beldur naiz ... ote

Fearing That

Level 5

To say what you are afraid might happen, put the worry in a clause with -(e)n, usually with ote: Beldur naiz berandu iritsiko ote garen (I am afraid we might arrive late).

How It Works

1. The pattern. Beldur + a form of izan (naiz, zara, da, gara, nintzen) + a clause whose verb ends in -(e)n, often with ote just before the auxiliary:

  • Beldur naiz berandu iritsiko ote garen.
  • Zerbait gertatu ote zaion beldur gara. (We are afraid something may have happened to him.)
  • Ama konturatuko ote zen beldur nintzen. (I was afraid my mother would notice.)

The verb form is the same as in an indirect question. A question word can also start the clause: Beldur naiz zer esango ote duten (I am afraid of what they might say).

2. The tricky ez. After beldur, an ez inside an ote clause often does not make it negative. It works as a softener, the way Ez ote da berandu? means "Isn't it (perhaps) late?". The Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia lists many such examples as "expletive negation": Beldur naiz ez ote den uste baino zailagoa izango means I am afraid it may be harder than we think. So a sentence like Beldur naiz ez ote den etorriko can be read two ways, and only the context decides.

3. A clear negative fear with -(e)la. To say plainly that you fear something will not happen, use a -(e)la clause, where ez is a real negative: Beldur naiz ez digula emango (I am afraid he will not give it to us). The -(e)la version sounds more certain: you expect the bad news.

4. Fear of doing something. With a verb and no new subject, use -tzeko: Erortzeko beldur naiz (I am afraid of falling). With a noun, use -(r)en: Txakurren beldur naiz. These are covered in gose, egarri, beldur izan.

Tip: Worried it might happen: -(e)n with ote, no ez. Sure it will not happen: ez ... -(e)la.

Examples (6)

  1. Beldur naiz berandu iritsiko ote garen.

    I am afraid we might arrive late.

  2. Zerbait gertatu ote zaion beldur gara.

    We are afraid something may have happened to him.

    The worry can come before beldur.

  3. Ama konturatuko ote zen beldur nintzen.

    I was afraid my mother would notice.

  4. Beldur naiz zer esango ote duten.

    I am afraid of what they might say.

  5. Beldur naiz ez dela etorriko.

    I am afraid he will not come.

    With -(e)la, ez is a real negative.

  6. Beldur naiz ez ote den uste baino zailagoa izango.

    I am afraid it may be harder than we think.

    Here ez does not make the sentence negative: the fear is that it will be harder.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the -n off after ote.

    Beldur naiz berandu iritsiko ote gara.
    Beldur naiz berandu iritsiko ote garen.

    The feared event is a subordinate clause, so its auxiliary needs -(e)n: garen, not gara.

How It Connects

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

beldur naiz ... oteLevel 5Fearing That

Learn This First

Fearing that combines beldur, ote and -(e)n.

Words in This Pattern

beldur izanbeldurote