Questions & Answers about Ĵurnalisto parolas kun la konsulo.
Why does ĵurnalisto end in -o?
In Esperanto, nouns normally end in -o. So ĵurnalisto is a noun meaning journalist.
You can often spot parts of the word too:
- ĵurnal- = journal / newspaper-related idea
- -ist- = a person զբաղվող with a profession, activity, or ideology
- -o = noun ending
So ĵurnalisto means a journalist.
What does parolas mean, and why does it end in -as?
Parolas means speaks or is speaking.
The ending -as is the present-tense verb ending in Esperanto. It is used for all subjects:
- mi parolas = I speak / am speaking
- vi parolas = you speak / are speaking
- li parolas = he speaks / is speaking
- ili parolas = they speak / are speaking
Unlike English, the verb does not change depending on the subject. The same -as ending works for everyone.
Why is there no word for a before ĵurnalisto?
Esperanto has a definite article, la, meaning the, but it does not have a separate indefinite article like English a/an.
So:
- ĵurnalisto = a journalist or just journalist
- la ĵurnalisto = the journalist
In this sentence, ĵurnalisto is indefinite, so there is no article.