Learn Hardcore Esperanto: Ili amas nin.

Ili is the subject pronoun meaning they; amas is the present tense form of ami (to love) with the -as ending; and nin is the accusative – or object – form of ni (us), marked by adding the -n suffix.

Why is nin used instead of ni in this sentence?

In Esperanto the direct object is always marked with an -n. Because us is receiving the action of the verb (being loved), ni takes on the -n to become nin, clearly indicating its role as the object.

How is the verb amas formed, and what does its ending tell us?

All Esperanto verbs in the present tense end in -as. Here, the base verb ami (to love) becomes amas when expressing a present action. This ending is uniform and applies regardless of the subject’s person or number.

Does Esperanto have a fixed word order, and how does Ili amas nin. illustrate this?

While Esperanto typically follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) order, its use of the -n suffix for direct objects allows for flexibility. In Ili amas nin., even if the words were rearranged, the -n clearly marks nin as the object, preventing ambiguity.

How does pronoun declension work in Esperanto as demonstrated by the change from ni to nin?

In Esperanto, pronouns change form based on their grammatical function. The subject pronoun ni (we) becomes nin (us) when it is used as the object; this change is made simply by appending the -n accusative ending. The same system applies to other pronouns (for example, mi becomes min, and vi becomes vin).

Can the sentence be rearranged (for example, Nin amas Ili.) without changing its meaning?

Yes, because the -n suffix unambiguously marks the object, you can rearrange the sentence elements without confusion. Although the standard subject-verb-object order is common for clarity, changing the order for emphasis or stylistic reasons won’t alter the meaning so long as the accusative marking remains.