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Questions & Answers about Mi fermas la fenestron.
Why does the noun fenestro appear as fenestron in the sentence?
In Esperanto, nouns take an -n ending to mark the direct object. Since fenestro is the object of the verb fermas, it becomes fenestron to clearly indicate its role.
What does the -as ending in fermas signify?
The -as ending is used for the present tense in Esperanto. This means that fermas indicates an action happening in the present, so the sentence translates to I close the window in a current or habitual sense.
Why does the definite article la remain unchanged even when the noun takes the accusative ending?
In Esperanto the definite article la is invariable. While nouns change form to show their grammatical role (like adding -n for the direct object), articles do not change. Thus, la is used both for subjects and objects without modification.
Is it necessary to include the subject Mi in every Esperanto sentence?
Although Esperanto allows dropping the subject pronoun when the verb ending makes the subject clear, beginners typically include Mi to avoid ambiguity. The verb ending -as does signal the present tense for all subjects, but explicitly stating Mi enhances clarity.
Does Esperanto strictly follow the Subject-Verb-Object order, and is this sentence an example of that?
Yes, Esperanto commonly uses a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order, mirroring English. In Mi fermas la fenestron, Mi is the subject, fermas is the verb, and la fenestron is the object, which exemplifies the standard SVO arrangement.