Endings Without the Article

Level 3

Zein herritan bizi zara? (Which town do you live in?) Not herrian (in the town), because zein leaves no room for the article.

How It Works

Three sets of endings. Most Basque nouns carry an article: etxean (in the house), etxeetan (in the houses). But some words leave no place for the article, and then the ending attaches to the bare noun. Grammars call this the mugagabea (the indefinite). See case endings overview and plural case endings.

When it is used.

  • After the question words zein, zer and zenbat: zein herritan?, zer ordutan?, zenbat egunetan?
  • After numbers: hiru etxetan (in three houses), bi hizkuntzatan (in two languages); see number + noun without article.
  • After words such as asko, gutxi, zenbait and hainbat: jende gutxik daki (few people know).
  • Always with names of people and places, and with demonstratives: Bilbon, Aneri, etxe honetan; see place names in the local cases.

The endings. A noun ending in a vowel takes the first form; a noun ending in a consonant adds -e-:

  • in: -tan / -etan: herritan, egunetan
  • to: -tara / -etara: herritara, kaletara
  • from: -tatik / -etatik: herritatik
  • of a place: -tako / -etako: lau herritako alkateak
  • doer: -k / -ek: hiru ikaslek
  • to someone: -ri / -i: zein laguni?
  • with: -rekin / -ekin: zein lagunekin?
  • whose: -ren / -en: zein ikasleren?

A known group. When a number refers to a group you already know, the plural article can come back: Hiru ikasleak etorri dira (The three students have come). Without it, the group is new: Hiru ikasle etorri dira (Three students have come).

One exception to note. For how long something lasts, the singular form also appears: urte askoan (for many years).

Examples (6)

  1. Zein herritan bizi zara?

    Which town do you live in?

    After zein, the inessive is -tan, not -an.

  2. Zer ordutan hasten da filma?

    What time does the film start?

  3. Bi hizkuntzatan idazten du.

    She writes in two languages.

    After a number: hizkuntza + -tan.

  4. Hiru ikaslek galdera bera egin didate.

    Three students have asked me the same question.

    The doer ending after a number is just -k.

  5. Zein lagunekin joan zara zinemara?

    Which friend did you go to the cinema with?

    lagun ends in a consonant, so -rekin becomes -ekin.

  6. Lau herritako alkateak bildu dira.

    The mayors of four towns have met.

    The place ending -ko becomes -tako after a number.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the singular article after zein.

    Zein herrian bizi zara?
    Zein herritan bizi zara?

    zein leaves no place for the article, so the ending attaches to the bare noun: herri + -tan.

  • Using the definite form after zein with other endings too.

    Zein lagunarekin joan zara?
    Zein lagunekin joan zara?

    lagunarekin means with the friend. After zein, use the indefinite form: lagun + -ekin.

How It Connects

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

Endings Without the ArticleLevel 3

Learn This First

Indefinite forms need number-noun rules and the case overview.