0

In doing the Duo. Esperanto Home topic, I came across this sentence about a knife being a tool for cutting. I used tranĉa and was corrected in that it should be tranĉi, which I "thought" was the verb meaning 'to cut'. So am I to assume that "tranĉi" means to cut as well as cutting.? The sentence being...a knife is a tool for cutting.

Improve this question
3
  • 3
    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because the question is not of general interest, but is a question specific to the asker, and therefore better addressed on the Duolingo Esperanto board (where the question was also asked and answered) or on the FB group Duolingo Esperanto Learners.
    – Tomaso Alexander
    Commented Dec 23, 2017 at 21:17
  • I brought this question to this fourm because I felt I did not get the answer I was looking for. Wether it is of general intrest is a matter of opinion that could be applied to almost any question. So, as a beginner, I should not ask a question because it might not be of intrest.??
    – lapenso
    Commented Dec 24, 2017 at 18:52
  • I know there are people who disagree with me here, but when this site was launched, it was explained that it was needed as a way to track common and difficult questions about Esperanto. The difference between tranĉi and tranĉa strikes me as a perfect example of the kind of question which should be answered in a basic Esperanto course. If you didn't get the answer you were looking for, I would encourage you to request a clarification and explain what was not clear. I doubt your question will receive more close votes, but IMHO, yes, I think this question is specific to you.
    – Tomaso Alexander
    Commented Dec 24, 2017 at 22:08

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

You can indeed use "cutting" as an adjective, for example saying something has a "cutting edge" (or is "cutting edge").

However, in the sentence you gave, I believe it is a gerund. You can hear it as something similar to "a knife is a tool (for) to cut". In that case, in Esperanto it becomes an (infinitive) verb, and so it would be "Tranĉilo estas ilo por tranĉi."

Improve this answer
1

Trenton, I saw your question on the Duolingo board and answered it there yesterday.

The confusion here is over English.

  • tranĉa malvarmo - a cutting cold(ness)
  • ilo por tranĉi - a tool for cutting.

Verbs vs adjectives.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.