Vi_ (plural) _estas pli saĝaj, ol ili (estas)_ = You are wiser than they are. _Ŝi vidis ilin en la dormoĉambro_ = She saw them in the bedroom. _Oni diras, "Per mono oni povas aĉeti ĉion"_ = They (people) say (it is said), "With money one (_or_, we) can buy everything. _Mi vidis la domon, sed ĝi estis tro malgranda_ = I saw the house, but it was too small. _Se oni estus riĉa_, or _riĉaj_ = If one were rich.