banintz / banu
If I Were, If I Had
For an imagined condition, use banintz (if I were) or banu (if I had): Aberatsa banintz... (If I were rich...). Other verbs add their -ko form: Etorriko balitz... (If he came...).
How It Works
Forms of izan (nor verbs).
- ni banintz (if I were)
- zu bazina (if you were)
- hura balitz (if he, she or it were)
- gu bagina (if we were)
- zuek bazinete (if you all were)
- haiek balira (if they were)
Forms of ukan (nor-nork verbs).
- nik banu (if I had)
- zuk bazenu (if you had)
- hark balu (if he or she had)
- guk bagenu (if we had)
- zuek bazenute (if you all had)
- haiek balute (if they had)
With a plural object, the ukan forms are banitu, bazenitu, balitu and so on.
On their own. izan and ukan use these forms directly: Aberatsa banintz (If I were rich), Dirua banu (If I had money).
With other verbs. Put the -ko form of the verb first, as in the future, and choose the auxiliary the verb normally takes: Etorriko balitz (If he came), Erosiko bazenu (If you bought it).
izango banu. For having, you can also put izango first. Denbora izango banu means the same as Denbora banu (If I had time).
Past unreal conditions. For if he had come, Basque uses the participle, often with izan: etorri (izan) balitz. See Would Have.
The whole sentence. The if-part usually comes first and the result second: Aberatsa banintz, bidaia luze bat egingo nuke. A handy phrase: Zu banintz... (If I were you...).
Examples (6)
- Aberatsa banintz, bidaia luze bat egingo nuke.
If I were rich, I would take a long trip.
- Denbora izango banu, zurekin etorriko nintzateke.
If I had time, I would come with you.
izango can come before banu. Denbora banu means the same.
- Dirua banu, auto berri bat erosiko nuke.
If I had money, I would buy a new car.
- Zu banintz, ez nuke hori erosiko.
If I were you, I would not buy that.
- Bihar etorriko balitz, pozik egongo ginateke.
If he came tomorrow, we would be happy.
- Gurekin etorriko bazinete, ondo pasatuko genuke.
If you all came with us, we would have a good time.
Common Mistakes
Using a real condition with a would-result.
Aberatsa banaiz, etxe handi bat erosiko nuke.Aberatsa banintz, etxe handi bat erosiko nuke.banaiz is for real conditions. An imagined condition needs the hypothetical form banintz to match the result nuke.
Putting ba- on the result as well.
Dirua banu, auto berri bat erosiko banu.Dirua banu, auto berri bat erosiko nuke.ba- marks only the if-part. The result uses the conditional: erosiko nuke.
Choosing the ukan form for a nor verb.
Etorriko banu...Etorriko banintz...etorri takes izan forms (naiz), so the hypothetical is banintz, not banu.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The hypothetical condition needs ba- and the past auxiliaries.
Related Patterns
- nintzateke / nukeWould: Nintzateke, Nuke
The would-part that follows an imagined condition.
Level 3 - -ko / -goThe Future
Other verbs use their -ko form before banintz and banu.
Level 1 - nintzatekeen / nukeenWould Have
Imagined conditions about the past: If I had known.
Level 4 - balitzait / litzaidakeIf It Happened to Me
The same kind of forms for verbs with a receiver.
Level 4 - ba- ... ereEven if
ba- with ere means even if.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice banintz / banu in Bubblegum
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