Basque/First Lesson
< Basque
In Basque there are two irregular verbs, izan and egon, that both mean to be, although they are used very differently. The distinction is similar to that of the verbs "ser" and "estar" in Spanish and Portugues.
IZAN
editTo talk about lasting attributes or essential qualities, we use the verb izan:
| Izan / To be | ||
|---|---|---|
| Basque | English | Notes |
| Ni naiz | I am | |
| Hi haiz (*) | You are (sing.) | Friendly, informal. Less frequent. |
| Hura da | He is | |
| Gu gara | We are | |
| Zu zara | You are (sing.) | Neutral or slightly formal. More frequent than hi haiz |
| Zuek zarete | You are (pl.) | Neutral or slightly formal. |
| Haiek dira | They are | |
(*) Although the hi conjugations were more common in the past, zu have become more frequent in recent years. In some territories, such as Bizkaia, the conjugations of hi have practically disappeared from everyday speech, especially among the younger generations.
EGON
editWhen we talk about condition or a state, we use the verb egon:
| Egon / To be | ||
|---|---|---|
| Basque | English | Notes |
| Ni nago | I am | |
| Hi hago (*) | You are (sing.) | Friendly, informal. Less frequent. |
| Hura dago | He is | |
| Gu gaude | We are | |
| Zu zaude | You are (sing.) | Neutral or slightly formal. More frequent than hi haiz |
| Zuek zaudete | You are (pl.) | Neutral or slightly formal. |
| Haiek daude | They are | |