Ni akiris novan aparaton.

• Ni = we
• akiris = acquired / obtained / got
• novan = new in the accusative form
• aparaton = device / apparatus in the accusative form

So the sentence is built very literally as We acquired a new device.

In Esperanto, -is marks the past tense for verbs. That means akiris is the past form of akiri, meaning to acquire / to obtain.

Some useful comparisons:

• akiras = acquires / are acquiring
• akiris = acquired
• akiros = will acquire

So Ni akiris means we acquired or we got.

The ending -n is the accusative ending in Esperanto. It usually marks the direct object of the verb.

In this sentence, the thing that we acquired is novan aparaton.

Both words take -n because:

• aparaton is the noun receiving the action
• novan is an adjective describing that noun, so it must agree with it

This is an important Esperanto rule: adjectives match the nouns they describe in both:

• number
• case

So:

• nova aparato = a new device
• novan aparaton = a new device as the direct object

Their dictionary forms are:

• nova = new
• aparato = device, apparatus

Then Esperanto adds endings depending on grammar:

• nova aparato = a new device
• novan aparaton = a new device as object
• novaj aparatoj = new devices
• novajn aparatojn = new devices as objects

This regular system is one of the easiest parts of Esperanto grammar.

It can often mean either, depending on context.

Akiri usually means:

• to acquire
• to obtain
• sometimes more naturally in English, to get

So Ni akiris novan aparaton could be translated naturally as:

• We acquired a new device
• We got a new device

The exact English wording depends on style and context. Esperanto akiri is often a bit more formal than casual English get, but in many situations both translations are fine.

Esperanto has no indefinite article. English uses a or an, but Esperanto simply does not.

So:

• aparato can mean a device or device, depending on context
• la aparato means the device

That means:

• Ni akiris novan aparaton = We acquired a new device
• Ni akiris la novan aparaton = We acquired the new device

Yes, Esperanto word order is fairly flexible because the -n ending helps show what the object is.

The normal order here is:

• Ni akiris novan aparaton

But you could also say:

• Novan aparaton ni akiris

That puts extra emphasis on novan aparaton.

Even with changed word order, the -n tells you that novan aparaton is still the object. However, the standard subject–verb–object order is usually the easiest and most natural for learners.

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

So:

• mi akiris = I acquired
• vi akiris = you acquired
• li akiris = he acquired
• ni akiris = we acquired

Because the verb stays the same, the subject pronoun is usually needed to show who did the action.

In Esperanto, adjectives usually come before the noun they describe, just like in English, and they also match the noun in form.

Here:

• novan is an adjective
• aparaton is a noun

They both have:

• singular meaning
• accusative -n

That matching tells you they belong together as a phrase: novan aparaton = a new device.

Esperanto pronunciation is very regular. aparaton is pronounced roughly:

ah-pah-RA-ton

A breakdown:

• a as in father
• p
• a
• r
• a
• t
• o
• n

The stress in Esperanto normally falls on the second-to-last syllable, so here the stress is on RA:

• a-pa-RA-ton

Usually no. Akiri means to acquire / obtain / get, not specifically to earn through effort or merit.

If you want the idea of earn, Esperanto would often use a different verb depending on context, such as:

• gajni = to win, gain
• meriti = to deserve

So Ni akiris novan aparaton most naturally means that we came into possession of a new device, not that we specifically earned it.