Difference between revisions of "Language/Esperanto/Grammar/Word-Order"
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<div style="font-size:300%"> Word Order in Esperanto </div> | <div style="font-size:300%"> Word Order in Esperanto </div> | ||
In well-written Esperanto texts other word than orders than subject-verb-object are frequently used for reasons of emphasis and text coherence. | 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". | The best word order to use depends mainly on the context, so it is difficult to give precise "rules". | ||
Revision as of 21:08, 30 September 2021
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.