ni / zu / hura / gu / zuek / haiek
Personal Pronouns
The personal pronouns are ni (I), zu (you, one person), hura (he, she or it), gu (we), zuek (you, more than one) and haiek (they).
How It Works
The six pronouns
- ni (I): Ni Ane naiz. I am Ane.
- zu (you, one person): Zu nor zara? Who are you?
- hura (he, she, it): Hura nire laguna da. He or she is my friend.
- gu (we): Gu ikasleak gara. We are students.
- zuek (you, more than one): Zuek non zaudete? Where are you?
- haiek (they): Haiek Bilbon bizi dira. They live in Bilbao.
zu, zuek and hi
Zu is the normal "you" for one person, polite or friendly. Its verb form zara looks like the plural gara (we are), but zu always means one person. For two or more people use zuek with zarete. Close friends in some areas also use a familiar hi; see Familiar hi (Hitanoa). You only need to recognise it for now.
He, she and it
Hura is also the demonstrative "that (over there)", and haiek means "those". See This, That and That Over There. In everyday speech you will also hear hori or bera used for "he" or "she".
With a verb that has an object
When the pronoun is the doer of a verb that takes an object and uses the helper dut, it takes the ergative ending: nik, zuk, hark, guk, zuek, haiek. Nik kafea nahi dut (I want coffee). For zuek and haiek this form looks the same as the plain one. See The Ergative Case -k.
Often left out
The verb form already tells you the person, so Irakaslea naiz (I am a teacher) is complete. See Leaving Out Pronouns.
Examples (6)
- Ni Ane naiz.
I am Ane.
Word by Word: I Ane am.
- Zu nor zara?
Who are you?
Word by Word: You who are?
Zu is used with anyone, a friend or a stranger.
- Hura nire laguna da.
He is my friend. / She is my friend.
Word by Word: That-one my friend-the is.
- Gu ikasleak gara.
We are students.
Word by Word: We students-the are.
- Zuek non zaudete?
Where are you (all)?
Word by Word: You-all where are?
Zuek is for two or more people.
- Haiek Bilbon bizi dira.
They live in Bilbao.
Word by Word: They Bilbao-in living are.
Common Mistakes
Using the ergative form nik with izan.
Nik ikaslea naiz.Ni ikaslea naiz.The subject of izan (to be) never takes -k: Ni ikaslea naiz. Nik goes with verbs that use the helper dut, as in Nik kafea nahi dut.
Using zuek verb forms when talking to one person.
Zu irakaslea zarete?Zu irakaslea zara?Zu means one person and goes with zara. Zarete belongs to zuek, for two or more people.
Using the singular hura for several people.
Hura ikasleak dira.Haiek ikasleak dira.Hura is one person or thing. For "they", use haiek with dira.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- izan: naiz / zara / daThe Verb Izan (To Be)
Each pronoun has its own form of izan: ni naiz, zu zara, hura da, and so on.
Level 1 - -kThe Ergative Case -k
The pronouns change to nik, zuk, hark and guk as the doer of a verb with an object.
Level 1 - Leaving Out Pronouns
Because the verb shows the person, the pronoun is often left out.
Level 2 - hau / hori / huraThis, That and That Over There
Hura and haiek are also the demonstratives "that" and "those" far away.
Level 1 - nire / zure / haren / gure / zuen / haienPossessive Pronouns
The possessive words my, your, his or her are built from these pronouns.
Level 1 - hi (hitanoa)Familiar Hi (Hitanoa)
The familiar pronoun hi is a later topic, learned mainly for recognition.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice ni / zu / hura / gu / zuek / haiek in Bubblegum
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