When an adjective belongs inside an accusative noun phrase, it takes the accusative ending -n along with the noun: novan libron, novajn librojn. The crucial question is not “Is there an object somewhere nearby?” but “Is this adjective part of the object phrase?” That distinction also explains why a predicative adjective describing an object normally has no -n.
Building -an and -ajn
Every ordinary adjective begins with the category ending -a. Number -j comes next, and accusative -n comes last.
| Number and case | Adjective | Example phrase |
|---|---|---|
| singular, non-accusative | freŝa | freŝa pano |
| plural, non-accusative | freŝaj | freŝaj panoj |
| singular, accusative | freŝan | freŝan panon |
| plural, accusative | freŝajn | freŝajn panojn |
This -a-j-n order is fixed. The Fundamento states that adjectives take number and case like nouns; modern standard usage consistently applies that rule throughout the noun phrase.
Mi preparis varman supon por la infanoj.
I prepared hot soup for the children.
Ni mendis du grandajn picojn, sed ili alportis nur unu.
We ordered two large pizzas, but they brought only one.
Ĉu vi trovis miajn rezervajn ŝlosilojn?
Did you find my spare keys?
In the last example, miajn and rezervajn both belong to the direct-object phrase miajn rezervajn ŝlosilojn. Agreement applies to each modifier, not just the word immediately beside the noun.
Position does not cancel agreement
An attributive adjective can stand before or after its noun. If it remains part of an accusative noun phrase, it still takes -n.
Ŝi serĉas loĝejon trankvilan kaj ne tro multekostan.
She is looking for an apartment that is quiet and not too expensive.
La kuracisto rekomendis promenojn mallongajn sed regulajn.
The doctor recommended short but regular walks.
The later position can give the description extra weight, but trankvilan, multekostan, mallongajn, and regulajn still belong directly to their object phrases. Adjective position is flexible; phrase membership controls the ending.
The decisive contrast: object modifier or object predicate?
Compare two superficially similar sentences:
Ni farbis la ruĝan pordon.
We painted the red door.
Ni farbis la pordon ruĝa.
We painted the door red.
In la ruĝan pordon, “red” identifies which door was painted. The adjective is attributive, inside the direct object, so it takes -n. In la pordon ruĝa, “red” is the resulting state produced by the painting. It is an object predicative, outside the noun phrase, so it normally has no -n.
This is a grammatical difference with a real difference in meaning. English uses word order to distinguish “paint the red door” from “paint the door red.” Esperanto uses both position and endings, making the structure more visible.
Mi trovis la ĉambron malplena kaj la fenestron malfermita.
I found the room empty and the window open.
La novaĵo lasis nin senparolaj.
The news left us speechless.
In the second example, nin is plural and accusative, while senparolaj is plural but not accusative: it describes the state of “us.” Number agreement remains; predicative function blocks ordinary accusative agreement.
Predicates about the subject also lack -n
After linking verbs such as esti, fariĝi, resti, and ŝajni, an adjective describes the subject. A subject is not accusative, so the adjective has no -n.
La teo estas tro varma; atendu kelkajn minutojn.
The tea is too hot; wait a few minutes.
La stratoj fariĝis glitigaj post la neĝo.
The streets became slippery after the snow.
Do not add -n merely because an English translation contains “it” or because an adjective appears late in the sentence. Esperanto case follows syntactic role.
Prepositional phrases are different from direct objects
A noun phrase after an ordinary preposition does not receive object -n, and neither do its adjectives. Directional -n and special measure constructions are separate uses covered in the accusative overview; they do not change the agreement principle.
Mi parolis kun la nova instruisto post la leciono.
I spoke with the new teacher after the lesson.
La infanoj ludis en la granda ĝardeno.
The children played in the large garden.
English speakers sometimes see that the teacher or garden follows a verb and treat it as an object. The prepositions kun and en govern these phrases, so no accusative marker is needed here.
When the noun is understood rather than spoken
If context allows the noun to be omitted, its adjective carries the phrase's number and case. This is sometimes called substantivized or independent use, but the word still has adjective endings.
Mi ne volas la flavan tason; donu al mi la bluan.
I don't want the yellow cup; give me the blue one.
Kiujn dosierojn mi forigu? — Nur la malnovajn.
Which files should I delete? — Only the old ones.
La bluan stands for la bluan tason, and la malnovajn stands for la malnovajn dosierojn. The noun's absence does not make the object role disappear.
Accepted variation with object predicatives
The regular structural analysis gives an adjective no -n when it clearly expresses an object's state or result: Mi trovis la ovojn malmolaj (“I found that the eggs were hard-boiled”). An accusative form can also occur when the adjective presents an independently existing state—roughly, “when they were hard-boiled”—rather than a result caused by the verb. With preference verbs, PMEG notes examples such as Mi ŝatas la ovojn malmolaj(n), where the practical difference may disappear. This is limited variation, not free alternation in every object-predicative construction.
The pedagogical recommendation is precise: use no -n when you intend a clear result or state, particularly in contrasts such as farbi la pordon ruĝa. Use -n when the adjective selects or identifies the object, as in farbi la ruĝan pordon. This preserves the useful distinction and avoids genuine ambiguity.
La patrino kuiris la ovojn malmolaj, ĉar la infanoj preferas ilin tiel.
The mother cooked the eggs hard-boiled because the children prefer them that way.
Common Mistakes
Marking only the noun
❌ Mi legis interesa artikolon pri artefarita inteligenteco.
Incorrect — interesa belongs to the accusative object phrase.
✅ Mi legis interesan artikolon pri artefarita inteligenteco.
I read an interesting article about artificial intelligence.
Forgetting one adjective in a plural object
❌ Ni vizitis plurajn malnova kastelojn.
Incorrect — malnova lacks both plural and accusative agreement.
✅ Ni vizitis plurajn malnovajn kastelojn.
We visited several old castles.
Adding -n to a result adjective
❌ Ili farbis la murojn blankajn.
Wrong for the intended contrast ‘They painted the walls white’; blankajn can attach to murojn as an attributive modifier.
✅ Ili farbis la murojn blankaj.
They painted the walls white.
Treating a prepositional phrase as a direct object
❌ Mi vojaĝis kun bonan amikon.
Incorrect — the phrase is governed by kun, not marked as a direct object.
✅ Mi vojaĝis kun bona amiko.
I traveled with a good friend.
Key Takeaways
- Inside an accusative noun phrase, adjectives copy -n; plural accusative adjectives end in -ajn.
- All agreeing modifiers in the phrase are marked, regardless of position.
- An object predicative normally keeps number agreement but does not take accusative -n.
- An adjective standing for an omitted object noun still carries -n.
- The endings reveal scope: la ruĝan pordon identifies a red door, while la pordon ruĝa expresses the resulting color.
Related Topics
- Adjective Agreement in NumberA1 — Learn why Esperanto adjectives take -j when they describe plural people or things, in both noun phrases and predicates.
- Attributive and Predicative AdjectivesA2 — Distinguish adjectives inside noun phrases from adjectives that assert a subject's or object's state, and choose agreement endings accordingly.
- The Accusative -N: OverviewA1 — Understand how Esperanto uses final -n to mark direct objects, direction, time, and measurement without relying on word order.
- Direct ObjectsA1 — Learn which Esperanto verb complements are direct objects, how -n marks them, and how object marking remains stable when word order changes.
- Predicative Complements and the AccusativeB1 — Distinguish Esperanto predicative complements from accusative objects and attributive modifiers, especially in clauses that describe an object.