Subite ekpluvis, kaj granda ŝtormo venis de la maro.

Suddenly it began to rain, and a big storm came from the sea.

Breakdown of Subite ekpluvis, kaj granda ŝtormo venis de la maro.

• granda: big
• la: the
• kaj: and
• veni: to come

Questions & Answers about Subite ekpluvis, kaj granda ŝtormo venis de la maro.

What does ekpluvis mean, and why not just pluvis?

The prefix ek- usually shows the beginning of an action, often with a sudden feel.

So:

• pluvis = it rained / it was raining
• ekpluvis = it began to rain / it suddenly started raining

That fits very well with subite, because both suggest a sudden change.

You will see ek- with many verbs, for example:

• ekkuris = started running
• ekparolis = started speaking
• ekridis = burst out laughing / started laughing

Why is there no word for it in ekpluvis?

In Esperanto, weather verbs are often used without a subject. English needs a dummy subject, as in it is raining, but Esperanto does not.

So:

• Pluvas = it is raining
• Neĝas = it is snowing
• Ekpluvis = it began to rain

There is no need to add a separate word for it.

Why is it subite and not subita?

Because subite is an adverb, and adverbs in Esperanto end in -e.

Here it modifies the whole event, meaning suddenly.