egon naiz / izan naiz

Having Been Somewhere

Level 2

Parisen izan naiz (I have been to Paris, a visit). Parisen bi urte egon naiz (I have spent two years in Paris). Irakasle izan naiz (I have been a teacher). Gaixorik egon naiz (I have been ill).

How It Works

The forms. Both are nor verbs, so they use the present of izan as the auxiliary, like any present perfect: izan naiz, izan zara, izan da; egon naiz, egon zara, egon da. With izan, the participle and the auxiliary come from the same verb: izan naiz.

What someone has been: izan. Jobs, roles and identity take izan, just as in the present: Irakasle izan naiz (I have been a teacher). Alkatea izan da (She has been the mayor).

Where someone has been.

  • izan for a visit, a trip or being at an event: Inoiz Parisen izan zara? (Have you ever been to Paris?) Gaur goizean bankuan izan naiz (I have been to the bank this morning).
  • egon for a stay, often with a length of time: Hiru hilabete egon naiz Londresen (I have spent three months in London).

The line is soft. In the South many speakers also use egon for a visit, as in Inoiz Bilbon egon zara?, and both are correct. What never changes is that the place takes -n.

How someone has been: egon. Temporary states usually take egon, as in the present: Gaixorik egon naiz (I have been ill), Oso lanpetuta egon gara (We have been very busy). See Choosing izan or egon and states with -ta and -rik.

Examples (6)

  1. Inoiz Parisen izan zara?

    Have you ever been to Paris?

    izan for a visit. Inoiz Parisen egon zara? is also heard.

  2. Gaur goizean bankuan izan naiz.

    I have been to the bank this morning.

  3. Hiru hilabete egon naiz Londresen.

    I have spent three months in London.

    egon stresses the stay and its length.

  4. Irakasle izan naiz, eta orain itzultzailea naiz.

    I have been a teacher, and now I am a translator.

    A job is what someone is, so it takes izan.

  5. Aste honetan gaixorik egon naiz.

    I have been ill this week.

    A temporary state takes egon.

  6. Gure lagunak Bilbon izan dira asteburuan.

    Our friends have been in Bilbao this weekend.

Common Mistakes

  • Using egon for what someone has been.

    Irakasle egon naiz.
    Irakasle izan naiz.

    A job or role is what someone is, so it takes izan, in the perfect as in the present.

  • Using the nork auxiliary.

    Parisen izan dut.
    Parisen izan naiz.

    izan and egon are nor verbs, so their perfect uses naiz. izan dut means I have had.

How It Connects

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

egon naiz / izan naizLevel 2Having Been Somewhere

Learn This First

This builds on izan and egon and the perfect.

Words in This Pattern

egonizan