Ni kritikas la filmon.

In Esperanto, -as marks the present tense for verbs.

So:

• kritikas = criticize / are criticizing
• kritikis = criticized
• kritikos = will criticize

The verb form does not change for different subjects, so:

• mi kritikas = I criticize
• vi kritikas = you criticize
• ni kritikas = we criticize

That regularity is one of the nice things about Esperanto.

Ni means we.

In Esperanto, the subject is usually stated clearly, so ni is normally included just like we is in English. Because the verb ending -as only tells you the tense, not the person, kritikas by itself does not mean specifically we criticize. You usually need ni to show who is doing the action.

The -n ending marks the direct object. That is called the accusative in Esperanto grammar.

In Ni kritikas la filmon:

• Ni = the subject, the ones doing the action
• kritikas = the action
• la filmon = the thing being criticized

So filmo means film, but filmon means film as the direct object.

This -n is very important in Esperanto because it shows what receives the action.

La is the Esperanto word for the.

So:

• filmon = a film / film, depending on context
• la filmon = the film

Esperanto has only one definite article: la. It does not change for gender, number, or case. Even though filmon has -n, la stays la.

No. La is always la.

It does not change for:

• singular or plural
• subject or object
• masculine or feminine

So you get:

• la filmo = the film
• la filmon = the film
• la filmoj = the films
• la filmojn = the films

The noun changes when needed, but la stays the same.

The normal word order is subject + verb + object, so Ni kritikas la filmon is the most straightforward way to say it.

Because Esperanto marks the direct object with -n, word order is more flexible than in English. For example, La filmon ni kritikas still means We criticize the film, not The film criticizes us, because filmon has the object marker.

Even so, learners should usually start with the normal order:

• Ni kritikas la filmon

It sounds natural and is easiest to understand.

In Esperanto, nouns normally end in -o.

So:

• film- = the root
• filmo = film
• filmon = film as a direct object

You can think of the endings as stacking:

• -o = noun
• -n = direct object marker

So filmo + n = filmon.

The dictionary form is kritiki, which is the infinitive form, meaning to criticize.

Esperanto verbs are built very regularly:

• kritiki = to criticize
• kritikas = criticize / is criticizing / are criticizing
• kritikis = criticized
• kritikos = will criticize
• kritiku = criticize! / let ... criticize
• kritikus = would criticize

So if you see kritikas, you can identify the root kritik- and know the dictionary form is kritiki.

You would make film plural with -j, and because it is still the direct object, you also keep -n:

• Ni kritikas la filmojn.

Breakdown:

• film-o-j-n
• noun + plural + object marker

So:

• la filmon = the film
• la filmojn = the films

Esperanto pronunciation is very regular. kritikas is pronounced roughly kree-TEE-kahs.

A rough breakdown:

• kri = kree
• ti = tee
• kas = kahs

The stress in Esperanto usually falls on the second-to-last syllable, so here the stress is on ti:

• kri-TI-kas

Not usually in the most natural way. La filmon points to the film, a specific film.

If you wanted a more general sense, you would more likely say something like:

• Ni kritikas filmojn. = We criticize films.

So the article la and the singular object filmon suggest a particular film, not films in general.