Language/Esperanto/Grammar/Word-Order

Word Order in Esperanto

In well-written Esperanto texts other word than orders than subject-verb-object are frequently used for reasons of emphasis and text coherence.

If you use Esperanto you will rapidly acquire a feeling for word order.

The best word order to use depends mainly on the context, so it is difficult to give precise "rules".

Esperanto has so-called free word-order. Unlike in English, Esperanto word-order is not used to distinguish between subject and object of the sentence. This is done by case (subject is in nominative, object in accusative).

Instead, Esperanto word-order can be used to express information-structure of the sentence. Simplifying somewhat, Information Structure of a sentence is the way in which the sentence "packages" information.

Examples

• Q: Kiun mordis la hundo? – Who was bit by the dog?
• A: La hundo mordis la knabon. (subject – predicate – object) – The dog bit the boy.

• Q: Kiu mordis la knabon? – Who bit the boy?
• A: La knabon mordis la hundo. (O – P – S.) – The boy was bit by the dog.

• Q: Kion faris la hundo al la knabo? – What did the dog do to the boy?
• A: La hundo la knabon mordis. (P – S – O) – It was biting, what the dog did to the boy.

Sources

https://esperanto-afriko.webs.com/kurso%20angle.pdf

http://esperanto.50webs.com/EsrGrammar-5_03.html