adina / bezainbeste

As Much as

Level 4

Put adina or bezainbeste after the thing you compare with: Nik zuk adina dakit. (I know as much as you.) Nahi duzun bezainbeste jan. (Eat as much as you want.)

How It Works

Word order. What you compare with comes first, then adina or bezainbeste, then the noun or verb:

  • Nik zuk adina dakit. (I know as much as you.)
  • Ez dut zuk adina diru irabazten. (I do not earn as much money as you.)

The noun stays bare. A noun after adina or bezainbeste takes no article, just like after a number: zuk adina liburu, nahi bezainbeste ur.

Case of the compared person. The person you compare with keeps the ending they would have in their own sentence. In Nik zuk adina dakit, it is zuk with the ergative -k, because the full idea is "as much as you know", zuk dakizun adina.

With want and need. After nahi and behar, the auxiliary can drop: nahi adina, behar bezainbeste. With a full verb it takes -(e)n: nahi duzun bezainbeste.

Which word? adina is the most common in the South. bezainbeste is also standard, but it is used less often than adina. In the East and North, bezainbat is used. For qualities, use bezain; for "more than", use gehiago ... baino.

Examples (6)

  1. Nik zuk adina dakit.

    I know as much as you.

    zuk has -k because it is "as much as you know".

  2. Nahi duzun bezainbeste jan.

    Eat as much as you want.

  3. Ez dut zuk adina diru irabazten.

    I do not earn as much money as you.

    diru stays bare after adina.

  4. Aurten ez du iaz adina euri egin.

    This year it has not rained as much as last year.

  5. Nahi adina denbora duzu.

    You have as much time as you want.

    After nahi, the auxiliary can drop.

  6. Edan ezazu behar bezainbeste ur.

    Drink as much water as you need.

Common Mistakes

  • Using adina to compare a quality.

    Ni zu adina altua naiz.
    Ni zu bezain altua naiz.

    adina and bezainbeste compare amounts. For how tall, fast or good someone is, use bezain.

  • Putting the article on the noun after adina.

    Zuk adina liburuak ditut.
    Zuk adina liburu ditut.

    The noun after adina or bezainbeste stays bare, with no -a or -ak: zuk adina liburu (as many books as you).

How It Connects

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

adina / bezainbesteLevel 4As Much as

Learn This First

As much as follows bezain and quantity words.

Words in This Pattern

bezainbeste