Breakdown of Mi portas la ruĝan ĉemizon en la urbo.
mi
I
la
the
en
in
urbo
the city
porti
to wear
ruĝa
red
ĉemizo
the shirt
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Questions & Answers about Mi portas la ruĝan ĉemizon en la urbo.
What does the -an ending in ruĝan indicate?
The -an ending marks the adjective as being in the accusative case. In Esperanto, adjectives that modify a noun must agree with that noun in case and number. Since ĉemizon (shirt) is the direct object of the verb, it takes the accusative ending -on, and the adjective ruĝa becomes ruĝan to match.
Why does the noun ĉemizon end with -on?
The ending -on shows that ĉemizon is in the accusative case. In Esperanto, when a noun is the direct object of a transitive verb (here, portas meaning “wears”), it receives the accusative ending. This clearly marks it as the object of the action.
What is the meaning of the verb portas in this sentence?
While the verb porti can mean “to carry” or “to wear,” in this context—where the object is a piece of clothing (ĉemizon)—it is best understood as “wears.” Thus, the sentence means “I wear the red shirt in the city.”
What role does the definite article la play in this sentence?
In Esperanto, la is the one definite article, equivalent to “the” in English. It is used to specify a particular item—in this case, the red shirt—and it does not change form regardless of case or number.
How does the phrase en la urbo contribute to the sentence?
The phrase en la urbo is a prepositional phrase that indicates location. En means “in” and urbo means “city,” so it tells us that the action (wearing the red shirt) takes place in the city.
Is word order flexible in Esperanto, and how do case markings help?
Yes, Esperanto allows for flexible word order due to its explicit case markings. Because the accusative endings clearly signal which noun is the direct object, you can rearrange the sentence elements without causing confusion over who does what. However, the standard subject-verb-object order—as seen in this sentence—is commonly used for clarity and natural flow.