Preposition + -e
Prepositions Used Alone
A preposition needs a word after it; with -e it stands alone.
How It Works
| Preposition | Alone | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kun Ana | kune (together) | Ni iras kune. |
| ekster la domo | ekstere (outside) | Ŝi estas ekstere. |
| apud la hotelo | apude (nearby) | La stacidomo estas apude. |
| post la kongreso | poste (afterwards) | Poste ni manĝos. |
With a word for place, -n shows movement, just like hejmen: ekstere is outside, and eksteren is out of the room. After antaŭ the alone form is antaŭe, which means before, earlier, or in front.
Poste and antaŭe are opposites: antaŭe looks back to an earlier time, and poste looks forward to a later one.
A preposition needs a word after it, so write kune, not kun, when nothing follows. A few prepositions, such as de, are hardly ever used this way.
Examples (5)
- Ni iras kune al la kongreso.
We are going to the congress together.
Kune is kun with nothing after it.
- Ana ne estas en la domo; ŝi estas ekstere.
Ana is not in the house; she is outside.
Ekstere replaces ekster la domo.
- Mi legis la leteron antaŭe, kaj poste mi skribis al Kenji.
I read the letter earlier, and afterwards I wrote to Kenji.
Antaŭe looks back, and poste looks forward.
- La hotelo estas ĉe la strato, kaj la stacidomo estas apude.
The hotel is on the street, and the station is nearby.
Apude means next to it.
- Kofi iras eksteren.
Kofi goes outside.
The -n shows movement to the outside.
Common Mistakes
Leaving a preposition alone without -e.
Ni iras kun.Ni iras kune.Kun needs a word after it. Used alone it becomes kune.
Adding -n when the person stays outside.
Kofi estas eksteren.Kofi estas ekstere.Estas shows no movement, so the plain form ekstere is right.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A preposition becomes an adverb when it gets the adverb ending.
Related Patterns
Practice Preposition + -e in Bubblegum
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