Head-yes and Head-no

Two fantastic verbs today:

kapjesi
to nod (kap-YES-ee)

kapnei
to shake ones head (kap-NE-ee)

These words are both awesome for two reasons:

Firstly, what a perfect and to-the-point construction they have!

jesi
to say yes, to assent

nei
to say no, to deny

So coming together with kapo "head", you are simply saying “yes” or “no”, using your head! 🤯

ŝi konsentas, do ŝi kapjesas
she agreed, so she nodded

Secondly, these words seem to reflect the true spirit of how Esperanto spans cultures. No matter what your culture does with their head to indicate “no” or “yes”, these words have you covered! For example… I’ve heard that in Bulgaria for instance they shake their head for “yes” and nod it for “no”. But you always know that kapjesi is to agree with a head gesture!