Kiam la elektro ne funkcias, ni ŝaltas kandelojn en la salono.

Kiam means when. It introduces a time clause, just like in English:

• Kiam la elektro ne funkcias = When the electricity doesn’t work

So the sentence has two parts:

• the time clause: Kiam la elektro ne funkcias
• the main clause: ni ŝaltas kandelojn en la salono

This is a very common Esperanto structure.

The comma separates the subordinate clause from the main clause:

• Kiam la elektro ne funkcias, = time clause
• ni ŝaltas kandelojn en la salono. = main statement

This is similar to English punctuation in sentences like:

• When it rains, we stay inside.

So the comma helps show where the first clause ends.

La is the definite article, meaning the.

In Esperanto, la elektro often means the electricity in the general everyday sense, such as the power supply in a house. English does the same thing:

• the electricity is out
• the power isn’t working

Without la, elektro could sound more like electricity as a substance or concept, rather than the specific electricity supply being talked about.

In Esperanto, ne usually goes directly before the word it negates.

So:

• ne funkcias = does not work / isn’t working

This is normal Esperanto word order. Compare:

• Mi ne komprenas. = I do not understand.
• Ŝi ne venas. = She is not coming.

Funkcii means to function, to work, or to operate.

So la elektro ne funkcias literally means something like:

• the electricity is not functioning

In natural English, that would usually be:

• the electricity isn’t working
• the power is out

Esperanto often uses funkcii in situations where English uses work.

The ending -as marks the present tense in Esperanto.

• ŝaltas = turn on / light
• ni ŝaltas = we turn on / we light

The present tense can describe something habitual or generally true, not only something happening right now. So this sentence means something like:

• When the electricity doesn’t work, we light candles in the living room.

That is a general habit or repeated situation.

Ŝalti usually means to switch on, to turn on, or more generally to start something such as a light or device.

With candles, it means to light them.

So:

• ŝalti kandelon = to light a candle
• ŝalti la lampon = to turn on the lamp

This may feel slightly broader than English turn on, but it is perfectly normal in Esperanto.

Kandelojn has two endings:

• -j = plural
• -n = accusative, marking the direct object

Here, the candles are the thing being lit, so they are the direct object of ŝaltas.

Breakdown:

• kandelo = candle
• kandeloj = candles
• kandelojn = candles, as the direct object

So:

• ni ŝaltas kandelojn = we light candles

Ask yourself: What are we lighting?

Answer: candles

That makes candles the direct object. In Esperanto, direct objects usually take -n.

Examples:

• Mi vidas la hundon. = I see the dog.
• Ŝi legas libron. = She reads a book.
• Ni ŝaltas kandelojn. = We light candles.

So the -n shows what receives the action.

Because en la salono shows location, not movement toward a place.

• en la salono = in the living room

No -n is needed because the candles are being lit there; nobody is moving into the room in this sentence.

Compare:

• Ni estas en la salono. = We are in the living room.
• Ni iras en la salonon. = We go into the living room.

In the second sentence, salonon gets -n because there is movement into the room.

Salono usually means living room, sitting room, lounge, or salon, depending on context.

In this sentence, living room is the most natural translation.

So:

• en la salono = in the living room

Esperanto normally uses the subject pronoun explicitly.

• ni = we

So ni ŝaltas clearly means we light or we turn on.

Unlike some languages, Esperanto does not normally drop the subject pronoun just because the verb ending already gives a clue.

Yes, Esperanto word order is fairly flexible, but this version is the most straightforward and natural.

For example, these are possible:

• Kiam la elektro ne funkcias, ni ŝaltas kandelojn en la salono.
• Ni ŝaltas kandelojn en la salono, kiam la elektro ne funkcias.

Both are understandable. The original order is nice because it gives the condition or situation first: When the electricity doesn’t work...

Not always. Depending on context, speakers might also use kurento for electric current / power supply.

For example:

• Kiam ne estas kurento... = When there is no power...

But la elektro ne funkcias is still understandable and natural enough for a learner sentence. It uses familiar vocabulary and clearly expresses the idea.

Usually it sounds like a repeated or general situation:

• Whenever the electricity doesn’t work, we light candles in the living room.

That is because Esperanto present tense -as often covers habitual actions, just like the English simple present.

If you wanted one specific past event, you would normally use the past tense:

• Kiam la elektro ne funkciis, ni ŝaltis kandelojn en la salono.
• When the electricity didn’t work, we lit candles in the living room.