"Fotilo estas ilo por foti."

Translation: A camera is a tool for taking a picture.

[PetrDiblik]

Why is it "taking a picture" and not "taking pictures"? I wouldn't like to have a camera for a single picture only. :-)

[Oceanotti]

I agree with you. I had a camera that broke after the first shot and I got really upset.

Maybe you should report it next time. In fact, I would suggest “A camera is a tool for photographing”, which IMO covers all bases.

[Lohnesinpr]

why does Camera need an A in front of it?

[mizinamo]

Because countable nouns in English nearly always need some kind of determiner in the singular - an article such as "a" or "the", a possessive adjective such as "my", a word such as "many" or "all", etc.

[AGreatUserName]

Cameras are countable. Indefinite, singular countable nouns are preceded with "a" or "an". If you just say "Camera", it sounds like the name of someone or something specific.

[AnnaLowenstein]

"Fotilo" means either "camera" or "a camera". There's no word for "a/an" in Esperanto. But in English you wouldn't say "Camera is a tool for taking photos".

[lun678602]

Akvo malsekas!