After a spatial preposition such as en, sur, sub, antaŭ, malantaŭ, apud, or inter, use no -n for a location where something is or where an action happens. Add directional -n when the event causes something to enter that spatial relation: into, onto, under, in front of, beside, or between.
The choice is about the endpoint, not simply about whether the verb expresses motion. This single insight solves most cases.
The quick decision
- Does the phrase answer kie?—where is it, or where does the action occur? Use the static form without -n.
- Does it answer kien?—to what resulting position does something move? Add -n to the noun phrase and its agreeing modifiers.
- Does the preposition already express direction, such as al, el, de, ĝis, or path tra? Do not add directional -n.
- Is the movement away from a place? Use el/de, because directional -n marks movement toward a resulting location, never movement away.
For the underlying rule, see direction toward a place.
Static: the event stays within the stated location
La najbaraj infanoj posttagmeze ludas en la komuna korto.
The neighborhood children play in the shared courtyard in the afternoon.
The children may run constantly, but their play occurs within the courtyard. En la komuna korto answers kie?, so there is no directional -n.
La taso staras sur la breto apud la fenestro.
The cup is on the shelf beside the window.
Both phrases describe positions: on the shelf and beside the window.
La kato dormis sub la tablo dum la tuta vespero.
The cat slept under the table all evening.
No change into the “under” relation occurs. The phrase locates the sleeping.
Directional: the endpoint creates a new relation
La infanoj kuris en la ĝardenon kiam ĉesis pluvi.
The children ran into the garden when it stopped raining.
They begin outside and end inside. En la ĝardenon answers kien? and expresses attainment of the inside position.
Metu la tason sur la breton apud la fenestro.
Put the cup onto the shelf beside the window.
Sur la breton is the new position produced by metu. Apud la fenestro remains static because it locates the shelf; nothing moves into a new relation to the window.
La timigita kato kuris sub la liton kaj restis tie.
The frightened cat ran under the bed and stayed there.
The first clause gives movement to the position under the bed; tie confirms the resulting location.
Directional -n is carried by the whole noun phrase:
Ni movis la pezajn skatolojn en la malgrandan stokejon.
We moved the heavy boxes into the small storeroom.
La malgrandan stokejon has -n on adjective and noun. That ending is directional, not object marking; the direct object is la pezajn skatolojn.
Minimal contrasts reveal the intended scene
La hundo saltis sur la sofo.
The dog jumped while it was on the sofa.
La hundo saltis sur la sofon.
The dog jumped onto the sofa.
The same verb and preposition produce different scenes. In the first, the sofa is the platform where jumping happens. In the second, the jump ends on the sofa.
Ŝi promenis inter la budoj.
She walked among the stalls.
Ŝi iris inter la budojn por rigardi la manfaritaĵojn.
She went in among the stalls to look at the handicrafts.
The first describes the path area; the second highlights entering the space between the stalls. English may use among for both, so translating the preposition alone cannot decide the ending.
Placement verbs normally need an endpoint
Verbs such as meti, demeti, pendigi, ĵeti, puŝi, and sidigi often cause a thing to acquire a new location. Their destination phrase therefore commonly has directional -n.
Ŝi pendigis la jakon malantaŭ la pordon.
She hung the jacket behind the door.
Bonvolu puŝi la seĝon apud la muron.
Please push the chair next to the wall.
English behind and next to do not visibly distinguish position from destination, but Esperanto does. Compare the resulting states: la jako estas malantaŭ la pordo and la seĝo estas apud la muro.
— Kien mi metu la pakaĵon? — Metu ĝin antaŭ la akceptejon.
— Where should I put the package? — Put it in front of the reception desk.
English asks where both for a position and for a destination. Esperanto makes the distinction visible: kie mi metu ĝin? would conflict with the endpoint intended by meti, while kien mi metu ĝin? asks for the new position.
Do not add -n after an already directional preposition
Al already means toward a target; ĝis marks an endpoint boundary; el and de mark origin; tra marks a path through. Their complements do not receive directional -n.
Ni veturos al la marbordo post la matenmanĝo.
We will travel to the coast after breakfast.
La grupo marŝis ĝis la malnova ponto kaj poste revenis tra la vilaĝo.
The group walked as far as the old bridge and then returned through the village.
La infano elkuris el la klasĉambro al la korto.
The child ran out of the classroom into the courtyard.
El supplies movement away; al supplies movement toward. Adding -n to their complements would duplicate direction incorrectly.
Directional -n never means “out of.” Use el la domo, not a directional form of en la domo, when the starting interior is relevant.
Motion versus endpoint is the real contrast
Do not inspect the verb in isolation. Kuri, flugi, naĝi, veturi, and promeni can all occur with either static or directional phrases.
La birdo flugis super la lago dum kelkaj minutoj.
The bird flew above the lake for several minutes.
La birdo flugis super la lagon kaj malaperis malantaŭ la arboj.
The bird flew to a position over the lake and disappeared behind the trees.
The first places the flight above the lake. The second presents the lake's airspace as a reached destination. The directional reading is more context-dependent, so add a fuller verb or al if readers might not recover it.
Bounded overlap and style
With weak placement metaphors, writers may differ in how strongly they construe a destination. Skribi sur la papero normally treats the paper as the surface where writing occurs. Skribi ion sur la paperon can foreground putting the words onto that surface. Both analyses are established in suitable contexts; choose the one matching your mental scene.
Bare directional -n without a preposition occurs historically with place names: veturi Parizon “travel to Paris.” It is foundationally possible but now rare and nearly (archaic) in neutral prose; veturi al Parizo is the pedagogically recommended modern choice. This is a style preference, not permission to say forms such as meti la seĝon la salonon.
Corpus examples show real variation at the edges, but the central opposition—static location versus attained relation—is stable.
Follow the moved participant, not the nearest noun
In a sentence with several place phrases, only the phrase that expresses the new relation takes directional -n. Other phrases may simply locate the destination or the whole event.
Ŝi portis la dosierojn en la oficejon apud la lifto.
She carried the files into the office next to the elevator.
The files enter la oficejon, so that phrase is directional. The office itself is already beside la lifto; apud la lifto merely identifies which office and remains static.
Ni starigis la biciklojn sub la ŝirmejon ĉe la stacidomo.
We placed the bicycles under the shelter at the station.
Sub la ŝirmejon is the attained position of the bicycles. Ĉe la stacidomo locates the shelter and does not describe movement toward the station. This phrase-by-phrase analysis prevents the common habit of adding -n to every location after a placement verb.
Common Mistakes
Adding -n merely because the verb moves
❌ Ni promenis en la parkon dum du horoj.
Wrong if the whole walk took place inside the park — the form says movement into it.
✅ Ni promenis en la parko dum du horoj.
We walked in the park for two hours.
Omitting -n from a destination
❌ Ŝi metis la dokumentojn sur la skribotablo.
Incorrect for putting them onto the desk — the phrase is a destination.
✅ Ŝi metis la dokumentojn sur la skribotablon.
She put the documents onto the desk.
Adding directional -n after al
❌ Ni iris al la nova oficejon.
Incorrect — al already marks direction.
✅ Ni iris al la nova oficejo.
We went to the new office.
Using directional -n for movement away
❌ La kato saltis en la fenestron por iri eksteren.
Wrong if the cat jumped out of the window — en ... -n marks movement toward/into.
✅ La kato elsaltis tra la fenestro.
The cat jumped out through the window.
Key Takeaways
Use a static prepositional phrase for where an entity is or an action occurs. Add directional -n when movement ends in the stated spatial relation. Motion alone is not enough, movement away uses el/de, and prepositions such as al and ĝis already mark direction without -n.
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Start learning Esperanto →Related Topics
- Direction toward a PlaceA1 — Use directional -n to distinguish movement into or onto a place from movement or position within it.
- Prepositions with Optional Directional -NA1 — Learn when local Esperanto prepositions combine with directional -n, when they describe a static location, and where accepted variation reflects different viewpoints.
- Direction with Spatial AdverbsA1 — Learn how -n turns place adverbs and place correlatives into expressions of movement toward a destination.
- EnB1 — Use en for location within a place, period, or state, and add directional -n when something enters a new interior or result.
- SurB2 — Use sur for significant surface contact, support or attachment, movement onto a surface, and related abstract effects and burdens.
- AlA2 — Use al for movement toward a goal, recipients, orientation, and abstract targets without adding an unnecessary accusative ending.