La ludilo estas sub la tablo.

to be

Breakdown of La ludilo estas sub la tablo.

• la: the
• tablo: the table
• sub: under

Questions & Answers about La ludilo estas sub la tablo.

Why is la used twice in La ludilo estas sub la tablo?

La is the definite article, like the in English. It does not change for gender, number, or case.

It appears before both ludilo and tablo because both are being treated as definite:

• la ludilo = the toy
• la tablo = the table

So Esperanto uses la separately with each noun, just as English does.

What does ludilo mean literally?

Ludilo is built from smaller parts:

• lud- = play
• -il- = tool or instrument
• -o = noun ending

So ludilo literally means something like a play-thing or a tool for playing, which is why it means toy.

This is very common in Esperanto: words are often built from roots and affixes in a very regular way.

What does estas mean?

Estas is the present-tense form of esti, which means to be.

So:

• mi estas = I am
• vi estas = you are
• ĝi estas = it is

In this sentence, La ludilo estas sub la tablo means The toy is under the table.

A useful point: Esperanto verbs do not change according to the subject. Estas stays estas with all persons.