Ni iras al la kinejo por la premiero.

the

Breakdown of Ni iras al la kinejo por la premiero.

• ni: we
• por: for
• al: to

Questions & Answers about Ni iras al la kinejo por la premiero.

Why is it Ni iras and not something that literally means we are going?

In Esperanto, the present tense -as covers both:

• we go
• we are going

So Ni iras can mean either, depending on context. Esperanto usually does not make a special distinction between simple present and progressive present the way English does.

Here:

• ni = we
• iras = go / are going

So Ni iras is completely normal.

What does al mean here?

Al usually means to in the sense of movement or direction toward something.

So:

• iri al la kinejo = to go to the cinema

It shows where the movement is directed. Compare:

• Ni estas en la kinejo = We are in the cinema.
• Ni iras al la kinejo = We are going to the cinema.

So al is about direction, not location.

Why is it la kinejo and not just kinejo?

La is the definite article, meaning the.

So:

• la kinejo = the cinema