Tuj kiam la transpago alvenos, mi kontrolos la saldon.

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Breakdown of Tuj kiam la transpago alvenos, mi kontrolos la saldon.

• la: the
• kiam: when
• alveni: to arrive

Questions & Answers about Tuj kiam la transpago alvenos, mi kontrolos la saldon.

What does tuj kiam mean exactly?

Tuj kiam is a set phrase meaning as soon as.

• tuj = immediately, right away
• kiam = when

So together, they introduce an event that happens immediately after another one. It is very natural Esperanto.

A few similar expressions are:

• kiam = when
• post kiam = after
• antaŭ ol = before
• tuj kiam = as soon as

Why does Esperanto use alvenos after kiam? In English we usually say when it arrives, not when it will arrive.

This is a very common question for English speakers.

In Esperanto, it is normal to use the future ending -os in a subordinate clause if the action is genuinely in the future.

So:

• Tuj kiam la transpago alvenos... = As soon as the transfer arrives...
• ...mi kontrolos la saldon. = ...I will check the balance.

English avoids will after when/as soon as, but Esperanto does not have to follow that rule. Esperanto looks more directly at the time of the action: if it is future, -os is perfectly natural.

So the future is shown in both clauses because both events are in the future.

Could you also say Tuj kiam la transpago alvenas, mi kontrolos la saldon?