La pumpilo estas apud la rado.

to be

Breakdown of La pumpilo estas apud la rado.

• la: the
• apud: next to
• rado: the wheel

Questions & Answers about La pumpilo estas apud la rado.

What does la mean in this sentence?

La is the definite article, equivalent to English the. Esperanto has only one definite article, and it never changes for gender, number, or case. So both la pumpilo and la rado mean the pump and the wheel.

Why does pumpilo end in -o?

In Esperanto, nouns normally end in -o. So pumpilo is a noun. This is one of the most basic and regular features of Esperanto grammar.

What does the middle part -il- in pumpilo mean?

The suffix -il- usually means tool, instrument, or device used for doing something.
So:

• pumpi = to pump
• pumpilo = a pump, a device for pumping

This is very common in Esperanto word-building and helps learners recognize meaning quickly.

Why is the sentence using estas?