Ne ĵetu ŝtonon en la fonton.

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Breakdown of Ne ĵetu ŝtonon en la fonton.

• ne: not
• en: into
• ĵeti: to throw; roll

Questions & Answers about Ne ĵetu ŝtonon en la fonton.

Why is ĵetu used here? What does the -u ending mean?

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

So:

• ĵeti = to throw
• ĵetu = throw! / should throw / let ... throw

In this sentence, Ne ĵetu ... means Don't throw ...

This is the normal way to make a negative command in Esperanto:

• Ne parolu. = Don't speak.
• Ne kuru. = Don't run.
• Ne ĵetu ŝtonon en la fonton. = Don't throw a stone into the fountain.

Why is ne placed before the verb?

In Esperanto, ne normally goes directly before the thing it negates. In a simple command like this, it comes before the verb:

• Ne ĵetu = don't throw

That is the standard pattern for a negative command.

Compare:

• Ĵetu ĝin. = Throw it.
• Ne ĵetu ĝin. = Don't throw it.

Why does ŝtonon end in -n?