Breakdown of Mia amiko aĉetis du ruĝajn legomojn, kaj mi ne sciis ke ruĝaj karotoj ekzistas.
mi
I
amiko
the friend
kaj
and
scii
to know
ke
that
aĉeti
to buy
du
two
mia
my
legomo
the vegetable
ruĝa
red
karoto
the carrot
ekzisti
to exist
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Questions & Answers about Mia amiko aĉetis du ruĝajn legomojn, kaj mi ne sciis ke ruĝaj karotoj ekzistas.
Why is the adjective ruĝajn in the phrase du ruĝajn legomojn ending with an -n?
In Esperanto adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in both number and case. Here, legomojn is the accusative plural form of legomoj because it is the direct object of the verb aĉetis. To match, the adjective changes from its nominative form ruĝaj to the accusative form ruĝajn.
Why doesn’t the adjective in ruĝaj karotoj have the -n ending like in ruĝajn legomojn?
In the second clause, ruĝaj karotoj ekzistas functions as a statement in which karotoj is the subject. Since subjects remain in the nominative case, the adjective ruĝaj does not take the accusative ending.
What role does the conjunction ke play in this sentence?
The word ke introduces a subordinate clause, similar to the English “that.” In the sentence, ke ruĝaj karotoj ekzistas translates to “that red carrots exist,” specifying what the speaker did not previously know.
What is the difference between legomoj and karotoj in this context?
Legomoj is a general term for “vegetables,” whereas karotoj specifically means “carrots.” The sentence contrasts the idea of two red vegetables (unspecified) with the realization that red carrots—a specific kind of vegetable—exist.
How are number and case indicated in the phrase du ruĝajn legomojn?
In Esperanto, the number is indicated by the ending -j on nouns (and adjectives), so legomoj shows that it is plural. Because it is also the direct object of the verb aĉetis, it takes the accusative ending -n to become legomojn. The adjective ruĝaj similarly takes the accusative ending, becoming ruĝajn, to agree with the noun’s case and number.