Learn Hardcore Esperanto: Se mi havos tempon en aŭgusto, mi vizitos amikinon, kiu laboras en librovendejo apud la stacidomo. - If I have time in August, I will visit a female friend who works in a bookstore near the station.

Breakdown of Se mi havos tempon en aŭgusto, mi vizitos amikinon, kiu laboras en librovendejo apud la stacidomo.

Why does Esperanto use havos after se? In English we usually say if I have time, not if I will have time.

This is a very common question. Esperanto usually uses the tense that matches the actual time being talked about.

So in Se mi havos tempon..., the having of time is in the future, so havos is natural.

English is different here: after if, English usually uses present tense for future meaning. Esperanto does not have to do that.

So:

Both actions are future, so both verbs can be future.

Why does amikinon end in -n?

The -n marks the direct object, called the accusative.

Here, the person being visited is the direct object of vizitos, so Esperanto adds -n:

Without -n, amikino would be the subject or just a plain noun form. With -n, Esperanto clearly shows that she is the one receiving the action.

This is one reason Esperanto word order is fairly flexible: the -n helps show who is doing what.

Why is it kiu laboras, not kiun laboras, even though amikinon has -n?