Questions & Answers about Ŝi lernas sian rolon.
Why is it Ŝi and not Si?
Ŝi is the regular third-person singular pronoun meaning she.
Si is different: it is a reflexive pronoun, and it is not normally used as the subject of a clause. So you say:
- Ŝi lernas... = She is learning...
not:
- Si lernas... ✘
In Esperanto, si is used later in the sentence to refer back to the subject, not as the subject itself.
What does the ending -as in lernas mean?
The ending -as marks the present tense in Esperanto.
So:
- lerni = to learn
- lernas = learns / is learning / am learning / are learning, depending on the subject
In Esperanto, the present tense does not force a distinction like English does between learns and is learning. Context decides that.
Why is it sian and not ŝian?