Metu la kolumon sur la hundon.

Metu is the -u form of the verb meti, which means to put, to place, or to set.

The -u ending is used for:

• commands
• requests
• suggestions
• wishes

So Metu la kolumon sur la hundon means something like Put the collar onto the dog.

In English we often call this an imperative, but in Esperanto the -u form is a bit broader than just strict commands.

The -n marks the direct object.

Here:

• meti = to put
• what is being put? → la kolumo = the collar

Because the collar is the thing being acted on, it becomes:

• la kolumon

This is the normal accusative ending in Esperanto.

Yes, and this is a very common learner question.

Normally, a preposition like sur is followed by a noun without -n when it just shows location:

• sur la hundo = on the dog

But Esperanto often uses -n after a preposition to show movement toward a place or position.

So:

• sur la hundo = on the dog, located there
• sur la hundon = onto the dog, moving onto it

In this sentence, the collar is being moved onto the dog, so sur la hundon is correct.

The difference is:

• sur la hundo = a location, no movement
• sur la hundon = movement onto that location

Compare:

• La kolumo estas sur la hundo. = The collar is on the dog.
• Metu la kolumon sur la hundon. = Put the collar onto the dog.

This location-vs-motion contrast is very important in Esperanto.

Because there are two separate nouns, and both are definite:

• la kolumon = the collar
• la hundon = the dog

Esperanto uses la much like English the. If both nouns are specific, both can take la.

So the sentence is talking about:

• a particular collar
• a particular dog

Yes, the word order can change in Esperanto more freely than in English, because the endings show the grammar.

So all of these are possible:

• Metu la kolumon sur la hundon.
• Metu sur la hundon la kolumon.

The most neutral version is usually the one you were given:

• Metu la kolumon sur la hundon.

Because la kolumon has -n, we know it is the direct object even if the order changes.

In English, put on is a phrasal verb. Esperanto usually does not work that way.

Instead, Esperanto often uses:

• a basic verb
• plus a preposition

So:

• meti = put
• sur = on / onto

Together:

• meti sur la hundon = put onto the dog

This is very normal Esperanto structure.

Yes. Kolumo means collar.

Depending on context, it can mean:

• the collar of a shirt
• an animal collar

In this sentence, because it says sur la hundon, it clearly means an animal collar.

Grammatically, sur la hundon literally means onto the dog, so yes, taken very literally it could sound like putting something onto the dog’s body.

But in normal context, with kolumo, the intended meaning is naturally Put the collar on the dog.

Languages often rely on context for ordinary actions like this. A native or fluent speaker would understand the practical meaning.

A simple guide:

• Metu → MEH-too
• la → lah
• kolumon → koh-LOO-mon
• sur → soor
• la → lah
• hundon → HOON-don

A few useful pronunciation points:

• Esperanto stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable
• u sounds like oo
• h is always pronounced
• each vowel is pronounced clearly

So the stress pattern is:

• ME-tu
• ko-LU-mon
• HUN-don

No. The -u form itself does not show singular or plural.

So metu can mean:

• put! said to one person
• put! said to several people
• even a softer please put depending on tone and context

If you want, you can add a subject for clarity:

• Vi metu la kolumon sur la hundon. = You put the collar on the dog.

But in commands, the subject is often omitted.

Yes, you could say that if you want to be more explicit:

• Metu la kolumon sur la kolon de la hundo.

That means literally:

• Put the collar onto the neck of the dog.

This is more explicit, but also less natural in an ordinary situation.
The shorter sentence Metu la kolumon sur la hundon is usually enough because everyone knows where a collar goes.