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Questions & Answers about Estas via ludvico.
Why does the sentence begin with estas instead of something like ĝi estas?
In Esperanto, you often do not need a dummy subject like English it.
So where English says It is your turn, Esperanto can simply say Estas via ludvico.
This is especially common in expressions about time, weather, turns, and general states, where English uses it but Esperanto does not need to.
What does via mean here, and what kind of word is it?
Via means your.
It is a possessive pronoun/adjective formed from vi (you). It works like an adjective before a noun:
- via libro = your book
- via vico = your turn
Like adjectives, possessives can also take -j and -n when needed:
- viaj libroj = your books
- vian libron = your book (as a direct object)
- viajn librojn = your books (as direct objects)
In Estas via ludvico, via modifies ludvico.
What does ludvico mean literally?