Breakdown of Mi ne hontas peti helpon, kiam mi vere bezonas ĝin.
mi
I
kiam
when
bezoni
to need
helpo
the help
Questions & Answers about Mi ne hontas peti helpon, kiam mi vere bezonas ĝin.
Why is it Mi ne hontas peti helpon and not something like Mi ne estas honta peti helpon?
Because honti is a verb meaning to be ashamed or to feel shame.
So:
- Mi hontas = I am ashamed
- Mi ne hontas = I am not ashamed
Esperanto often prefers a simple verb where English uses to be + adjective. You could build an expression with honta in some contexts, but here honti is the normal and natural choice.
Also, honti can be followed directly by an infinitive:
- Mi hontas diri tion = I am ashamed to say that
- Mi ne hontas peti helpon = I am not ashamed to ask for help
Why is peti followed directly by another word, with no word for to before ask?
In Esperanto, the infinitive already contains the idea of to. The ending -i marks the infinitive.
So:
- peti = to ask
- bezonas = need
- hontas peti = am ashamed to ask
There is no separate word equivalent to English infinitive to.
Why does helpon end in ?