Ellavu vian buŝon per buŝakvo.

your

Breakdown of Ellavu vian buŝon per buŝakvo.

• per: with
• buŝo: the mouth
• buŝakvo: mouthwash

Questions & Answers about Ellavu vian buŝon per buŝakvo.

What does ellavu mean, and why isn’t it just lavu?

Lavi means to wash.
Adding the prefix el- often gives the idea of out, outward, or thorough removal.

So:

• lavu = wash
• ellavu = wash out, rinse out

In this sentence, ellavu vian buŝon is the natural way to say rinse your mouth or wash out your mouth.

What does the -u ending in ellavu mean?

The ending -u is the Esperanto verb ending for a command, request, or instruction.

Examples:

• Manĝu! = Eat!
• Venu! = Come!
• Ellavu vian buŝon. = Rinse your mouth.

So ellavu is the imperative/jussive form of ellavi.

Why does buŝon end in -n?

The -n marks the direct object.

In this sentence, the thing being rinsed is your mouth, so buŝo becomes buŝon.

• buŝo = mouth
• buŝon = mouth as the direct object

Esperanto uses -n very regularly for direct objects, even when English does not show any special ending.