joan: noa / zoaz / doa

Going (Noa, Zoaz, Doa)

Level 1

Etxera noa. (I am going home.) Nora zoaz? (Where are you going?) Autobus hau Donostiara doa. (This bus goes to Donostia.)

How It Works

The forms

  • ni noa: I am going
  • zu zoaz: you are going
  • hura doa: he, she or it is going
  • gu goaz: we are going
  • zuek zoazte: you all are going
  • haiek doaz: they are going

Where to
The place you go to takes -ra: Etxera noa. Lanera goaz. Ask with nora: Nora zoaz?

Right now or as a habit
For going that is happening at this moment, use the one-word form: Orain etxera noa. (I’m going home now.) In standard Basque, the -tzen form joaten naiz does not describe this one trip. Only varieties that have lost the one-word forms use it that way. For a habit, both work: Egunero lanera noa and Egunero lanera joaten naiz both mean “I go to work every day.” In the south, speakers also use these forms for plans in the next day or so: Bihar Bilbora goaz. (We’re going to Bilbao tomorrow.)

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, like the place, or add ba-: Etxera noa, or Banoa! (I’m off!) In the negative, say Ez noa. (I’m not going.)

Going to do something
Use a verb in -tzera to say what you are going to do: Ogia erostera noa. (I’m going to buy bread.)

Examples (6)

  1. Etxera noa.

    I’m going home.

    noa is the “I” form; etxera takes -ra because it is the destination.

  2. Nora zoaz?

    Where are you going?

    zoaz is the “you” form.

  3. Autobus hau Donostiara doa.

    This bus goes to Donostia.

    doa is the form for he, she or it.

  4. Lanera goaz.

    We are going to work.

    goaz is the “we” form.

  5. Ogia erostera noa.

    I’m going to buy bread.

    erostera (to buy) tells the purpose of going.

  6. Zuek ere hondartzara zoazte?

    Are you all going to the beach too?

    zoazte is the plural “you” form.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the -tzen form for a trip that is happening now.

    Orain etxera joaten naiz.
    Orain etxera noa.

    For the intended meaning “I’m going home now”, standard Basque uses noa. Here joaten naiz would describe a habit. Only varieties that have lost the one-word forms use it for a trip happening now.

  • Using the “where” ending instead of “where to”.

    Etxean noa.
    Etxera noa.

    Etxean means “at home”. When you move toward a place, use -ra: etxera.

  • Using the wrong person form.

    Zu nora doa?
    Zu nora zoaz?

    doa is for he, she or it. With zu (you), the form is zoaz.

How It Connects

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

joan: noa / zoaz / doaLevel 1Going (Noa, Zoaz, Doa)

Learn This First

joan builds on synthetic egon and the allative.

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Words in This Pattern

joan