Estas rusto sur parto de la stirilo.

There is rust on part of the handlebar.

Breakdown of Estas rusto sur parto de la stirilo.

• esti: to be
• la: the
• sur: on
• de: of

Questions & Answers about Estas rusto sur parto de la stirilo.

Why does the sentence start with estas? Where is the subject?

This is an existential pattern in Esperanto, like English there is.

• Estas rusto ... = There is rust ...
• There is no separate word for English there in this kind of sentence.
• The thing that exists is rusto, so that is effectively the subject.

So Esperanto often uses:

• Estas libro sur la tablo. = There is a book on the table.
• Estas rusto sur parto de la stirilo. = There is rust on part of the steering wheel.

Why is it rusto and not la rusto?

Esperanto has no indefinite article, so plain rusto can mean rust or some rust, depending on context.

You use la only when the noun is definite and specifically identified.

Here, rusto is being introduced as something present, not as a previously known specific rust spot, so rusto is natural.

Compare:

• Estas rusto sur la pordo. = There is rust on the door.
• La rusto sur la pordo estas malbela. = The rust on the door is ugly.

Why is la used in la stirilo?