"They ask, and we answer."

Translation: Ili demandas, kaj ni respondas.

[JamesTWils]

Could this also be ili petas? I would have thought they were asking for something or for someone to do something.

[makis_eo]

demandi - to ask (a question)
peti - to ask for, request

[JamesTWils]

Right, that is my point. When someone says "they ask, and we answer," I would have thought it did not mean we were conveying information to them, but rather that we were saying "yes, sir" and the doing whatever ili petis.

[makis_eo]

Hah, jen kial mi ne ŝatas respondi angle. Jen, per BER:

• demandi: diri ion al iu por ekscii ion (to say something to someone in order to know something)
• peti: diri, ke oni deziras ekhavi aĵon aŭ servon; diri, ke oni deziras, ke iu faru ion; diri "bonvolu.... -i" (to say that you desire to have a thing or service; to say that you desire that someone does something; to say "please.... [do])"

[JamesTWils]

I suppose the answer to my question, then, is that one would be clearer saying this in Esperanto, but what I would understand, if someone were to say "They ask and we answer," would be possible, since I would understand that to mean "Ili petas kaj ni respondas." "Will you go and fight on my behalf?" "Yes sir, of course, sir."

[makis_eo]

Hmmm. Ok, how I might use this sentence realistically:

• Ili demandas (al ni ĉu ni ŝatas kukon) kaj ni respondas (ke ni ne ŝatas kukon!)
• Ili petas (ke ni ne plu faru tion) kaj ni respondas (fek' al vi! Ni faru tion, kion vi volas!)

[High_Raccoon]

ĉu ĝi estas pridemandado?