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I Wonder: Ote

Level 3

Etorriko al da? asks: Will he come? Etorriko ote da? wonders: I wonder if he will come.

How It Works

Wondering, not asking. A question with ote does not really expect an answer from the listener. It adds doubt, worry or curiosity, much like English I wonder or could it be:

  • Etorriko ote da? (I wonder if he will come.)
  • Non ote dago nire telefonoa? (Where could my phone be?)
  • Zer gertatu ote da? (I wonder what has happened.)

Where it goes. ote comes directly before the auxiliary, or before the verb itself when the verb is a single word like dago or daki. Nothing comes between ote and the verb. In question-word questions, the question word stays before the verb as usual (question word before the verb): Nork egin ote du hau?

In negative questions, ote follows ez: Ez ote da etorriko? (Could it be that he won't come?)

Not with al. al asks the listener for an answer, while ote wonders. Euskaltzaindia's grammar notes that the two are not used together, so choose one.

In indirect questions, ote goes before the verb with -(e)n: Ez dakit etorriko ote den (I don't know whether he will come). See indirect question -(e)n and whether: ea ... -(e)n. Later you will also meet it after fear: beldur naiz ... ote.

In Western (Bizkaian) Basque you will hear ete; the standard form is ote.

Examples (6)

  1. Etorriko ote da?

    I wonder if he will come.

    ote stands right before the auxiliary da.

  2. Non ote dago nire telefonoa?

    Where could my phone be?

    With a one-word verb, ote goes right before it.

  3. Nork egin ote du hau?

    I wonder who has done this.

  4. Zer gertatu ote da?

    I wonder what has happened.

  5. Ez ote da etorriko?

    Could it be that he won't come?

    In a negative question, ez comes first, then ote, then the auxiliary.

  6. Ez dakit etorriko ote den.

    I don't know whether he will come.

    In an indirect question, the verb takes -(e)n.

Common Mistakes

  • Using al and ote together.

    Etorriko al ote da?
    Etorriko ote da?

    al asks for an answer and ote wonders aloud; they are not used together. Choose al for a real question and ote for wondering.

  • Putting ote at the start of the sentence.

    Ote etorriko da?
    Etorriko ote da?

    ote goes directly before the auxiliary: etorriko ote da.

  • Putting ote after the verb.

    Non dago ote nire telefonoa?
    Non ote dago nire telefonoa?

    ote always comes before the verb, never after it.

How It Connects

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

oteLevel 3I Wonder: Ote

Learn This First

ote follows yes-no questions.

Words in This Pattern

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