Ĉu vi zorgos pri la kato, dum mi restos en la oficejo?

Ĉu is the yes/no question marker in Esperanto. It tells you that the whole sentence is a question that can be answered with jes or ne.

So:

• Vi zorgos pri la kato. = You will take care of the cat.
• Ĉu vi zorgos pri la kato? = Will you take care of the cat?

Unlike English, Esperanto does not usually change the word order to form this kind of question; it simply adds Ĉu.

Zorgos is the future tense form of zorgi.

Esperanto verb endings are very regular:

• -as = present
• -is = past
• -os = future
• -us = conditional
• -u = command / jussive
• -i = infinitive

So:

• zorgi = to care, to take care
• zorgas = care / am caring
• zorgis = cared
• zorgos = will care / will take care

In this sentence, Ĉu vi zorgos pri la kato... means Will you take care of the cat...

Because zorgi commonly takes the preposition pri.

• zorgi pri io / iu = to take care of something / someone, to look after something / someone, to be concerned about something / someone

So:

• zorgi pri la kato = to take care of the cat

This is something you mostly learn as part of the verb’s pattern. In Esperanto, many verbs regularly go with a certain preposition, and zorgi often goes with pri.

Because la kato is the object of the preposition pri, not a direct object.

In Esperanto, the -n ending is used for a direct object or for motion toward something. But after a preposition like pri, you normally do not add -n.

So:

• Mi vidas la katon. = I see the cat.
  Here la katon is a direct object, so it gets -n.
• Mi zorgas pri la kato. = I take care of the cat / I am concerned about the cat.
  Here la kato follows pri, so no -n.

Dum means while or during the time that.

In this sentence:

• dum mi restos en la oficejo = while I stay in the office / while I am at the office

It introduces a time clause. It tells you when the action of taking care of the cat happens.

Resti means to remain or to stay, while esti means to be.

So:

• mi estos en la oficejo = I will be in the office
• mi restos en la oficejo = I will stay in the office / I will remain in the office

Both can make sense in some contexts, but restos emphasizes staying there for a period of time.

Because en la oficejo describes location, not motion toward a place.

In Esperanto:

• en la oficejo = in the office
• en la oficejon = into the office

So here:

• mi restos en la oficejo = I will stay in the office

There is no movement into the office being expressed, only being located there.

It can mean either.

Esperanto vi is used for:

• singular you
• plural you
• formal you
• informal you

So from the sentence alone, Ĉu vi zorgos pri la kato...? could mean:

• Will you take care of the cat? — speaking to one person
• Will you all take care of the cat? — speaking to more than one person

Context tells you which one is meant.

The given word order is the most neutral and natural one, but Esperanto word order is fairly flexible.

The standard order here is:

• Ĉu vi zorgos pri la kato, dum mi restos en la oficejo?

You could also move the time clause:

• Dum mi restos en la oficejo, ĉu vi zorgos pri la kato?

Both are correct. The second version puts more emphasis on the time situation first.

Ĉ is pronounced like ch in church. So Ĉu sounds roughly like choo.

A few useful pronunciation points from this sentence:

• Ĉu ≈ choo
• zorgos has stress on the second-to-last syllable: zor-GOS
• kato: KA-to
• restos: RES-tos
• oficejo: o-fi-CE-jo

In Esperanto, stress is almost always on the second-to-last syllable.

Yes. That is a very natural translation.

zorgi pri can often be translated in several ways depending on context:

• take care of
• look after
• care for
• sometimes be concerned about

In this sentence, take care of or look after are the best natural English choices.