The Esperanto Teacher | Page 6

the subject.
This use of "n" renders clear sentences that are not clear in English. "John loves Mary

more than George" may mean "more than John loves George" or "more than George
loves Mary." In Esperanto it is quite clear. "Johano amas Marion, pli ol Georgo" means
"more than George loves Mary," because "Georgo" is the subject of the second (elliptical)
sentence, but "Johano amas Marion, pli ol Georgon" means "more than John loves
George," because the final "n" in Georgon shows this to be not the subject.
There are cases, however, in which it is not necessary to add "n", the noun or pronoun
being distinguished from the subject in another way. Examples are found in the first
exercise:--"Sur la tero" kusxas sxtono, "On the ground" lies a stone. "Antaux la pordo"
staras arbo, "Before the door" stands a tree. Notwithstanding their position, "ground" and
"door" are seen to be not the subject, because before them are the words "on," "before,"
which connect them with the rest of the sentence--it is "on the ground," "before the door."
So with other sentences.
The words "on", "before", and others given [in Lesson 26] are called PREPOSITIONS
("pre" = before). The noun or pronoun which follows them can never be the subject of the
sentence.
Remember, then, that
"N" is added to every noun and pronoun, "other than the subject", unless it has a
preposition before it. [Footnote: (i.). The explanation usually given for the use of final
"n" is, that "n" is added to nouns and pronouns (a) in the Accusative Case (the direct
object), (b) when the preposition is omitted. The explanation given above seems to me,
however, to be much simpler. (ii.). Another use of final "n" is given later [Lesson 12,
Lesson 26] ]
When the noun takes "n", any adjective which belongs to it must also take "n", as, "Li
donas al mi belan rugxan floron", He gives me a beautiful red flower. "Li donas al mi
belajn rugxajn florojn", He gives me beautiful red flowers.
VOCABULARY.
letero : letter. mateno : morning. litero : letter of alphabet. multaj : many. festo : festival,
holiday. obstina : obstinate. tago : day. gxoja : joyful, joyous. nokto : night. hela : bright,
clear.
amas : loves. pala : pale. vidas : sees. deziras : desires, wishes. konas : knows. eraras :
errs, is wrong. havas : has, possesses. vokas : calls. luno : moon. hejtas : heats. stelo : star.
hodiaux : to:day. vintro : winter. malpli : less. forno : stove. kiam : when. edzino : wife.
kia : what (kind).
Mi vidas leonon (leonojn). Mi legas libron (librojn). Mi amas la patron. Mi konas
Johanon. La patro ne legas libron, sed li skribas leteron. Mi ne amas obstinajn homojn.
Mi deziras al vi bonan tagon, sinjoro. Bonan matenon! Gxojan feston (mi deziras al vi).
Kia gxoja festo (estas hodiaux)! En la tago ni vidas la helan sunon, kaj en la nokto ni
vidas la palan lunon kaj la belajn stelojn. Ni havas pli fresxan panon, ol vi. Ne, vi eraras,
sinjoro, via pano estas malpli fresxa, ol mia. Ni vokas la knabon, kaj li venos. En la vintro
oni hejtas la fornojn. Kiam oni estas ricxa, oni havas multajn amikojn. Li amas min, sed
mi lin ne amas. Sinjoro P. kaj lia edzino tre amas miajn infanojn; mi ankaux tre amas
iliajn (infanojn). Mi ne konas la sinjoron, kiu legas.
LESSON 6.
We have seen already (Lesson 1) that the words which end in "-as" express the idea of
"doing" (action) or of "being" (state), and that they assert that this action or state is going
on, or is a custom, at the present time, as "Mi vidas", I see; "Sxi estas", She is; "Ili

suferas", They suffer, they are suffering.
To say that the action or state took place at some "past" time, "-is" is used, as "Mi vidis",
I saw; "Sxi estis", She was; "Ili suferis", They suffered, they were suffering.
To say that the action or state will take place at some time to come, in the future, "-os" is
used, as, "Mi vidos", I shall see; "Sxi estos", She will be; "Ili suferos", They will suffer,
they will be suffering.
(Words which assert something, or which express the idea of doing or of being, are called
VERBS).
(The root only of the verbs will now be given in the Vocabulary without the termination).
VOCABULARY.
historio : history. dorm- : sleep. kuzo : cousin. vek- : wake. plezuro : pleasure. sercx- :
seek. horlogxo : clock. fin- : end. laboro : work. tim- : fear. popolo : a people. ating- :
reach to. virino : woman. surda : deaf. agxo : age. muta : dumb. jaro : year. dolcxa : sweet.
permeso : permission. tri