multajn

Multajn is an Esperanto word used to express a large quantity with countable nouns in the accusative case. It is the accusative plural form of the determiner multa, which conveys “many” or “much.” In Esperanto, adjectives and determiners take the accusative suffix -n when the noun they modify is in the accusative, so multajn marks both plurality and the accusative.

The related nominative plural form is multaj, while multajn specifically appears in the accusative plural. The base form multa is used in other constructions, such as before a noun in the nominative or in contexts that do not require the accusative ending.

Usage notes include that multajn is used before plural nouns in the accusative, for example: Mi vidis multajn homojn (I saw many people) and Mi legos multajn librojn (I will read many books). For describing large quantities with uncountable or non-count nouns, Esperanto offers other constructions, such as combining multe with da, for instance, multe da homoj (many people). This alternative emphasizes quantity without triggering the accusative on the noun.

In comparison to other forms, multajn is restricted to the accusative plural; its usage differs from the adverbial or determiner-based constructions that use multe or da with a noun. The term is primarily a matter of grammatical form rather than a separate lexical item, and it is characteristic of Esperanto’s inflectional system.

See also: Esperanto grammar, accusative case in Esperanto, multa, multaj, multe da, da-phrase constructions.