Questions & Answers about La kaverno estas apud la akvofalo.
Why is la used twice in La kaverno estas apud la akvofalo?
Because la means the, and it is used separately before each noun that is definite.
- la kaverno = the cave
- la akvofalo = the waterfall
In Esperanto, you do not use one la to cover both nouns unless the structure clearly allows it. Here, each noun phrase has its own article.
Also, Esperanto has only a definite article, la. There is no separate word for a or an. So:
- kaverno = a cave or cave
- la kaverno = the cave
What does the -o ending mean in kaverno and akvofalo?
The ending -o marks a noun in Esperanto.
So:
- kavern-o = cave
- akvofal-o = waterfall
This is one of the most basic and regular features of Esperanto grammar:
- -o = noun
- -a = adjective
- -e = adverb
- -i = infinitive verb
A learner can often identify a word’s part of speech just by looking at its ending.
Why is it estas? Does the verb change depending on the subject?