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Use of -n at the end of the words

by omid17, October 28, 2010

Messages: 4

Language: English

omid17 (User's profile) October 28, 2010, 1:22:22 PM

I know that when a noun including it's adjectives whatsoever, takes the role of an object, then we add an n to the end of it.

I saw this in Gerda Malaperis, and can not understand the n in semajno, as it is not an object here:

Verŝajne, sed mi ne scias certe. Mi estas ĉi tie apenaŭ
unu semajnon

I don't understand this, can anyone please explain what happens here?

oxymor (User's profile) October 28, 2010, 2:07:58 PM

It's an other rule, you have to add -n also when you want to remove a preposion (the context must be sufficient to understand what you mean without the preposition).

Here : antaŭ apenaŭ 1 semajno = apenaŭ 1 semajnon

I don't think that this rule is related to the main rule (but maybe it is).

tommjames (User's profile) October 28, 2010, 2:23:12 PM

The "n" ending can be used on time and measurement expressions instead of a preposition (such as "dum", "je" etc). In the example you cite from Gerda Malaperis I would say that "dum" is the preposition which the accusative ending is standing in for, rather than "antaŭ".

I would translate "Mi estas ĉi tie apenaŭ unu semajnon" as "I've been here for barely a week". Using the preposition instead, it would be "Mi estas ĉi tie dum apenaŭ unu semajno".

omid17 (User's profile) October 28, 2010, 2:56:25 PM

Thanks for the answers

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