etorri: nator / zatoz / dator

Coming (Nator, Zatoz, Dator)

Level 1

Nondik zatoz? (Where are you coming from?) Autobusa dator. (The bus is coming.) Lanetik nator. (I’m coming from work.)

How It Works

The forms

  • ni nator: I am coming
  • zu zatoz: you are coming
  • hura dator: he, she or it is coming
  • gu gatoz: we are coming
  • zuek zatozte: you all are coming
  • haiek datoz: they are coming

Where from, where to
The starting point takes -tik, and you ask with nondik: Nondik zatoz? Lanetik nator. The goal takes -ra or hona (to here): Autobusa hona dator. (The bus is coming here.)

Right now or as a habit
For coming that is happening now, use the one-word form: Ane autoz dator. (Ane is coming by car.) For a habit, both forms work: Ane egunero dator and Ane egunero etortzen da both mean “Ane comes every day.”

Starting a sentence
In everyday standard Basque, a one-word verb does not open a plain statement on its own. Put something in front of it, or add ba-: Ekaitza dator or Badator ekaitza (A storm is coming).

Commands and more
zatoz is also the command “Come!”, and a command can come first: Zatoz hona! (Come here!) See Simple Commands. You will also meet dator in datorren astean (next week), which literally means “in the week that is coming”.

Examples (6)

  1. Nondik zatoz?

    Where are you coming from?

    nondik asks for the starting point.

  2. Autobusa dator.

    The bus is coming.

    dator is the form for he, she or it.

  3. Lanetik nator.

    I’m coming from work.

    lanetik takes -tik because it is the starting point.

  4. Gure lagunak bihar datoz.

    Our friends are coming tomorrow.

    datoz agrees with the plural lagunak. Southern speakers use this form for plans in the next day or so.

  5. Ekaitza dator.

    A storm is coming.

    Ekaitza comes first, so dator does not open the sentence.

  6. Zatoz hona!

    Come here!

    As a command, zatoz can start the sentence.

Common Mistakes

  • Asking “where” instead of “where from”.

    Non zatoz?
    Nondik zatoz?

    non asks where something is. To ask where someone is coming from, use nondik.

  • Using the singular form with a plural subject.

    Lagunak dator.
    Lagunak datoz.

    lagunak (the friends) is plural, so the verb is datoz.

  • Starting a plain statement with the verb.

    Dator ekaitza.
    Badator ekaitza.

    In everyday standard Basque, a one-word verb does not open a statement on its own. Add ba- (Badator ekaitza) or put ekaitza first (Ekaitza dator).

How It Connects

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etorri: nator / zatoz / datorLevel 1Coming (Nator, Zatoz, Dator)

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etorri follows joan and the ablative.

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