Main Verb and Auxiliary

Level 1

Most verbs have two parts: etortzen + naiz (I come), ikusten + dut (I see). The main verb carries the meaning, and the auxiliary shows the person and tense.

How It Works

One verb, three forms
Here is etorri (come) with naiz:

  • etortzen naiz: I come (as a habit)
  • etorri naiz: I have come
  • etorriko naiz: I will come

And here is ikusi (see) with dut:

  • ikusten dut: I see (as a habit)
  • ikusi dut: I have seen
  • ikusiko dut: I will see

The main verb does not change for the person. The auxiliary does: ikusten dut (I see), ikusten duzu (you see), ikusten du (he or she sees).

Choosing the auxiliary
Most verbs with one participant are nor verbs and take izan (naiz, zara, da): Ane etorri da. When someone acts on something, it is a nor-nork verb and takes ukan (dut, duzu, du). The doer then takes -k: Anek filma ikusi du. See nor and nork. Some verbs take dut even without an object, such as lan egin (work) and hitz egin (speak): Anek asko hitz egiten du.

Word order
The auxiliary normally comes right after the main verb. In a negative sentence, ez joins the auxiliary and both move in front: Ez naiz etorri. (I have not come.) Ez dut ikusi. (I have not seen it.) See negation with ez.

One-word verbs
A few common verbs also have one-word forms with no auxiliary: nago (I am, from egon), noa (I am going), nator (I am coming) and dakit (I know). See joan, etorri and jakin.

Examples (5)

  1. Nire gurasoak igandetan etortzen dira.

    My parents come on Sundays.

    -tzen form + izan: a regular habit.

  2. Ane etorri da.

    Ane has come.

    Participle + izan: a finished action.

  3. Bihar etorriko gara.

    We will come tomorrow.

    Future form + izan.

  4. Anek filma ikusi du.

    Ane has seen the film.

    ikusi is a nor-nork verb, so it takes du and Ane takes -k.

  5. Ez dut ikusi.

    I haven’t seen it.

    In the negative, ez dut comes before the main verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Using izan with a verb that has an object.

    Filma ikusi naiz.
    Filma ikusi dut.

    Someone sees something, so ikusi is a nor-nork verb and takes dut, duzu, du.

  • Leaving the auxiliary behind in a negative sentence.

    Ez etorri naiz.
    Ez naiz etorri.

    ez always joins the auxiliary, and in a main clause the pair comes before the main verb: ez naiz etorri, ez dut ikusi.

How It Connects

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Main Verb and AuxiliaryLevel 1

Learn This First

The periphrastic pattern needs the participle and both auxiliaries.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

izanedun