Questions & Answers about La infano estas libera lerni.
Why do we use “lerni” instead of “lernas” in “La infano estas libera lerni”?
Lerni is the infinitive form, expressing the idea of to learn. In Esperanto, when talking about the capability or permission to do an action, the infinitive (ending in -i) is used instead of a conjugated verb (which would end in -as, -is, or -os).
What role does “estas” play in the sentence?
Estas acts as the linking verb “is,” connecting la infano (“the child”) to the descriptive part libera (“free”). The structure resembles English phrases like “The child is free,” followed by the infinitive verb lerni (“to learn”).
Why is “libera” an adjective here rather than an adverb like “libere”?
The word libera describes the state or condition of la infano. An adverb like libere would modify the manner of an action (for example, “learning freely”), but here the sentence indicates the child is free, not how the child learns.
Could we say “La infano estas libera por lerni” instead?
While some speakers might say that informally, the usual and more natural phrasing is La infano estas libera lerni, because Esperanto often omits a separate preposition where the sense of purpose or infinitive is already clear. The construction libera lerni is both concise and idiomatic.