bezain

As ... as: Bezain

Level 2

Put bezain after the thing you compare with and before the adjective: Ane Mikel bezain altua da (Ane is as tall as Mikel).

How It Works

1. Word order. Nire etxea zurea bezain handia da (My house is as big as yours). bezain and the adjective stay together as one block: bezain handia.

2. Not as ... as. With ez it means "not as ... as": Bilbo ez da Madril bezain handia (Bilbao is not as big as Madrid).

3. With adverbs. Anek zuk bezain ondo hitz egiten du (Ane speaks as well as you do). The compared word takes the same ending as its partner: Anek … zuk.

4. As much, as many. For amounts use adina after the compared word: Nik zuk adina liburu ditut (I have as many books as you). See adina and bezainbeste.

5. bezain or bezala? bezala means "like, the way": Ane, Mikel bezala, altua da (Ane, like Mikel, is tall) says both are tall, not that they are the same height. See -(e)n bezala.

Tip: ahal den bezain laster means "as soon as possible". Another way to say this is in ahalik eta + -en.

Examples (6)

  1. Ane Mikel bezain altua da.

    Ane is as tall as Mikel.

  2. Ez da zu bezain azkarra.

    He isn't as quick as you.

    ez + bezain: not as ... as.

  3. Hemengo kafea etxekoa bezain ona da.

    The coffee here is as good as the coffee at home.

    etxekoa means "the one at home".

  4. Bilbo ez da Madril bezain handia.

    Bilbao is not as big as Madrid.

  5. Anek zuk bezain ondo hitz egiten du euskaraz.

    Ane speaks Basque as well as you do.

    zuk has -k because Anek has -k.

  6. Ahal den bezain laster etorriko naiz.

    I will come as soon as I can.

    A fixed phrase: "as soon as possible".

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -ago as well.

    Ane Mikel bezain altuagoa da.
    Ane Mikel bezain altua da.

    bezain already makes the comparison. -ago is only for "more than" with baino.

  • Separating bezain from its adjective.

    Ane Mikel bezain da altua.
    Ane Mikel bezain altua da.

    bezain and the adjective stay together: bezain altua.

How It Connects

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

bezainLevel 2As ... as: Bezain

Learn This First

bezain follows the comparative.

Words in This Pattern

bezain