Sometimes you’ll encounter words in Esperanto have have the infixes “-ec-” or “-ecx-.” When written, they look almost the same at a glance. However, there’s a world of difference between the two of them, so be sure not to confuse them!

The infix “-ec-” denotes a state of being, much like the English suffix “-ness.” So, you might see words like boneco (goodness), varmeco (warmness or warmth), alteco (tallness or height).

The infix “-ecx-,” however, is a derogatory addition to a word. It denotes an inherently bad nature for the word it modifies. For example, a “domecxo” (from domo, meaning “house”) is a shack or a dive – a bad house. A “virecxo” would be a wretch, or some comparable English word.

Be careful with your infixes! Gxis la revida!