La amikoj sidas apud la arbo.

the friend

Breakdown of La amikoj sidas apud la arbo.

• la: the
• arbo: the tree
• apud: near
• sidi: to sit

Questions & Answers about La amikoj sidas apud la arbo.

Why does the sentence use la before amikoj?

Esperanto uses la as the definite article, similar to "the" in English. When you refer to specific friends (the friends in question), you use la amikoj. If you wanted to talk about friends in general, you could leave out the article and just say amikoj.

What is the difference between amiko and amikoj?

Amiko is singular, meaning "friend," while amikoj is the plural form, meaning "friends." Esperanto forms the plural by adding -j to the singular noun.

How do I pronounce apud?

Each vowel in Esperanto is pronounced clearly, without gliding. For apud:
• a sounds like "a" in "father"
• u sounds like "oo" in "food"
• p and d are pronounced as in English.

Why use sidas instead of another verb meaning "sit" in English?

The verb sidi means "to sit" in Esperanto. The form sidas is the present tense: "sit" or "are sitting." Esperanto verbs have a single form for the present tense, so sidas can mean "sit" or "are sitting" depending on context.

Why is arbo in singular form here?

Only one tree is referenced in the sentence, so arbo (tree) remains singular. If you wanted to say "the friends are sitting by the trees," you would use la arboj.