"Bread and water"

Translation: Pano kaj akvo

[ultrajose505]

when should I add an -n onto the end of the word? i added the -n ending onto both of the words and I got them wrong.

[Luis_Domingos]

Only when there's a direct object. You need a verb to have a direct object, so sentence fragments like this should always be unmarked.

I should add that if this sentence fragment was indeed a direct object, both would be marked:

• Mi havas panon kaj akvon.

[jxetkubo]

You need at least a hint from the context that it is a direct object to add the n. For example:

Kion vi manĝas kaj trinkas? – Panon kaj akvon.

[Connor79194]

I got it wrong when I said pano kaj akvon instead of pano kaj akvo so why then did I not need to add an n to a noun?

[jeroen0980]

i think you use +n if the word is the subject spoken about. example: mi amas vin, mi trinkas akvon, mi manĝas panon.

[Kookie2014]

What language does "akvo" come from, I wonder?

[jxetkubo]

For example from Latin: aqua. The qu sound is spelled kv in Esperanto.

[ASW00]

It is kind of a pain that they didn´t format this into a sentence. Does this happen a lot throughout the course?

[shane_anigans27]

I keep writing "y" instead of "kaj"... This is what I get for learning Esperanto after Spanish...

[Melenhawenn]

I think it could be 'panon kaj akvo', we don't know the background, right?

[jxetkubo]

No, it can’t. Both have to be in the same case because they are linked with kaj.

[Melenhawenn]

Sorry I meant Panon kaj akvon (and this was what I typed). Is that possible as an answer for example?

[jxetkubo]

Yes, of course, if the accusative was asked.

Kiun nutraĵon oni donis al vi en la malliberejo? – Panon kaj akvon.

But – as always – you need some context for this. Here we have no sign of any accusative. I have already written that above and given another example.

[Melenhawenn]

Then it shouldn't be false, there is no sign of anything (nominative as well as accusative, why should nominative only be true?). Thank you for your answer jxetkubo.

[jxetkubo]

Because an accusative is normally used for a direct object. A direct object depends on a verb. As there is no verb it cannot be an accusative. This is only an exercise. It is not about inventing contexts for other possible translations. There would be thousands. Keep that for a translator class.

[Melenhawenn]

I beg to differ on 'inventing contexts', a sentence whithout context does not exist. I find interesting to have other possibilities (certainly not thousands here) in mind than the first one even if (above all when) it is 'only an exercise', to think as immediately as possible in the language I'm learning. Well, it may not be the majority view after all.