-(r)entzat

For: -(r)entzat

Level 2

Add -(r)entzat to say who something is for: Opari hau zuretzat da (This present is for you), Kafe bat niretzat, mesedez (A coffee for me, please).

How It Works

1. Take the -(r)en form and add -tzat. Anything that takes -(r)en can take -tzat:

  • Names: Ane → Anerentzat, Mikel → Mikelentzat
  • One person with the article: umea → umearentzat (for the child)
  • More than one: umeak → umeentzat (for the children), gurasoak → gurasoentzat (for the parents)
  • Pronouns, from the possessives: niretzat, zuretzat, harentzat, guretzat, zuentzat, haientzat

2. Mostly for people. -(r)entzat is used mostly with people and with groups seen as people, such as a town, a school or a team. For a place you are going to, or for a purpose, use -rako: Txartel hau Bilborako da (This ticket is for Bilbao).

3. "In my opinion". Niretzat can also mean "for me" in the sense of "in my view": Niretzat, hau da onena (For me, this is the best one).

4. "For" is not "to". A receiver takes -(r)i and changes the auxiliary: Amari eman diot (I have given it to Mum). With -(r)entzat the auxiliary does not change: Amarentzat erosi dut (I have bought it for Mum).

Examples (6)

  1. Opari hau zuretzat da.

    This present is for you.

    zure (your) + -tzat.

  2. Kafe bat niretzat, mesedez.

    A coffee for me, please.

    nire (my) + -tzat.

  3. Ogia erosi dut amonarentzat.

    I have bought bread for Grandma.

    The auxiliary is plain dut: -(r)entzat does not change it.

  4. Liburu hau umeentzat da.

    This book is for children.

    umeen (of the children) + -tzat.

  5. Norentzat da lore sorta hau?

    Who is this bunch of flowers for?

    norentzat asks "for whom?".

  6. Niretzat, euskara ez da zaila.

    For me, Basque is not difficult.

    Here niretzat means "in my view".

Common Mistakes

  • Using -(r)i to mean "for".

    Opari hau amari da.
    Opari hau amarentzat da.

    -(r)i means "to" and goes with a receiver auxiliary such as diot. To say who something is for, use -(r)entzat: amarentzat.

  • Using -(r)entzat for a destination.

    Txartel hau Bilborentzat da.
    Txartel hau Bilborako da.

    The ticket is for travelling to Bilbao. A destination or a purpose takes -rako. Bilborentzat would mean "for the city of Bilbao", as if the city were getting the ticket.

  • Adding -entzat to the plain pronoun.

    Kafe bat nientzat.
    Kafe bat niretzat.

    Build it from the possessive form nire (my): niretzat, zuretzat, guretzat.

How It Connects

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

-(r)entzatLevel 2For: -(r)entzat

Learn This First

-(r)entzat builds on the genitive.