Object Ending -n
The Object Ending -n
The thing the verb acts on ends in -n.
How It Works
Most sentences have a doer (the subject) and a thing the action reaches (the object). Esperanto marks the object with the -n ending, so a reader always knows which is which.
| Subject | Object |
|---|---|
| kato | katon |
| katoj | katojn |
| mi | min |
| ili | ilin |
The -j always comes before the -n: katojn, never katonj.
In Ana vidas la katon the cat takes -n because Ana sees it. In La kato vidas min the cat has no ending because it does the seeing, and min is the object. Because of the ending, Katon vidas Ana still means that Ana sees the cat.
After estas (is, are) a noun takes no -n, because it describes the subject and nothing is acted on: Kenji estas amiko.
Examples (5)
- Ana vidas la katon.
Ana sees the cat.
Katon has -n because the cat is what Ana sees.
- Kenji trinkas teon, kaj mi trinkas kafon.
Kenji drinks tea, and I drink coffee.
Teon and kafon are the things being drunk, so both take -n.
- Ewa legas librojn.
Ewa reads books.
A plural object ends in -jn.
- Ana vidas min, kaj mi vidas ŝin.
Ana sees me, and I see her.
Min and ŝin are the object forms of mi and ŝi.
- Katon vidas Ana.
Ana sees the cat.
The object comes first here, yet -n still shows that the cat is seen, so the meaning stays the same.
Common Mistakes
Leaving -n off the object.
Mi vidas la kato.Mi vidas la katon.The cat is what I see, so it needs -n. Without it the cat looks like the subject.
Putting -n on a noun after estas.
Kenji estas amikon.Kenji estas amiko.Estas joins Kenji to a description, and nothing is acted on, so amiko takes no -n.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The -n ending marks the object, so it needs both the idea of an object and the noun ending.
Related Patterns
- -jPlural Nouns
A plural object adds -j before the -n.
Level 1 - min, vin, lin, ŝin, ĝin, nin, ilinMe, You, Him, Her, Us, Them
The pronouns take -n as objects too.
Level 1 - Basic Word Order
The usual order of a plain sentence.
Level 1 - estas + Noun or AdjectiveSaying What Something Is
After estas the noun takes no -n.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
- bonan tagon: Greetings With -nGood Day and Good EveningLevel 1
- Ĉu vi parolas Esperanton?Do You Speak Esperanto?Level 1
- dankon / bonvoluThank You, Please and SorryLevel 1
- Object Adjectives: -an / -ajnAdjectives with the ObjectLevel 2
- kiom kostas?How Much Does It Cost?Level 2
- Names With -nNames and the Ending -nLevel 2
- kio / tioWhat and ThatLevel 2
- Direction With -nMoving into: Direction with -nLevel 3
And 1 more in the full list.
Practice Object Ending -n in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Esperanto lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
