Learn Hardcore Esperanto: Suno estas tre varma.

It translates to “The sun is very hot.” Note that although in English we use “the sun”, the sentence here omits the definite article—a choice that is sometimes seen in Esperanto general statements.

Why isn’t the definite article la used before Suno?

In Esperanto the definite article la is used much like “the” in English. However, when making broad or universal statements, some speakers choose to omit la if the context makes the reference clear. Both Suno estas tre varma and La suno estas tre varma are seen in practice; the latter is more explicit about referring to our unique sun.

What role does estas play in the sentence?

Estas is the copular verb in Esperanto, functioning just like “is” in English. It connects the subject (Suno) to the predicate adjective (tre varma) without changing its form, regardless of the subject.

What does tre mean and how does it function grammatically?

Tre is an adverb meaning “very.” It intensifies the adjective that follows, varma (hot), to indicate a high degree of heat. In Esperanto, many adverbs end in -e, helping learners quickly spot them in sentences.

How can we tell that varma is an adjective?

In Esperanto all adjectives have the ending -a. Here, varma ends with -a, which clearly marks it as an adjective. This consistency makes it easy to identify descriptive words.

What are the key grammatical endings to notice in this sentence?

Esperanto is very regular: nouns end in -o (as in Suno), adjectives in -a (as in varma), and adverbs in -e (as in tre). These fixed endings help signal each word’s role in the sentence.