It's another one of those "I'm not sure of the distinction" things.

My impressions are as follows:

aperi: to physically appear, cf Gerda Malaperis, to disappear

aspekti: to look like

ŝajni: to seem to be, to seem nice

Right? Close? So far off that I can't see the right meanings with a telescope?

Consuming passively, it's usually clear from context, but I would like to be able to confidently produce them too! Any help v welcome

Seems right to me

flootzavut:It's another one of those "I'm not sure of the distinction" things.

My impressions are as follows:

aperi: to physically appear, cf Gerda Malaperis, to disappear

aspekti: to look like

ŝajni: to seem to be, to seem nice

Right? Close? So far off that I can't see the right meanings with a telescope?

Consuming passively, it's usually clear from context, but I would like to be able to confidently produce them too! Any help v welcome

Looks good to me... When I write anything, I like to use Vortaro.net. It's very complete and you can use your lernu password to register. There's also the Reta Vortaro.

Of course, since Esperanto is a language and not mathematics, the user is free to avail himself or herself of poetic license and use words like this somewhat in an overlapping fashion. The same goes for klopodi, provi, strebi or devi/bezoni + verb. The human mind is above all creative. If we were to take three completely homogeneous groups of say thirty people each and transport them to three like but geographically separated areas, within but a decade one would find three distinct cultures. That is the "condition humaine" that which makes us so unique in the world. We not only have physical evolution but also cultural evolution to an extent that is not found with any other species yet known. So enjoy Esperanto, create with it. Use it as though it were a palette of colors and dabble, smear the words together on your canvass. Use your fingers (your daily experiences)and leave your personal hand imprint, just as humans did millenniums ago on cave ceilings. YOU are the artist, Esperanto is your medium. Your world is the model. KREU!! (Create!)
PS I speak, read, write and understand appr. 10 languages, three on a native-speaker level. Of all the languages I know or have studied, Esperanto is the most exciting, accepting and forgiving. It is Newland. It's landscape is yet vaguely chartered but filling it with gardens and details is a work yet before us. Yes, it is an accepting language - not stringent or scolding. Esperanto is a fertile soil that only has begun to be tilled and shaped. Ours is the challenge to use all of the tools it gives us to make things grow on it. We are so lucky to have it.

Your enthusiasm is wonderful, Robb

I am glad my understanding is more or less there, it's fun to create but it's also nice to be understood

I'll definitely check out Vortaro.net and Reta Vortaro, too!