La instruisto instigas la infanon.

The teacher encourages the child.

Breakdown of La instruisto instigas la infanon.

• infano: the child
• instruisto: the teacher
• instigi: to encourage

Questions & Answers about La instruisto instigas la infanon.

Why does “infanon” end with –n in this sentence?

In Esperanto, the ending –n marks the direct object of a sentence. Although “infano” is the base form meaning “child,” when it serves as the object (the one being instigated), it takes the accusative ending –n. This clearly distinguishes it from the subject, “la instruisto,” whose noun remains unchanged.

What does the –as ending on “instigas” indicate?

The –as ending on “instigas” signifies that the verb is in the present tense. In Esperanto, all verbs in the present tense end in –as, regardless of the subject. This makes verb conjugation much simpler than in English, where verbs often change depending on the subject.

What is the role of the article “la” in this sentence, and how is it used in Esperanto compared to English?

The word “la” in Esperanto is the definite article, equivalent to “the” in English. It is invariable, meaning it does not change for gender, number, or case. In this sentence, “la instruisto” means “the teacher” and “la infanon” means “the child” (in the accusative case due to the -n ending).

What does the suffix –isto in “instruisto” imply about the noun?

In Esperanto, the suffix –isto generally indicates a person who practices or is associated with a certain occupation or skill. In “instruisto,” it combines with the root “instrui” (to teach) to form a word meaning “teacher.” This is similar to how English uses endings like –er (teach-er) to indicate someone who performs an action.

How does word order work in this sentence, and is it flexible?

The typical word order in Esperanto is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), which is evident in this sentence: “La instruisto” (subject) comes first, followed by “instigas” (verb), and finally “la infanon” (object). However, Esperanto is known for its flexible word order because grammatical roles are indicated by word endings (such as the accusative –n). Therefore, even if the words are rearranged, as long as the –n ending remains on the direct object, the meaning stays clear.