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Esti as an Auxillary Verb?

Vespero_ :lta, 10. elokuuta 2011

Viestejä: 10

Kieli: English

Vespero_ (Näytä profiilli) 10. elokuuta 2011 18.24.19

I was reading through Esperanto, the Universal Language, compiled by J C O'Connor, B.A., Copyright 1903, and was somewhat suprised to find that it perscribed the use of esti as an auxillary verb in the way it is used in english (for progressive statements).

This is something I had never seen in my (albeit limited) study of the language. It especially makes use of this when dealing with the passive voice, saying things like "Mi estAS amATA"(emphasis on letters was being used to point out verb endings) and "Mi estIS amATA

I was under the impression that saying "Mi amantas" was "I am loving" and that one could similarly use "Mi amatas for "I am loved"/"I am being loved."

I would expound further on my conundrum, but I have no the time at present.

Please correct me if I am wrong,
Vespero.

geo63 (Näytä profiilli) 10. elokuuta 2011 19.04.39

Vespero_:I was reading through Esperanto, the Universal Language, compiled by J C O'Connor, B.A., Copyright 1903, and was somewhat suprised to find that it perscribed the use of esti as an auxillary verb in the way it is used in english (for progressive statements).

This is something I had never seen in my (albeit limited) study of the language. It especially makes use of this when dealing with the passive voice, saying things like "Mi estAS amATA"(emphasis on letters was being used to point out verb endings) and "Mi estIS amATA

I was under the impression that saying "Mi amantas" was "I am loving" and that one could similarly use "Mi amatas for "I am loved"/"I am being loved."

I would expound further on my conundrum, but I have no the time at present.

Please correct me if I am wrong,
Vespero.
Many esperantists will not understand this "antas - atas" forms well. Rather stick to the original (esti ...anta - esti ... ata) if you must use them. Passive voice is used less often in esperanto than in English.

Mi estas amanta = mi amas

Vi estas amata de mi = mi amas vin

geo63 (Näytä profiilli) 10. elokuuta 2011 19.13.44

In esperanto "esti" is not an auxilary verb in sense it is in English. Any adjectival participle is just an adjective that tells us about the quality and the action at the same time:

amanta -> kia + kion faranta

So "esti" just tells us that the object "is" of that kind and doing that action. It works as usual:

Mi estas alta = mi estas tia
Mi estas skribanta = mi estas tia, ke mi skribas nun
...

Miland (Näytä profiilli) 10. elokuuta 2011 19.19.52

Vespero_:..the use of esti as an auxillary verb .. is something I had never seen in my .. study of the language..
Well, you've seen it now! Mi estas amanta is an example of esti as an auxiliary verb or helpverbo, rather than a main verb. The equivalent in English, "I am loving" would use "loving" in an adjectival capacity, as the participial adjective does in Esperanto.

However, the general preference in Esperanto is for a simpler style; mi amas usually conveys the same information in context, so the auxiliary verb is often not necessary.

Here is a relevant page (with links) in PMEG. The first paragraph is worth studying.

Solulo (Näytä profiilli) 10. elokuuta 2011 20.24.25

Just in passing; I wonder if (and how) Esperanto distinguishes between;
- Are you serious? and
- Are you being serious?

He is being funny... and this sort of things.

Vespero_ (Näytä profiilli) 10. elokuuta 2011 20.25.05

Ah, I think I get it now. Thank you, everyone. You people are always so understanding and helpful ^^

darkweasel (Näytä profiilli) 10. elokuuta 2011 20.42.11

Solulo:Just in passing; I wonder if (and how) Esperanto distinguishes between;
- Are you serious? and
- Are you being serious?
uhm... this might be very embarassing for me but what is the difference in english? i mean, in this case - in general i am aware of the use of the continuous form.

Solulo (Näytä profiilli) 10. elokuuta 2011 21.12.23

darkweasel:
Solulo:Just in passing; I wonder if (and how) Esperanto distinguishes between;
- Are you serious? and
- Are you being serious?
uhm... this might be very embarassing for me but what is the difference in english? i mean, in this case - in general i am aware of the use of the continuous form.
Well, in my understandig and to the best of my knowledge;
Are you serious, means - Cxu vi estas serioza(homo) gxenerale.
Are you being serious - cxu vi estas serioza en cxi tiu momento, cxu vi ne sxercas?

I may be wrong. Let the natives correct me.

erinja (Näytä profiilli) 10. elokuuta 2011 21.18.50

Are you serious? = Ĉu vi estas serioza?
Are you being serious? = Ĉu vi parolas serioze?

(but "Are you serious?", in the right context, could also mean "Are you acting serious right now?", and not necessarily "Are you generally a serious person?". Context matters here.)

Vespero_ (Näytä profiilli) 10. elokuuta 2011 22.12.50

I can't really tell you the difference, honestly. I've never heard "are you being serious" (or, if I have, it was no different than "are you serious")

Linguistically, the difference is a specification of time. Colloquially, I've no clue to the difference.

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