Learn Hardcore Esperanto: Jes, mi havas hundon.

In Esperanto, the -n ending marks the direct object of the sentence. The base form is hundo (“dog”), and adding -n makes it hundon, showing that it’s the object of havas (“have”).

How do I say “a dog” versus “the dog” in Esperanto?

Esperanto has no indefinite article like “a” in English. So “a dog” is simply hundo (or hundon in the direct object form). For the definite article “the,” you use la, so “the dog” would be la hundo (or la hundon when it’s the direct object).

Can I change the word order to “Jes, hundon mi havas”?

Yes, word order in Esperanto is quite flexible thanks to the -n direct object ending. However, “Jes, mi havas hundon” is the most common order (subject–verb–object). Your alternative order is still grammatically correct, just slightly less typical in everyday speech.

Why does the verb havi become havas in this sentence?

Esperanto verbs have a single form for each tense, and the present tense is indicated by -as. So havi (“to have”) becomes havas for the present tense (meaning “I/you/he/she/it/we/they have”).

What does Jes mean?

Jes simply means “yes” in Esperanto. It’s used just like in English to give an affirmative response.