nirea / zurea
Mine and Yours
nire (my) + -a = nirea (mine). The same works for all of them: zurea (yours), harena (his, hers), gurea (ours), zuena (yours, plural), haiena (theirs), and with names: Anerena (Ane's).
How It Works
The forms. Start from the possessive words and add -a:
- nire → nirea (mine)
- zure → zurea (yours)
- haren → harena (his, hers, its)
- gure → gurea (ours)
- zuen → zuena (yours, of several people)
- haien → haiena (theirs)
Any owner in the genitive works the same way: Aneren → Anerena (Ane's), Mikelen → Mikelena (Mikel's), amaren → amarena (Mother's). There is also berea (his or her own); see His Own or Someone Else's.
Number. Use -ak when the things owned are plural: Giltza hauek nireak dira (These keys are mine).
Asking whose. Norena da? (Whose is it?) is built the same way, from noren + -a. The answer can be just the pronoun: Norena da mugikor hau? — Gurea.
Case endings. Because nirea is a full noun phrase, it takes endings like any other: Nire aterkia etxean utzi dut; zurea hartuko dut (I will take yours), zurearekin (with yours), nirean (in mine).
Examples (6)
- Liburu hau nirea da.
This book is mine.
- Zein da zurea?
Which one is yours?
- Nire autoa gorria da, eta zurea urdina.
My car is red, and yours is blue.
zurea stands for zure autoa, so the noun is not repeated.
- Giltza hauek ez dira nireak, Anerenak dira.
These keys are not mine, they are Ane's.
The keys are plural, so the pronouns take -ak.
- Norena da mugikor hau? — Gurea.
Whose mobile phone is this? — Ours.
- Nire aterkia etxean utzi dut; zurea hartuko dut.
I have left my umbrella at home; I will take yours.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the article.
Liburu hau nire da.Liburu hau nirea da.nire needs a noun after it. Without the noun, add the article: nirea (mine).
Stopping at the genitive with a name.
Hau Aneren da.Hau Anerena da.Aneren means Ane's and needs a noun after it. On its own it takes the article: Anerena.
Using the singular for several things.
Giltza hauek nirea dira.Giltza hauek nireak dira.The keys are plural, so the pronoun takes the plural article: nireak.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Mine and yours build on the possessive pronouns.
Related Patterns
- -(r)enWhose: -(r)en
Any owner in -(r)en can become a pronoun the same way: Anerena.
Level 1 - -aThe Definite Article -a
The article that turns nire into nirea.
Level 1 - bere / harenHis Own or Someone Else's
Explains berea (his or her own) and harena (someone else's).
Level 2 - nolako / nongoa / norenWhat Kind, From Where, Whose
noren asks whose; norena asks whose it is.
Level 2 - -akThe Plural Article -ak
Gives the plural pronouns nireak, zureak.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice nirea / zurea in Bubblegum
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