Breakdown of Mia amiko spektas la filmon sur televido, sed mi preferas legi vortarojn.
mi
I
amiko
the friend
la
the
sur
on
sed
but
mia
my
legi
to read
filmo
the movie
televido
the television
preferi
to prefer
vortaro
the dictionary
spekti
to watch
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Questions & Answers about Mia amiko spektas la filmon sur televido, sed mi preferas legi vortarojn.
Why do both "spektas" and "preferas" end in -as?
In Esperanto, the ending -as indicates the present tense. Thus, spektas means "watches/is watching" and preferas means "prefers" in the present tense. This ending is applied uniformly to all verbs in the present tense.
Why is the noun "filmon" written with an -n at the end, instead of just "filmo"?
The ending -n in Esperanto marks the accusative case, which is used for the direct object of a verb. In this sentence, filmon (the film/movie) is the object of the verb spektas, so the -n is added to show its role in the sentence.
How is plurality and the accusative case shown in the word "vortarojn"?
The base word vortaro means "dictionary." To indicate plural, Esperanto adds -oj, making vortaroj ("dictionaries"). Since the dictionaries are the object of the verb legi (to read), the accusative ending -n is added, resulting in vortarojn. This suffix combination clearly shows both the plural form and the direct object case.
What does the preposition "sur" indicate in the phrase "sur televido"?
In Esperanto, sur means "on," similarly to its use in English. In the phrase sur televido, it specifies that the movie is being watched on television. It conveys the idea of being physically on or at a medium like a TV.
Why does the verb preferas take the infinitive legi rather than another conjugated form?
Espéranto, like many languages, often uses the infinitive after certain verbs that express preference or desire. Here, preferas (prefers) is immediately followed by legi, the infinitive form of "to read." This structure directly equates to the English "I prefer to read dictionaries," where the action preferred is expressed in its basic form.
What role does the conjunction "sed" play in this sentence?
Sed is the Esperanto word for "but." It is used to connect the two clauses of the sentence, contrasting the actions: while mia amiko spektas la filmon sur televido ("my friend watches the movie on TV"), the speaker expresses a different preference with mi preferas legi vortarojn ("I prefer to read dictionaries").