Skanu la strekkodon; la karto ankoraŭ validas.

Because -u is the Esperanto verb ending for a command, request, or instruction.

• skani = to scan
• skanu = scan! / please scan

In this sentence, Skanu la strekkodon is an instruction such as you might see on a machine, terminal, or sign.

A useful point for English speakers: -u does not show singular vs. plural. So skanu can mean:

• scan! (to one person)
• scan! (to several people)
• please scan

It is often less harsh than a bare English command can sound.

The -n marks the direct object.

Here:

• Skanu = scan
• la strekkodon = the barcode

The barcode is the thing being scanned, so it takes the accusative ending -n.

Compare:

• La karto validas. = The card is valid.
  
  • no -n, because la karto is the subject
• Skanu la strekkodon. = Scan the barcode.
  
  • -n, because la strekkodon is the object

Yes. strekkodo is a compound noun.

It is made from:

• strek- = line, stroke
• kodo = code

So strekkodo literally means something like line-code, which is the Esperanto word for barcode.

The double kk happens because the first part ends in k and the second part begins with k:

• strek
  • kodo → strekkodo

That is normal in Esperanto compounds.

la is the definite article, meaning the.

It is used here because the sentence is talking about specific things:

• la strekkodon = the barcode
• la karto = the card

In a real-life context, this would usually mean a barcode and a card already known from the situation—for example, the one on the screen, ticket, pass, or membership card the person is using.

English learners sometimes expect Esperanto to use la less or more mechanically, but in many ordinary cases it works much like the in English.

ankoraŭ means still in this sentence.

So la karto ankoraŭ validas means the card is still valid, not expired yet, or remains valid.

Depending on context, ankoraŭ can also mean yet or still in other sentences. For example:

• Li ankoraŭ dormas. = He is still sleeping.
• Ĉu vi ankoraŭ ne finis? = Haven’t you finished yet?

So the exact English word depends on context, but the core idea is continuation.

In Esperanto, many roots can work directly as verbs without needing esti (to be).

So:

• valida = valid (adjective)
• validi = to be valid
• validas = is valid / remains valid

That means:

• La karto validas.

  is a perfectly normal way to say:

• The card is valid.

You could also say:

• La karto estas valida.

That is grammatical too, but validas is often more direct and natural.

This is a common Esperanto pattern:

• gravas = is important
• eblas = is possible
• utilas = is useful

Because -as is the present-tense verb ending in Esperanto.

So:

• validi = to be valid
• validas = is valid
• validis = was valid
• validos = will be valid

Here, the sentence is talking about the card’s current status, so present tense is used.

Yes, in many contexts a period would also be fine, and sometimes a comma appears in less formal writing. The semicolon is used because the sentence contains two closely connected independent clauses:

• Skanu la strekkodon
• la karto ankoraŭ validas

The semicolon shows a strong connection between them:

• scan the barcode;
• the card is still valid

It feels a bit more linked than two separate sentences, but more clearly separated than a comma.

Esperanto word order is fairly flexible, but this order is the most neutral and natural.

• la karto = subject
• ankoraŭ = adverb
• validas = verb

You may also see other orders for emphasis, such as:

• La karto validas ankoraŭ.
• Ankoraŭ la karto validas.

But those can sound marked, literary, or context-driven. For a learner, the safest default is the ordinary pattern used here.

ankoraŭ is pronounced approximately ahn-ko-ROW.

Important points:

• aŭ is a diphthong, roughly like ow in English now
• ŭ is not a full vowel by itself; it acts like a short glide sound, similar to w

So the last part is not two separate syllables. It is one diphthong:

• aŭ

A rough breakdown is:

• an
• ko
• raŭ

A rough English-friendly pronunciation is:

STREK-KO-don

More exactly:

• strek — like strek with a clear e sound
• ko — ko
• don — don

A few useful reminders:

• every Esperanto letter is pronounced consistently
• the double kk is really pronounced as two adjacent k sounds, or at least as a clearly strong k
• stress falls on the second-to-last syllable: strek-KO-don

Not necessarily. In Esperanto, the -u form is used for commands, requests, instructions, invitations, and polite directions. Context matters a lot.

On a sign, machine, or instruction screen, Skanu la strekkodon is completely normal and not especially rude. It is much like English instructions such as:

• Insert card
• Press OK
• Scan barcode

If you wanted to make it softer in conversation, you could add words such as bonvolu:

• Bonvolu skani la strekkodon. = Please scan the barcode.

But for interface language or public instructions, the shorter form is very common.