dakart / daramat

Bringing and Carrying: Dakart, Daramat

Level 4

ekarri (bring) and eraman (take, carry) have their own present forms, like jakin: Zer dakarzu? (What are you bringing?) Umeak eskolara daramatzat (I am taking the children to school).

How It Works

The forms. The subject is ergative (nik, zuk, hark...), and -tza- is added when the object is plural:

  • ekarri: nik dakart, zuk dakarzu, hark dakar, guk dakargu, zuek dakarzue, haiek dakarte; plural object dakartzat, dakartzazu, dakartza, dakartzagu, dakartzazue, dakartzate
  • eraman: nik daramat, zuk daramazu, hark darama, guk daramagu, zuek daramazue, haiek daramate; plural object daramatzat, daramatzazu, daramatza, daramatzagu, daramatzazue, daramatzate

Bring or take. Like etorri and joan, ekarri is movement toward where the speaker is, and eraman is movement away: Zer dakarzu? (What are you bringing?), Nora daramazu? (Where are you taking it?).

Now or usually. Use the synthetic form for what is happening at the moment and the -tzen form for habits: Ardoa daramat afarira (I am taking wine to the dinner), but Beti ardoa eramaten dut (I always take wine).

Other uses. eraman also means to wear: Soineko gorria darama (She is wearing a red dress). ekarri can say what a text or the news contains: Gaurko egunkariak albiste ona dakar (Today's paper has good news).

How long. With a length of time as its object, eraman says how long something has lasted up to now, usually with a -tzen verb or a place. The verb agrees with the time phrase: urte bat daramat (singular) but hiru urte daramatzat (plural). Hiru urte daramatzat euskara ikasten. Zenbat denbora daramazu hemen? (How long have you been here?)

The past forms follow the same pattern: zekarren (he was bringing), zeraman (she was wearing, carrying).

Examples (6)

  1. Zer dakarzu poltsan?

    What are you bringing in the bag?

  2. Ogia eta gazta dakartzat.

    I am bringing bread and cheese.

    Two things, so the plural -tza- form.

  3. Umeak eskolara daramatzat.

    I am taking the children to school.

  4. Soineko gorria darama.

    She is wearing a red dress.

    eraman also means to wear.

  5. Gaurko egunkariak albiste ona dakar.

    Today's newspaper has good news.

  6. Hiru urte daramatzat euskara ikasten.

    I have been learning Basque for three years.

    hiru urte is plural, so daramatzat.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the singular form with a plural length of time.

    Bi urte daramat Bilbon bizitzen.
    Bi urte daramatzat Bilbon bizitzen.

    The time phrase is the object, and bi urte is plural, so the verb needs -tza-. With urte bat or hilabete bat, the singular daramat is right.

  • Mixing up the person endings.

    Nik ogia dakar.
    Nik ogia dakart.

    The ending shows the subject: -t for nik, -zu for zuk, no ending for hark.

How It Connects

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

dakart / daramatLevel 4Bringing and Carrying: Dakart, Daramat

Learn This First

Bringing and carrying follow jakin and etorri.

Words in This Pattern

ekarrieraman