Breakdown of Mia familio loĝas en malnova domo, sed nia hejmo estas tre varma.
esti
to be
domo
the house
en
in
tre
very
Questions & Answers about Mia familio loĝas en malnova domo, sed nia hejmo estas tre varma.
Why does familio take a singular verb (loĝas) even though it refers to several people?
In Esperanto, familio is grammatically singular, just like family often is in standard American English: My family lives (not live).
So you use the singular verb form:
- Mia familio loĝas en… = My family lives in…
If you want to emphasize the individuals, you can say:
- Miaj familianoj loĝas en… = The members of my family live in… (note miaj … loĝas is plural there).
Why is loĝas used here instead of something like vivas or estas?
In Esperanto:
- loĝi = to live/reside (in a place), to dwell
- vivi = to live (to be alive, to be living one’s life)
- esti = to be
So:
- Mia familio loĝas en malnova domo
= My family lives/resides in an old house. (talking about where they live) - Mia familio vivas feliĉe
= My family lives happily. (talking about how they live, not where) - Mia familio estas en la domo
= My family is in the house. (location at this moment, not their residence)
Using loĝas is the most natural way to say “lives (resides) in” a place.
What’s the difference between domo and hejmo?