Prepositions and -n

No -n After Prepositions

Level 3

No -n after kun, sen, por or de; after a place word, -n shows movement.

How It Works

Where something isWhere something goes
sur la tablo (on the table)sur la tablon (onto the table)
en la ĉambro (in the room)en la ĉambron (into the room)
sub la lito (under the bed)sub la liton (to a place under the bed)

Prepositions that do not name a place never take -n: kun Ana, sen mono, por vi, pri la libro. The prepositions al, el, de and ĝis already show a direction, so the noun after them stays plain too: al la urbo, el la lernejo.

A sentence can hold both kinds of noun. The object has -n, and the noun after the preposition does not: Mi trinkas teon kun Ana. Here teon is the object, and Ana follows kun.

Examples (5)

  1. Mi trinkas teon kun Ana.

    I am drinking tea with Ana.

    Teon is the object and has -n; Ana follows kun and has none.

  2. Ni iras al la urbo sen Pedro.

    We are going to the city without Pedro.

    Neither al la urbo nor sen Pedro takes -n.

  3. La kato sidas sur la tablo, kaj la hundo saltas sur la tablon.

    The cat is sitting on the table, and the dog is jumping onto the table.

    Sur la tablo says where the cat is; sur la tablon says where the dog is going.

  4. Priya kuras en la ĝardenon.

    Priya runs into the garden.

    The -n shows that Priya moves into the garden.

  5. Mi skribas leteron por Hiro.

    I am writing a letter for Hiro.

    Leteron is the object; por Hiro stays plain.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -n to a name after a preposition.

    Mi trinkas teon kun Anan.
    Mi trinkas teon kun Ana.

    Anan would be an object. Kun is a preposition, so Ana stays plain.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Prepositions and -nLevel 3No -n After Prepositions

Learn This First

A noun after a preposition keeps its plain form, except for movement.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.