Hello,

I've just started to learn Esperanto. How would I ask someone: "Can you recommend a good restaurant?"

Vi povas rekomendi unu bona restoracio?

or Ĉu vi povas rekomendi unu bona restoracio?

chell

chell:Hello,

I've just started to learn Esperanto. How would I ask someone: "Can you recommend a good restaurant?"

Vi povas rekomendi unu bona restoracio?

or Ĉu vi povas rekomendi unu bona restoracio?

chell

Hello Chell

To ask a question you need to do one of two things, use one of the k- tablewords kiu, kiam, kie, etc... or use the interrogative particle cxu

your first sentence would mean

You can (you have the ability to) recommend one good restaurant. Without the cxu particle, it's a statement.

By adding it, you turn it into a question. I would say it like this:

Cxu vi povas rekomendi bonan restoracion?

note a couple of other things. you're recommending something, restaurant is an object of the verb recommend. Therefore it (and its adjective) need the accusative -n ending.

Also, I've omitted the word unu from your sentence. Esperanto doesn't use the indefinite articles (a or an). So, hundo can be either "a dog" or just "dog" pomo can be "an apple" or just "apple"

Therefore, "Cxu vi povas rekomendi bonan restoracion?" means "Can you recommend a good restaurant?"

As I said before, you can also use one of the k- tablewords to ask questions, because these words kie = where, kiam = when, etc... are interrogative in nature.

for example

Kie oni povas trovi bonan restoracion? = Where can one find a a good restuarant?

would also be a possible choice for your question.

Dankon!

Don't know why I forgot to add the -n suffix to restoracio and bona...

Okay, so cxu is used to form questions (or those k-words).

Thank you.

Dear Chell,
You will also quickly get used to forms like...

"Kie troveblas rekomendinda restoracio?", "Where would a recommendable restaurant could be found?"

or "Ĉu tiu restoracio indas?", "Is this a worthy restaurant?"

It's beside your question, but I'm guessing you could like to learn about it. Sorry if I'm just mentionning stuff that you already knew about.

chell:Okay, so ĉu is used to form questions (or those k-words).

"Ĉu" forms a question which can be replied by yes or no. "Ĉu" means, more or less "is it true that...?".