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Questions & Answers about Mi kuras frue en la urbo.
What does the -as ending in kuras indicate?
In Esperanto, verbs use the ending -as to mark the present tense. Here, kuras means “run(s)” happening right now, and this rule applies universally to all Esperanto verbs.
Why does the adverb frue end in -e, and what exactly does it modify?
Adverbs in Esperanto always end in -e. The word frue means “early” and serves to modify the verb kuras by describing when the action takes place. This consistent rule helps you easily identify adverbs in any sentence.
How does the prepositional phrase en la urbo function in the sentence?
The phrase en la urbo means “in the city.” Here, en is the preposition “in,” la is the definite article “the,” and urbo is a noun meaning “city.” Because the location is static, the noun urbo stays in its basic (nominative) form rather than taking an accusative ending, which would be required if it expressed movement toward a destination.
What role does la play in la urbo, and is it used differently than in English?
La is the definite article in Esperanto, just like “the” in English. It is used consistently regardless of whether the noun is singular or plural, and unlike English there is no indefinite article (“a” or “an”) in Esperanto. This simplicity helps reduce some of the complications found in English article usage.
Is the word order in Esperanto flexible? For instance, could frue be placed in another part of the sentence?
Yes, while the typical word order is subject–verb–complement (as in Mi kuras frue en la urbo), Esperanto allows for flexibility. You might rearrange the words (for example, Frue mi kuras en la urbo) to emphasize a different part of the sentence, and the meaning will still be clear thanks to the regular and unambiguous word endings.