Questions & Answers about Ni preparas tagmanĝon kune en nia hejmo.
Why does preparas end in -as?
In Esperanto, -as marks the present tense. So preparas means prepare / are preparing.
- mi preparas = I prepare / I am preparing
- ni preparas = we prepare / we are preparing
Esperanto usually uses the same present-tense form for both English simple present and present continuous, so Ni preparas can mean both We prepare and We are preparing, depending on context.
Why does tagmanĝon have an -n at the end?
The -n shows the direct object of the verb.
In this sentence, the thing being prepared is tagmanĝo (lunch), so it becomes:
- tagmanĝo = lunch
- tagmanĝon = lunch, as the direct object
So:
- Ni preparas tagmanĝon = We are preparing lunch
This accusative ending is very important in Esperanto because it clearly shows what receives the action.
What does tagmanĝo literally mean?
Tagmanĝo is a compound word:
- tago = day
- manĝo = meal / eating
So literally means , which is the normal Esperanto word for .