plej

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈplɛj]

Verb

plej

1. second-person singular imperative of plít

Esperanto

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek πλεῖστος (pleîstos) and πλεῖστον (pleîston). Compare English Pleistocene, French pléistocène (“newest epoch”).

Vilborg considers the fact that Zamenhof created this "superlative particle" together with the comparative pli and further posits that he chose the source for this word to create a form of ablaut between the two particles.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /plei̯/

• Audio 1:

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• Audio 2:

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• Rhymes: -ei̯
• Syllabification: plej

Adverb

plej

1. most

   Antonym: malplej

   • 2025 September 29, Jorge Nogueras, “La plej mallonga tago”, in uea.facila‎^[1], archived from the original on 12 December 2025:

     Nu, plej verŝajne sciencistoj ĉikanus vin, kaj klarigus al vi, ke fakte tagoj daŭras foje iomete pli, foje iomete malpli.

     Well, most likely scientists would argue with you frivolously, and explain to you, that days in fact last sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.

Usage notes

• Only applies to adverbs or adjectives. For nouns, see multo + de (“[a] lot of”) or plimulto + de (“[a] majority of”).
• Conventionally, Esperanto speakers tend to say "many" when an English speaker would say "most".

Derived terms

• malplej
• pleje

Related terms

• pli

Further reading

• “plej”, in Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto [Complete Illustrated Dictionary of Esperanto], 2020, →ISBN
• “plej”, in Reta Vortaro [Online Dictionary] (in Esperanto), 1997-2026
• Wells, John C. (1992), “plej, most”, in Concise Esperanto and English Dictionary‎^[2], →ISBN, pages 129, 311
• Benson, Peter J. (1995), “-est, most, -most”, in Comprehensive English-Esperanto Dictionary‎^[3], →ISBN, pages 194, 336-337
• Butler, Montagu C. (1967), “plej”, in Esperanto-English Dictionary‎^[4], →OL, page 319
• Motteau, Achille (1907), “plej”, in Esperanto-English Dictionary‎^[5], →OCLC, page 114