Sentence structure

Default word order: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT (SVO). Other orders only for clear grammatical or pragmatic reasons.

Basic sentence

SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT

Homa lema.

A person lives.

Ma berot edam.

I eat bread.

Tomo granda.

The house is big.

Bona amiko venad.

A good friend came.

Solat vidam.

I see the sun.

Tomon granda.

The houses are big.

tomo-n

Hopun kogranda.

The tents are small.

hop-un

Adjectives and adverbs

Adjectives stand before the noun (bona kita). Adverbs usually follow the verb, or open the sentence as time markers (morga iram).

Questions

Yes/no questions use interrogative mode (-h / -uh|-ih). Content questions keep the question word in place plus indicative or interrogative verb.

Negation

Verbal negation: negative mode (-x / -ux|-ix). Nominal/adjectival opposite: mal- prefix. Negative answer: Ne.

Complex sentences

Conjunctions: kaj (and), sed (but), au (or), se (if), car (because), ke (that). Relative clause: kiu / kio / kie.

Ma tomok kitat legam.

I read a book in the house.

Amikom skolep irab.

My friend will go into the school.

Krajov skribamin.

We write with a pen.

Vatoz lemaxum.

I do not live without water.

Kie ca hejmok lemac?

Where do you live at home?

Ke ma tempo havayum, ma kitat legayum.

If I had time, I would read a book.

Homa kiu labora gaja, sed homa kiu dormadux kogaja.

A person who works is glad, but one who did not sleep is unhappy.

Morga mateno man vilap irabumin, car amikomin vartanin.

Tomorrow morning we will go into the city, because our friends are waiting.

Instruro volaw ke lernanton komprennin.

The teacher wishes that the students understand.

Tomokunum belan, kaj fenestronum klaran.

In my houses (they are) beautiful, and my windows are clear.

tomo-k-un-um

Comparison

X pli ADJ ol Y — X is more ADJ than Y
Tomo pli granda ol skole. — The house is bigger than the school.