guztiak / denak / osoa

All and Whole

Level 2

Put guzti after the noun and give it the article: ikasle guztiak (all the students). osoa means whole: egun osoa (the whole day).

How It Works

guzti: all. guzti comes after the noun and takes the article, just like an adjective:

  • ikasle guztiak (all the students)
  • etxe guztiak (all the houses)
  • diru guztia (all the money)

Case endings go on guzti, at the end of the phrase: ikasle guztiek (all the students, as doers), ikasle guztiekin (with all the students), etxe guztietan (in all the houses). A plural subject needs a plural verb: Ikasle guztiak etorri dira.

dena and denak: everything and everyone. These usually stand on their own. dena is singular and is used for things: Dena ondo dago (Everything is fine). denak is plural and means everyone or all of them, for people or things: Denak etorri dira (Everyone has come). They take case endings too: denek (everyone, as doers), denekin (with everyone). dena comes from da (is), but it does not change in the past: it is Dena bazekien (He knew everything), not zena.

osoa: whole. oso after a noun, with the article, means whole: egun osoa (the whole day), mundu osoa (the whole world). In the singular, guzti can mean the same thing: egun guztia is also the whole day. But the plural egun guztiak means all the days, that is, every day.

oso before an adjective means very. Watch the position: etxe osoa (the whole house), but etxe oso handia (a very big house). See oso, nahiko, samar.

Including yourself. When the group includes the speaker or the listener, the -ok ending is used: Denok etorri gara (We have all come).

Examples (6)

  1. Ikasle guztiak etorri dira.

    All the students have come.

    guzti follows the noun and carries the plural article -ak.

  2. Denak etorri dira.

    Everyone has come.

    denak stands alone and means everyone or all of them.

  3. Dena ondo dago.

    Everything is fine.

    dena is singular and is used for things.

  4. Egun osoa lanean egon naiz.

    I have been at work the whole day.

    egun osoa means the whole day.

  5. Diru guztia gastatu dut.

    I have spent all the money.

    With a singular noun, guztia means all of it.

  6. Nire lagun guztiek badakite.

    All my friends know.

    guztiek is the doer form of guztiak, used because jakin has a doer.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting guzti before the noun, as in English all the students.

    Guzti ikasleak etorri dira.
    Ikasle guztiak etorri dira.

    guzti comes after the noun and carries the article, so the phrase is ikasle guztiak.

  • Using singular dena for a group of people.

    Dena etorri dira.
    Denak etorri dira.

    dena is singular and means everything. For everyone or all of them, use plural denak with a plural verb.

  • Using the plural egun guztiak when you mean the whole day.

    Egun guztiak lanean egon naiz.
    Egun osoa lanean egon naiz.

    egun guztiak means all the days, or every day. For one whole day, use egun osoa (or singular egun guztia).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

guztiak / denak / osoaLevel 2All and Whole

Learn This First

All and whole follow the quantity words.

Words in This Pattern

guztiguztiaguztiakguztiakosodenguztia