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What is the difference between "ŝanĝi" and "ŝanĝiĝi" and how would you use these verbs in a sentence?

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ŝanĝi: alter or replace

"ŝanĝi" is to change <someone or something> (i.e. to alter <someone or something> or even to replace <someone or something>. It's a transitive verb, which means that it always requires a direct object: the thing or person being replaced or altered.

Examples:

Ŝi ŝanĝas la oleon. — She changes (replaces) the oil.

Vi ŝanĝis min. — You've changed (altered) me.

ŝanĝiĝi: become different

"ŝanĝiĝi" is to change, i.e. to undergo a change or to change itself or oneself. It's an intransitive verb, which means that it cannot take a direct object.

Examples:

La vetero ŝanĝiĝis. — The weather has changed. (became different than before)

Li ŝanĝiĝos. — He'll change. (He will become different than he is now.)

The -iĝ- affix

Most (maybe even all) transitive verbs in Esperanto can be turned into intransitive ones with reflexive meaning (i.e., the subject is also the object) by appending the suffix -iĝ-.

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  • I think there’s an accusative missing in the first example.
    – Neil Roberts
    Commented Nov 22, 2019 at 11:02
  • Indeed it was missing. fixed. Btw., if you're sufficiently sure, just edit posts to make such corrections.
    – das-g ♦
    Commented Nov 22, 2019 at 12:37

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