Esperanto Accusative

Introduction to the Accusative in Esperanto

Ever wondered why some Esperanto words end with n?

You're not alone.

The accusative case is one of the most distinctive features of Esperanto, and for many English speakers, it's also one of the most challenging.

Unlike English, which relies heavily on word order, Esperanto uses this little -n ending to show which noun is receiving the action in a sentence.

It's a simple concept that opens up tremendous flexibility in how you structure your sentences.

But here's the thing – mastering the accusative isn't just about following rules. It's about unlocking the full expressive potential of this international language.

Whether you're just starting your Esperanto journey or you've been learning for months, understanding the accusative case is essential for speaking and writing clearly.

Let's break down exactly how it works and why it matters.

Understanding the Accusative Case

The Esperanto accusative is incredibly straightforward once you get the hang of it.

Simply put, it marks the direct object in a sentence – the person or thing that's receiving the action of the verb.

In English, we show this mostly through word order. "The cat chases the mouse" is different from "The mouse chases the cat," right?

But Esperanto gives you more freedom by adding that -n ending to the direct object.

La kato ĉasas la muson. (The cat chases the mouse.) La muson ĉasas la kato. (The cat chases the mouse.)

Notice how both sentences mean exactly the same thing despite the different word order? That's the power of the accusative at work.

This little -n tells you precisely which noun is doing the action and which is receiving it, regardless of where they appear in the sentence.

For English speakers, this might seem unnecessary at first. After all, we get by just fine without it.

But once you start using it consistently, you'll appreciate the clarity and flexibility it brings to your Esperanto.

The beauty of this system is that it's completely regular.

Just add -n to the end of nouns and their accompanying adjectives, and you're good to go.

No exceptions, no weird rules. Just one simple pattern.

Adding the accusative -n to Esperanto words is ridiculously simple compared to the grammar nightmares in other languages.

Here's how it works:

When a noun is the direct object – meaning it's receiving the action – you slap that -n right onto the end.

Libro (book) becomes libron when it's the thing being read, bought, or thrown across the room.

The same goes for pronouns:

• Mi (I) becomes min (me) 
• Vi (you) becomes vin (you as object) 
• Ŝi (she) becomes ŝin (her)

What makes Esperanto brilliant is the consistency. There are zero exceptions to this rule.

And don't forget, adjectives that describe accusative nouns also get the -n:

Mi legas interesan libron. (I'm reading an interesting book.)

Both "interesan" and "libron" get the -n because they're part of the direct object.

Even better? The -n attaches to the end of the word, after any other endings. So when plurals get the accusative treatment, you'll see:

Mi legas interesajn librojn. (I'm reading interesting books.)

The order never changes: root + endings + accusative.

This predictability is exactly why Esperanto is easier to master than natural languages with their endless exceptions and irregular forms.

Once you've got this pattern down, you'll never have to second-guess yourself again.

Marking Direct Objects

Spotting direct objects in Esperanto isn't rocket science, but it does take a bit of practice.

The direct object is simply what's receiving the action of the verb.

Ask yourself: "What is being verbed?" Whatever answers that question gets the -n ending.

Mi manĝas pomon. (I eat an apple.) What's being eaten? The apple. So "pomo" becomes "pomon."

This works with any transitive verb – verbs that can take a direct object:

• Ŝi amas lin. (She loves him.) 
• Li konstruas domon. (He builds a house.) 
• Ni legas libron. (We read a book.)

But here's where many beginners trip up: not every verb takes a direct object.

Intransitive verbs like "dormi" (to sleep) or "iri" (to go) don't naturally take direct objects. You can't "sleep something" or "go something."

For example:

• Mi dormas. (I sleep.) – No direct object, so no accusative needed. 
• Li kuras. (He runs.) – Again, no direct object.

Another common mistake is using the accusative with the verb "esti" (to be). Don't do it!

• Li estas instruisto. (He is a teacher.) – No accusative needed.

The real power of the accusative becomes obvious when you start playing with word order:

• La hundon ĉasas la kato. (The cat chases the dog.) 
• La kato ĉasas la hundon. (The cat chases the dog.)

Both mean exactly the same thing because the -n clearly marks which animal is doing the chasing and which is being chased.

This flexibility is one of Esperanto's greatest strengths – and it's all thanks to that little -n.

Motion Towards Something

One of the coolest uses of the accusative in Esperanto has nothing to do with direct objects.

It's all about movement.

When you want to show motion toward a place, slap that -n ending on the destination.

Mi iras al la parko. (I go to the park.) Mi iras la parkon. (I go into the park.)

Both are correct, but the second one – using the accusative – emphasizes the movement toward (and even into) the park itself.

This trick works with any destination:

• Ŝi kuras la plaĝon. (She runs to the beach.) 
• Li saltis la tablon. (He jumped onto the table.) 
• Ni vojaĝos Parizon. (We will travel to Paris.)

The difference between using "al" and using the accusative is subtle but important.

"Al la domo" means "toward the house" or "to the house" in a general way. "La domon" with the accusative implies actually entering or reaching the house as a destination.

This feature gives your Esperanto an efficiency that English can't match.

Instead of saying "I put the book onto the table," you can simply say: Mi metis la libron sur la tablon.

Two accusatives – one marking the direct object (the book) and one marking the destination (the table).

Pro tip: You can combine prepositions with the accusative for even more precise meanings:

• Mi kuras en la domon. (I run into the house.)

• La kato saltis sur la tablon. (The cat jumped onto the table.)

In these cases, the accusative shows movement to a new position, while without it (en la domo, sur la tablo), you'd just be describing a location without movement.

Expressing Time and Dates

Time expressions in Esperanto get the accusative treatment too, and it's actually pretty logical once you see the pattern.

Here's the simple rule: use the accusative to answer the question "when?" for durations of time.

La tutan tagon mi laboris. (I worked the whole day.) Mi dormis ok horojn. (I slept for eight hours.)

Notice how the accusative shows the span of time the action covered?

Here's some examples of using the accusative with dates:

• Mi alvenos lundon. (I'll arrive on Monday.)

• Ni renkontiĝos la trian de majo. (We'll meet on the third of May.)

Compare this to using prepositions:

• Mi alvenos je lundo. (I'll arrive on Monday.)

• Ni renkontiĝos en majo. (We'll meet in May.)

Both ways work, but using the accusative for time expressions makes your Esperanto sound more natural and fluent.

This is especially useful with recurring times:

• Mi sportas ĉiun matenon. (I exercise every morning.) 
• Li vizitas sian patrinon ĉiun duan semajnon. (He visits his mother every other week.)

Here's where English speakers often make mistakes: don't use the accusative for "how long" questions:

• Kiom da tempo vi restis tie? (How long did you stay there?) – No accusative needed.

But do use it when answering those questions:

• Mi restis tie tri tagojn. (I stayed there for three days.)

The beauty of Esperanto is that this system is completely regular – no exceptions, no special cases, just one consistent pattern to follow.

Weight, Price, and Measure

Ever notice how measurements in Esperanto often come with that -n ending? There's a good reason for it.

The accusative in Esperanto elegantly handles all expressions of weight, price, and measurement – creating a consistent system that's way more logical than what we have in English.

When expressing how much something weighs, costs, or measures, the quantity gets the accusative treatment:

• La sako pezas dek kilogramojn. (The bag weighs ten kilograms.)
• Tiu libro kostas kvin dolarojn. (That book costs five dollars.)
• La ŝnuro estas du metrojn longa. (The rope is two meters long.)

This pattern works across all types of measurements:

• Distance: La urbo estas cent kilometrojn fore. (The city is a hundred kilometers away.) 

• Age: Mia filo aĝas kvin jarojn. (My son is five years old.)

• Temperature: Hodiaŭ estas dudek gradojn. (Today it's twenty degrees.)

• Weight: La bebo pezas tri kilogramojn. (The baby weighs three kilograms.)

Why does this make sense? Because these measurements are actually functioning as direct objects of their verbs. The book "costs" what? Five dollars. The rope "is long" what? Two meters.

Word Order and the Accusative

Here's where the genius of Esperanto's accusative case really shines – it gives you freedom with word order that English speakers can only dream about.

In English, we're stuck with subject-verb-object (SVO) most of the time. Switch that order, and you completely change the meaning.

Esperanto throws those restrictions out the window.

Thanks to the accusative -n ending, you can arrange your sentence almost any way you want:

• La kato ĉasas la muson. (The cat chases the mouse.) – Standard SVO order

 • La muson ĉasas la kato. (The cat chases the mouse.) – OSV order

• Ĉasas la kato la muson. (The cat chases the mouse.) – VSO order

All three sentences mean exactly the same thing because "muson" clearly marks which animal is being chased, regardless of word position.

This flexibility serves several practical purposes:

1. Emphasis – You can highlight different parts of the sentence by placing them first: La libron mi legis. (The book is what I read.) Mi la libron legis. (I read the book specifically.)
2. Poetry and song – Creative writing becomes more expressive when you're not constrained by rigid word order.
3. Matching other languages – When translating, you can preserve the original language's structure while keeping the meaning clear.

But don't go wild just yet. While grammatically correct, extremely unusual word orders might confuse listeners. Most Esperanto speakers still tend to use SVO as their default.

The key is understanding that the accusative gives you options – use them strategically for emphasis or style, not randomly.

This freedom is precisely why the accusative case is worth mastering, even if it feels strange at first to English speakers who are used to relying on word order alone.

Once you've internalized this concept, you'll find yourself expressing nuances that would require entire sentence rewrites in English.

Conclusion

The accusative case in Esperanto isn't just some grammar rule to memorize – it's the key that unlocks the language's flexibility and precision.

Let's recap what that little -n does for you:

• Marks direct objects clearly (Mi vidas vin)
• Shows movement toward a destination (Mi iras la parkon)
• Expresses time durations and dates (Mi restis tri tagojn)
• Indicates measurements, weights, and prices (La libro kostas kvin dolarojn)
• Frees you from rigid word order (La pomon manĝas la viro)

What makes Esperanto brilliant is how consistently it applies this single concept across multiple uses.

One ending, multiple functions, zero exceptions.

Compare that to the grammatical gymnastics required in other languages, and you'll appreciate Zamenhof's elegant design.

Don't worry if you struggle with the accusative at first. It's normal, especially if your native language doesn't use cases.

The best way to master it? Use it.

Write a journal entry every day with at least three sentences using the accusative.

Join Esperanto Discord servers or Telegram groups where you can practice in real conversations.

Read Esperanto content and pay attention to how the accusative is used in natural writing.

Every mistake you make is just another step toward fluency. The accusative will eventually become second nature, I promise.

Mi deziras al vi bonan ŝancon en via vojaĝo tra Esperanto!