Metu la ludtabulon sur la tablon.

Because metu is the volitive form in Esperanto. It is used for commands, requests, instructions, or wishes.

• meti = to put
• metas = puts / is putting
• metu = put! / let ... put

So Metu la ludtabulon sur la tablon means Put the game board onto the table.

This -u ending is the normal way to give an instruction in Esperanto.

The base verb is meti, meaning to put or to place.

Esperanto verbs change by ending:

• meti = infinitive, to put
• metas = present, puts / is putting
• metis = past, put
• metos = future, will put
• metu = command / wish, put!
• metus = conditional, would put

So metu comes directly from meti.

They end in -n for two different reasons.

1. la ludtabulon has -n because it is the direct object of metu.
   You are putting the game board.

2. sur la tablon has -n because it shows direction toward a place.
   It means onto the table, not just on the table.

So in this sentence:

• la ludtabulon = what is being put
• sur la tablon = where it is being moved to

This is a very common pattern in Esperanto.

This is an important Esperanto distinction:

• sur la tablo = on the table
  This describes a position or location.

• sur la tablon = onto the table
  This shows movement toward that position.

In your sentence, the board is being moved to the table, so sur la tablon is correct.

Compare:

• La libro estas sur la tablo. = The book is on the table.
• Metu la libron sur la tablon. = Put the book onto the table.

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

• la ludtabulon = the game board
• la tablon = the table

In Esperanto, if both nouns are definite, each one normally gets its own la.

You do not use one la to cover both nouns.

It is a compound word:

• ludo = game
• tabulo = board, panel

So ludtabulo literally means game-board, or more naturally game board.

This kind of word-building is very common in Esperanto. You can often understand a word by breaking it into parts.

Both patterns are possible in Esperanto, but they are not exactly the same in feel.

• ludtabulo = a compound noun, game board
• luda tabulo = play/game-related board or board for games

The compound ludtabulo is the more natural, fixed-word way to say game board.

Esperanto often prefers compact compounds when the idea is a single object.

Sometimes yes, but it changes the meaning.

• Metu ludtabulon sur tablon would sound like Put a game board onto a table.
• Metu la ludtabulon sur la tablon means Put the game board onto the table.

If the speaker and listener already know which board and which table are meant, la is natural.

In instructions, la is often used when the objects are specific and already understood from the situation.

The normal word order here is very natural:

• Metu la ludtabulon sur la tablon.

Because Esperanto has case marking, the word order is somewhat flexible. For example, you could also say:

• Sur la tablon metu la ludtabulon.

That version puts more emphasis on onto the table.

Still, for a learner, the original order is the clearest and most standard.

Because meti is a transitive verb, and the thing directly affected by the verb takes -n as the direct object.

So in:

• Metu la ludtabulon ...

the game board is what you are putting.

Then sur la tablon tells you the destination.

A helpful way to read the sentence is:

• Put
• what? → the game board
• where to? → onto the table

In Esperanto, stress is always on the second-to-last syllable of each word.

So:

• ME-tu
• la
• lud-ta-BU-lon
• sur
• la
• TA-blon

That makes the full sentence sound roughly like:

ME-tu la lud-ta-BU-lon sur la TA-blon

This regular stress pattern is one of the easiest features of Esperanto pronunciation.

No, but it is a very natural one.

Some related verbs are:

• meti = to put, place
• loki = to place, locate
• aranĝi = to arrange
• demeti = to put down, set down
• starigi = to stand something upright

For a simple instruction like this, meti is probably the most neutral and common choice.

Usually it means on, upon, or onto, depending on context.

The difference often comes from whether there is -n after the noun:

• sur la tablo = on the table
• sur la tablon = onto the table

So sur itself does not change, but the noun after it helps show whether it is location or movement.