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.

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.

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.

Sub is a preposition meaning under or below.

So:

• sub la tablo = under the table

Prepositions in Esperanto are straightforward and do not change form.

Because this sentence describes location, not movement.

• sub la tablo = under the table, in a position there
• sub la tablon = to under the table, moving into that position

So:

• La ludilo estas sub la tablo. = The toy is under the table.
• Mi metas la ludilon sub la tablon. = I put the toy under the table.

This is a very important Esperanto pattern: the -n ending can show direction toward a place.

In Esperanto, nouns normally end in -o.

So:

• ludilo = toy
• tablo = table

This makes it easy to recognize nouns. If you see a word ending in -o, it is usually a noun.

Not completely. Esperanto word order is fairly flexible, although subject + verb + complement is the most common and neutral pattern.

So La ludilo estas sub la tablo is the most natural basic order.

You could also say:

• Sub la tablo estas la ludilo.

That puts more emphasis on under the table.

Because Esperanto marks grammar clearly, word order can be moved around more freely than in English.

In Esperanto, the verb does not change depending on the subject.

English has:

• I am
• you are
• it is

Esperanto just uses:

• mi estas
• vi estas
• ĝi estas

So estas can mean am, is, or are, depending on the subject.

To make a noun plural in Esperanto, add -j.

Examples:

• ludilo = toy
• ludiloj = toys

So:

• La ludiloj estas sub la tablo. = The toys are under the table.

If there were more than one table:

• La ludilo estas sub la tabloj. = The toy is under the tables.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

lah loo-DEE-lo EH-stahs soob lah TAH-blo

A few helpful points:

• u sounds like oo
• e is like e in bet, but often a little clearer
• a is like a in father
• stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable

So:

• lu-DI-lo
• ES-tas
• TA-blo

No. Esperanto nouns are not automatically masculine or feminine the way they are in some languages.

So:

• ludilo is just toy
• tablo is just table

And la also stays the same for everything. There is no separate word for the based on gender.

That is one reason Esperanto grammar often feels simpler to learners.