det / dezu

Older Gipuzkoan Det and Dezu

Level 6

Egin det. = Egin dut. (I have done it.) You will meet these forms in classic Gipuzkoan writing, in bertsoak and in songs.

How It Works

1. The forms.

  • dut → det (I have)
  • duzu → dezu (you have)
  • dugu → degu (we have)
  • duzue → dezute, in some places dezue (you all have)
  • du and dute stay the same

The familiar hi forms follow the same pattern: dek and den.

2. The same e in izan. Older Gipuzkoan also says gera, zera and zerate for gara, zara and zarete. In the past it often has a where the standard has e: zan, nintzan, ziran for zen, nintzen, ziren. Compare the standard present of izan and its past.

3. With endings. Endings attach as usual, and final t becomes d before them, just as dut gives dudala: dedala (that I have), dedan (which I have), dezun (which you have), degulako (because we have).

4. Where you meet them. These were the normal written Gipuzkoan forms before Euskara Batua spread, so they are common in older literature, bertso verses and songs, and many people still use them in speech. The Western dialect has its own vowel here: dot, dozu, dogu (see Western forms).

Tip: When you read de- in an auxiliary, try du-: degu → dugu, dezute or dezue → duzue. When you write standard Basque, use dut, duzu, dugu.

Examples (6)

  1. Egin det.

    I have done it.

    Standard: Egin dut.

  2. Zer egin dezu gaur?

    What have you done today?

    Standard: Zer egin duzu gaur?

  3. Ondo pasa degu.

    We have had a good time.

    Standard: Ondo pasa dugu.

  4. Euskaldunak gera.

    We are Basque speakers.

    Standard: Euskaldunak gara.

  5. Nik ez det esan, berak esan du.

    I didn't say it; he did.

    Only the I, you and we forms change: det, but du stays du.

  6. Atzo etorri zan.

    He came yesterday.

    Standard: Atzo etorri zen.

Common Mistakes

  • Changing the third-person forms as well.

    Berak egin de.
    Berak egin du.

    Only I, you and we change: det, dezu, degu. In Gipuzkoan the third-person forms keep u: du, dute.

  • Keeping the t before an ending.

    Uste det ondo egin detela.
    Uste det ondo egin dedala.

    As dut becomes dudala, det becomes dedala: final t turns into d before -(e)la.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

det / dezuLevel 6Older Gipuzkoan Det and Dezu

Learn This First

Older Gipuzkoan follows the dialects and ukan.

Words in This Pattern

ukanedun