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.