30 Comments
- 15
- 15
- 15
- 14
- 14
- 13
- 12
- 10
- 9
- 8
- 8
- 6
For anyone who's wondering why ”help” is in the infinitive and not a command, it's because the word for ”please” is already a command, which literally means ”goodwill”.
- 10
- 8
- 4
- 2
I wouldn't say because it is a command, it's because it already has a tense. The main verb takes the tense the rest take the infinitive. Bonvolu manĝi mian kukon. Mi ŝatas kuri. Mi ŝatas peti helpon iam ajn mi ne povas eltrovi la kialon.
- 14
- 11
- 11
- 9
- 7
- 7
- 4
- 4
- 4
- 2
- 2
In fact I prefer even more to say "bonvole helpu min", which is still correct.
- 14
- 11
- 11
- 9
- 7
- 7
- 4
- 4
- 4
- 2
- 2
Certe cxi tio ankaux povas esti komprenata kiel ordo. "Have a good will to (verb)" a phrasal way to say please.
- 12
- 11
- 8
- 6
- 3
- 3
without "bonvolu" it changes back to "helpu": so either "bonvolu helpi min" or "helpu min"
- 13
- 10
- 4
"Mi petas" also means please. When can I use Bonvolu and when can I use, mi petas?
- 18
- 18
- 17
- 17
- 16
- 16
- 15
- 15
- 15
- 13
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 10
- 10
- 9
- 9
- 8
- 8
- 7
- 7
- 4
- 1319
It looks to me like it was formed on the model of the French "veuillez."
- 8
- 7
Someone please tell me I ain't the only one who heard the clap of some sort at the end???
- 19
- 14
- 14
- 9
- 9
- 3
- 2
Is this like in Spanish, where you can do "favor de ayudarme", and taking away the "favor de" necessitates the use of an imperative conjugation of ayudar?
- 8
- 2
- 2
So then, if I understand this correctly, "Mi petas helpi min" does not employ a command with its synonym for "please" (bonvolu & mi petas) so it wouldn't be correct to use it?
- 12
- 11
- 8
- 6
- 3
- 3
"bonvolu helpi min". It is the i-form (infinitive), because bonvolu is already in u-form (command). bonvolu literally means "have good will"
- 17
- 8
- 7
- 5
- 4
- 53
No, not really. It's a matter of preference like "Mi ŝatas" vs "plaĉas al mi."
- 25
- 19
- 8
- 8
- 5
- 5
- 5
- 2
- 23
I remember "Bonvolu" could also mean "You are welcome".
"You are welcome to help me." was not an accepted translation.
