A1 · Section 3
The Plural, and the Predicate
One letter, -j, makes the plural of nouns and of the adjectives that go with them; the article and the verb stay as they are. A noun or adjective joined to the subject by *estas* is a predicate, and agrees in number with what it is predicated of.
The Plural Number
16.The plural of a noun — the form indicating more than one person or thing — is made by adding -j to the singular. The -o remains, so that the plural ending is in effect -oj, pronounced as the diphthong oj (¶5) and forming no new syllable.
- viro → viroj
- man → men
- tablo → tabloj
- table → tables
- domo → domoj
- house → houses
- [1] -oj is one syllable and sounds like the "oy" of "boy", so viroj is VI-roj, of two syllables, and the accent stays where it was.
Agreement of the Adjective in Number
17.An adjective modifying a plural noun agrees with it in number, taking the same -j. An adjective modifying two or more nouns together is of course plural. The agreement is not decoration: it is what tells the reader which noun a given adjective belongs to when the order of words is varied.
- bonaj viroj
- good men
- grandaj ĉevaloj
- large horses
- belaj birdo kaj floro
- beautiful bird and flower — one adjective, two nouns, hence the plural
- [1] -aj is one syllable and sounds like the "ai" of "aisle".
The Article and the Verb are Invariable
18.The article does not change for number: la viro, the man; la viroj, the men. Neither does the verb, whose -as serves every person and both numbers alike (¶14). In a plural sentence, therefore, the -j appears on the noun and its adjectives and nowhere else.
- La viroj marŝas.
- The men walk, the men are walking.
- La suno kaj la luno brilas.
- The sun and the moon are shining.
- La viro estas. / La viroj estas.
- The man is. / The men are.
The Predicate Adjective
19.When an adjective forms part of what is told or predicated of the subject — as after the verbs "to be", "to seem" — it is called a predicate adjective. It is not attached to its noun but asserted of it, and the verb stands between them.
- La birdo estas bela.
- The bird is beautiful.
- La knabo ŝajnas bona.
- The boy seems good.
- La floroj estas freŝaj.
- The flowers are fresh.
The Predicate Noun
20.A noun may likewise form part of the predicate, and is then called a predicate noun. It names the subject rather than being acted upon by it, which is why it takes no case ending of its own.
- Violoj estas floroj.
- Violets are flowers.
- La kolombo estas birdo.
- The dove is a bird.
Agreement of the Predicate
21.Predicate nouns and adjectives agree in number with the word or words of which they are predicated. Two singular subjects joined by kaj are together plural, and take a plural predicate.
- Rozoj estas belaj.
- Roses are beautiful.
- La knabo kaj la viro ŝajnas fortaj.
- The boy and the man seem strong.
- La ĉambroj estas grandaj.
- The rooms are large.
Vocabulary
- estas
- is, are · verb
- esti
- Perfectly regular: one form for every person and both numbers.
- ŝajnas
- seems, seem · verb
- ŝajni
- kuŝas
- lies, is lying · verb
- kuŝi
- sidas
- sits, is sitting · verb
- sidi
- arbo
- tree · noun
- arboj
- ĉambro
- room · noun
- ĉambroj
- domo
- house · noun
- domoj
- folio
- leaf · noun
- folioj
- ĝardeno
- garden · noun
- ĝardenoj
- kampo
- field · noun
- kampoj
- kolombo
- dove · noun
- kolomboj
- rozo
- rose · noun
- rozoj
- seĝo
- chair · noun
- seĝoj
- alta
- high, tall · adjective
- altaj
- freŝa
- fresh · adjective
- freŝaj
- longa
- long · adjective
- longaj
- ruĝa
- red · adjective
- ruĝaj
- verda
- green · adjective
- verdaj
- en
- in · preposition
- sur
- on · preposition