Questions & Answers about Sendu vian vivresumon hodiaŭ.
Why does sendu end in -u?
In Esperanto, -u is the verb ending used for a command, request, suggestion, or instruction. It is often called the imperative or volitive form.
So:
- sendi = to send
- sendu = send! / please send / let ... send
In this sentence, sendu is telling someone to do something.
Where is the subject? I don’t see a word for you.
In Esperanto, commands often leave out the subject, just like in English.
Compare:
- English: Send your résumé today.
- Esperanto: Sendu vian vivresumon hodiaŭ.
The subject is understood to be vi = you.
If you wanted, you could say Vi sendu..., but that is usually unnecessary and can sound more emphatic.
Why do vian and vivresumon both end in -n?
The ending -n marks the direct object in Esperanto.
Here, the thing being sent is vian vivresumon, so that whole noun phrase is the direct object.
Breakdown:
- vivresumo = résumé / CV
- vivresumon = résumé / CV as a direct object
- via = your
- vian = your, agreeing with a direct object noun
So both words get the appropriate endings because adjectives agree with the nouns they describe.
Why is it vian, not via?
Because via is an adjective-like possessive word, and in Esperanto such words agree with the noun they modify.
Since vivresumon has:
- -o for noun
- -n for direct object
the possessive must match the -n as well:
- via vivresumo = your résumé
- vian vivresumon = your résumé (as object)
This agreement is very regular in Esperanto.
Is vivresumo really one word? How is it built?
Yes, it is a normal Esperanto compound word.
It is made from:
- viv- = life
- resum- = summarize / summary
- -o = noun ending
So vivresumo literally means something like life-summary, which is the Esperanto word for résumé/CV.
Then in the sentence:
- vivresumo
- -n = vivresumon
Compounds are very common in Esperanto, and they are usually easy to understand once you know the parts.
What part of speech is hodiaŭ?
Hodiaŭ is an adverb of time, meaning today.
It tells when the action happens:
- Sendu vian vivresumon hodiaŭ. = Send your résumé today.
Unlike nouns, adjectives, and many adverbs, hodiaŭ is a basic word and does not need a special ending added here.
Can the word order be changed?
Yes. Esperanto word order is fairly flexible because the -n ending shows the direct object clearly.
The most neutral order here is:
- Sendu vian vivresumon hodiaŭ.
But these are also possible:
- Hodiaŭ sendu vian vivresumon.
- Vian vivresumon sendu hodiaŭ.
Changing the order usually changes emphasis, not the basic meaning.
For example:
- Hodiaŭ at the front emphasizes today
- Vian vivresumon at the front emphasizes your résumé
Does sendu sound rude, like a harsh command?
Not necessarily. The -u form simply gives an instruction or request. Whether it sounds strict, polite, friendly, or official depends on the context.
For example, in a job ad or formal instruction, Sendu vian vivresumon hodiaŭ sounds natural and direct.
If you want to make it more explicitly polite, Esperanto often uses bonvolu:
- Bonvolu sendi vian vivresumon hodiaŭ. = Please send your résumé today.
So sendu is not automatically rude; it is just the normal command/request form.
How is hodiaŭ pronounced, and what does the ŭ do?
The word hodiaŭ is pronounced approximately ho-di-aŭ.
The letter ŭ in Esperanto is a semivowel, somewhat like the w sound in English, and it appears mainly in diphthongs such as:
- aŭ
- eŭ
So in hodiaŭ, the ending aŭ sounds somewhat like the end of now, though not exactly identical to English pronunciation.
This is one of the few places where Esperanto spelling may look unusual to English speakers, but it is very consistent once learned.
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