-tzera + Motion Verb

Going to Do: -tzera

Level 2

With verbs of motion, -tzera says what you go to do: Erostera noa (I am going shopping). Igeri egitera goaz (We are going swimming).

How It Works

How to make it. Take the -tzen form and change the final -n to -ra:

  • erosi → erosten → erostera (to go buying)
  • ikusi → ikusten → ikustera (to see)
  • bazkaldu → bazkaltzen → bazkaltzera (to have lunch)
  • igeri egin → igeri egiten → igeri egitera (to swim)

This is the allative -ra you already know from etxera and Bilbora. The activity is treated like a destination.

Which verbs? -tzera goes with verbs of moving: joan (go), etorri (come), atera or irten (go out), igo (go up), jaitsi (go down). It also goes with bidali (send): Ogia erostera bidali naute (They have sent me to buy bread). The motion verb keeps its usual forms: noa, zoaz, doa, nator, zatoz, dator, etorri naiz, joango gara.

Objects. What you go to do can have an object, placed before the verb: Mikel ogia erostera joan da (Mikel has gone to buy bread).

Regional note. In much of Bizkaia, people use the -tzen form here instead: erosten noa, lagunari bisita egiten joan da. Standard Basque uses -tzera: erostera noa.

-tzera or -tzeko? For go or come to do, -tzera is the everyday choice. -tzeko states the purpose more generally, with any verb: Euskara ikasteko etorri naiz (I came in order to learn Basque).

Real movement only. -tzera describes going somewhere to do something. It is not the Basque way to make a plain future, as English does with going to. For that, use the future -ko: Bihar euria egingo du (It is going to rain tomorrow).

Examples (6)

  1. Erostera noa.

    I am going shopping.

    erostera tells what you are going to do.

  2. Igeri egitera goaz.

    We are going swimming.

  3. Amona gu ikustera etorri da.

    Grandma has come to see us.

    gu is the object of ikusi and comes before ikustera.

  4. Mikel ogia erostera joan da.

    Mikel has gone to buy bread.

  5. Bihar bazkaltzera etorriko zarete?

    Will you all come for lunch tomorrow?

  6. Ama erosketak egitera atera da.

    Mum has gone out to do the shopping.

    atera (go out) is also a verb of motion.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -ra to the dictionary form.

    Amona gu ikusira etorri da.
    Amona gu ikustera etorri da.

    -ra goes on the -tze stem, not on the dictionary form: ikusi becomes ikustera.

  • Using the bare participle.

    Igeri egin goaz.
    Igeri egitera goaz.

    After a motion verb, the activity needs the -tzera ending: egin becomes egitera.

  • Using the verbal noun -tzea without -ra.

    Ogia erostea noa.
    Ogia erostera noa.

    -tzea is a noun form for subjects and objects. Going somewhere needs the allative, so add -ra: erostera.

How It Connects

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

-tzera + Motion VerbLevel 2Going to Do: -tzera

Learn This First

-tzera needs the verbal noun and joan.

Words in This Pattern

joanetorri