-tzen jarraitu / -tzen ikasi
Keep Doing, Learn to Do
-tzen + jarraitu = keep doing: ikasten jarraitu. -tzen + ikasi = learn to do: gidatzen ikasi (learn to drive).
How It Works
1. jarraitu: keep doing. Euskara ikasten jarraituko dut. (I will keep learning Basque.) Euria egiten jarraitzen du. (It keeps raining.) With a noun in -n it means "keep at": lanean jarraitu (keep working).
2. ikasi: learn to do. Igeri egiten ikasi dut. (I have learned to swim.) irakatsi (teach) works the same way: Amak irakurtzen irakatsi dit. (Mum has taught me to read.)
3. The -tzen form never changes. Make it as in the -tzen form: ikasi → ikasten, gidatu → gidatzen, egin → egiten. Only jarraitu or ikasi shows the time.
4. The same family. Several verbs take a -tzen partner in this way:
To stop doing something, the pattern is different: -tzeari utzi.
Tip: When ikasi has a plain object, it simply means "learn something": Euskara ikasi dut. (I have learned Basque.) The -tzen form is only for "learn to do". With a dative, jarraitu means "follow": Zuri jarraituko dizut. (I will follow you.)
Examples (6)
- Euskara ikasten jarraituko dut.
I will keep learning Basque.
- Euria egiten jarraitzen du.
It keeps raining.
- Hitz egiten jarraitu zuen.
He kept on talking.
It can also mean "She kept on talking". Only jarraitu shows the past.
- Igeri egiten ikasi dut.
I have learned to swim.
- Gidatzen ikasten ari naiz.
I am learning to drive.
- Amak irakurtzen irakatsi dit.
Mum has taught me to read.
irakatsi (teach) takes the -tzen form too.
Common Mistakes
Using the participle instead of the -tzen form.
Euskara ikasi jarraituko dut.Euskara ikasten jarraituko dut.The action that continues must be in the -tzen form: ikasten.
Using -tzeko with ikasi.
Igeri egiteko ikasi dut.Igeri egiten ikasi dut.-tzeko means "in order to", so the first sentence says you learned something in order to swim. To say you learned to swim, use -tzen.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Keep doing and learn to follow start doing.
Related Patterns
- -tzen / -tenMaking the -tzen Form
How to make the -tzen form.
Level 1 - -tzeari utziStopping Doing
Stopping an activity uses -tzeari, not -tzen.
Level 3 - -tzen + jakinKnowing How to
Knowing how to do something also uses -tzen.
Level 2 - -tzen utziLetting Someone Do
Letting someone do something uses -tzen with utzi.
Level 4 - -tzen ari izanRight Now: -tzen Ari Naiz
ari izan also pairs with -tzen for actions in progress.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice -tzen jarraitu / -tzen ikasi in Bubblegum
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