Learn Hardcore Esperanto: Se mi havus tempon, mi skribus pli frue, sed mi laboras ĝis malfrue. - If I had time, I would write earlier, but I work until late.

Se is a conditional conjunction that translates to if. It introduces a hypothetical situation—“if I had time”—by setting up the condition under which the action in the main clause would take place.

Why are the verbs havus and skribus in the conditional mood instead of the present tense?

In Esperanto, the conditional mood is marked by the -us ending. Both havus (from “havi”) and skribus (from “skribi”) use this ending to signal that their actions are hypothetical. The sentence expresses a situation that is contrary to the current reality: “If I had time, I would write earlier.”

What does the phrase pli frue mean and how is it constructed?

Pli means more or to a higher degree, and frue means early. Together, pli frue translates to earlier, functioning as a comparative adverbial phrase that indicates the speaker would write at an earlier time under different circumstances.

How does the sentence contrast a hypothetical situation with the actual circumstance?

The sentence is divided into two parts. The first part—Se mi havus tempon, mi skribus pli frue—depicts a hypothetical scenario using the conditional mood. The second part, connected by sed (meaning but), states the actual situation: mi laboras ĝis malfrue (“I work until late”). This contrast shows that although the speaker would prefer to write earlier, their work schedule prevents it.

What is the role of ĝis malfrue in the sentence?

Ĝis means until, and malfrue is an adverb meaning late. Together, ĝis malfrue conveys that the speaker works until a late time. This part of the sentence explains the real-life constraint that makes the hypothetical action of writing earlier impossible.