-tzen / -ten
Making the -tzen Form
sartu → sartzen, etorri → etortzen, ikusi → ikusten, egin → egiten. Use -ten after s, z or x and for verbs ending in -n, which lose the n. Use -tzen everywhere else.
How It Works
Verbs ending in -n
Drop the n and add -ten: egin → egiten, jan → jaten, joan → joaten, esan → esaten, izan → izaten, irten → irteten.
Verbs ending in -tu or -du
Replace the ending with -tzen: sartu → sartzen, bukatu → bukatzen, kendu → kentzen, saldu → saltzen. If s or z comes just before -tu, use -ten: ahaztu → ahazten, piztu → pizten.
Verbs ending in -i
Most drop the -i. Then add -tzen, or -ten when the stem ends in s, z or x:
- etorri → etortzen, ibili → ibiltzen, irakurri → irakurtzen (a double rr is written r before -tzen)
- ikusi → ikusten, erosi → erosten, hasi → hasten
- tz, ts and tx become z, s and x before -ten: idatzi → idazten, utzi → uzten, irakatsi → irakasten, itxi → ixten
A few -i verbs keep the i and add -tzen: ireki → irekitzen (open), jaiki → jaikitzen (get up), eduki → edukitzen (have).
Other verbs
Add -tzen to the whole form: jo → jotzen, atera → ateratzen, hil → hiltzen, igo → igotzen.
Check the dictionary
Basque dictionaries usually list three forms together: the participle, the stem and the -tzen form, as in ikusi, ikus, ikusten. Learn the third form with each new verb. The same choice between the two endings appears in the verbal noun: sartzea, ikustea, egitea. You use the -tzen form in the present habitual and in -tzen ari naiz.
Examples (6)
- Zer egiten duzu?
What do you do?
egin ends in -n, so the n drops and -ten is added: egiten.
- Egunero egunkaria irakurtzen dut.
I read the newspaper every day.
irakurri drops -i, the rr is written r, and -tzen is added.
- Anek asko ikasten du.
Ane studies a lot.
The stem ikas- ends in s, so the ending is -ten.
- Giltzak beti ahazten ditut.
I always forget my keys.
ahaztu has z before -tu, so it becomes ahazten, not ahaztutzen.
- Nire amak egunero idazten du.
My mother writes every day.
idatzi: the tz becomes z before -ten.
- Dendak bederatzietan irekitzen dira.
The shops open at nine.
ireki keeps its i: irekitzen.
Common Mistakes
Adding -tzen to the whole participle.
Giltzak beti ahaztutzen ditut.Giltzak beti ahazten ditut.The ending goes on the stem, not on the participle. Remove -tu to get ahaz-, and because it ends in z, add -ten.
Keeping tz before -ten.
Nire amak egunero idatzten du.Nire amak egunero idazten du.Before -ten, tz becomes z, ts becomes s and tx becomes x: idatzi → idazten, utzi → uzten, itxi → ixten.
Using -tzen with a verb that ends in -n.
Zer egintzen duzu?Zer egiten duzu?Verbs ending in -n drop the n and add -ten: egin → egiten, jan → jaten, joan → joaten.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The -tzen form is built from the participle.
Related Patterns
- -tzen + AuxiliaryThe Present Habitual
The main use of the -tzen form, with a present auxiliary.
Level 1 - -tzeaDoing as a Noun: -tzea
The verbal noun chooses between -tze and -te by the same rule.
Level 2 - The Verb Radical
The stem you use here is the verb radical.
Level 3 - -tzen ari izanRight Now: -tzen Ari Naiz
The -tzen form also appears in “I am doing it now”.
Level 2 - z / s / xThe Sibilants Z, S and X
The ending -ten follows the sounds written s, z and x.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice -tzen / -ten in Bubblegum
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