Breakdown of Ĉiufoje, kiam mi surprovas la jakon, la maniko ŝajnas loza.
mi
I
la
the
kiam
when
jako
the jacket
Questions & Answers about Ĉiufoje, kiam mi surprovas la jakon, la maniko ŝajnas loza.
What does ĉiufoje mean, and how is it built?
Ĉiufoje means every time.
It is made from:
- ĉiu = every, each
- foje = time, occasion, instance
So literally it is something like on every occasion.
You may also see it written as ĉiu fojo in other contexts, but ĉiufoje is a very common adverbial form meaning every time.
Why is there a comma after ĉiufoje?
The comma separates the main idea from the kiam clause:
- Ĉiufoje = every time
- kiam mi surprovas la jakon = when I try on the jacket
So the sentence is structured like:
- Every time, when I try on the jacket, ...
In natural English we usually say Every time I try on the jacket..., but Esperanto often uses clear punctuation around inserted subordinate clauses.
What does kiam do here?
Kiam means when.
Here it introduces a time clause:
- kiam mi surprovas la jakon = when I try on the jacket
So ĉiufoje, kiam... means every time when..., or more naturally in English, every time that...
What does surprovas mean?