bere / haren

His Own or Someone Else's

Level 2

Use bere for his or her own: Mikelek bere autoa saldu du (Mikel has sold his own car). Use haren for someone else's: Mikelek haren autoa saldu du (Mikel has sold his car, another man's).

How It Works

bere: his own, her own. Use bere when the owner is a person already in the same clause's verb. Most often that is the subject: Anek bere gela garbitu du (Ane has cleaned her own room). It can also be the person in nor or nori: Miren bere etxera joan da (Miren has gone to her own house).

haren: his, her (someone else's). haren is the ordinary possessive from Possessive Pronouns. Use it when the owner is not in that verb: Jon etorri da, baina haren emaztea ez (Jon has come, but his wife has not).

Plural. For several owners, use beren (their own) and haien (their, someone else's): Ikasleek beren liburuak ekarri dituzte (The students have brought their own books). euren is also standard and means the same as beren. In the South you will also hear beraien, but style guides advise keeping to beren (or euren) and haien.

Why it matters. The choice changes the meaning. Mikelek bere autoa saldu du is his own car. Mikelek haren autoa saldu du is somebody else's car.

In everyday speech. In Western and Southern speech, bere is often used for any his or her, like Spanish su. Phrases like Josu eta bere lagunak (Josu and his friends) are accepted. In careful writing, use haren when the owner is someone else. That keeps the sentence clear.

bere also forms the reflexive bere burua (himself, herself). See Oneself: bere burua.

Examples (6)

  1. Mikelek bere autoa saldu du.

    Mikel has sold his own car.

    bere points back to Mikel, the subject.

  2. Mikelek haren autoa saldu du.

    Mikel has sold his car (someone else's).

    haren points to another man already mentioned.

  3. Anek bere amari deitu dio.

    Ane has called her mother.

  4. Miren bere etxera joan da.

    Miren has gone to her own house.

    The owner is Miren, the nor person of da.

  5. Ikasleek beren liburuak ekarri dituzte.

    The students have brought their own books.

    beren is the plural of bere.

  6. Jon etorri da, baina haren emaztea ez.

    Jon has come, but his wife has not.

    In the second part the verb is about the wife, so the owner Jon takes haren.

Common Mistakes

  • Using haren for the subject's own things.

    Anek haren gela garbitu du.
    Anek bere gela garbitu du.

    Anek haren gela garbitu du means Ane cleaned someone else's room. For her own room, use bere.

  • Using haien for the subject's own things in the plural.

    Ikasleek haien liburuak ekarri dituzte.
    Ikasleek beren liburuak ekarri dituzte.

    haien means other people's books. When the students bring their own books, use beren.

How It Connects

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

bere / harenLevel 2His Own or Someone Else's

Learn This First

bere and haren follow the possessive pronouns.

Words in This Pattern

berebereberenharenhaien