Plural Case Endings

Level 2

The plural article -ak turns into -e- before an ending: ikasleek (the students, as doers), ikasleei (to the students), ikasleen (the students'), ikasleekin (with the students), etxeetan (in the houses).

How It Works

Singular and plural side by side.

  • nor: ikaslea / ikasleak
  • nork: ikasleak / ikasleek
  • nori: ikasleari / ikasleei
  • noren: ikaslearen / ikasleen
  • norekin: ikaslearekin / ikasleekin
  • norentzat: ikaslearentzat / ikasleentzat
  • non: etxean / etxeetan
  • nora: etxera / etxeetara
  • nondik: etxetik / etxeetatik
  • nongo: etxeko / etxeetako

Nouns ending in -a. The -a drops before the -e-: neska → neskek, neskei, nesken, neskekin; hondartza → hondartzetan, hondartzetara. Nouns ending in a consonant just add the ending: lagun → lagunek, lagunei, lagunekin.

Doer or plural? The plural doer is -ek, never -ak. Ikasleak as a doer means one student; see The Two Meanings of -ak. In some areas -ak and -ek sound alike in speech, but written Basque keeps them apart.

Other plurals. The pronouns zuek and haiek follow the same pattern: haiei, haien, haiekin. After numbers and question words the endings attach without an article, so the plural -e- does not appear: hiru etxetan, not hiru etxeetan; see Endings Without the Article.

Examples (6)

  1. Ikasleek azterketa gainditu dute.

    The students have passed the exam.

    Several doers: -ek, and the auxiliary is dute.

  2. Haurrei ipuin bat kontatu diet.

    I have told the children a story.

    haurrei: to the children. diet shows a plural receiver.

  3. Lagunekin afaldu dut.

    I had dinner with my friends.

  4. Mendietan elur asko dago.

    There is a lot of snow in the mountains.

  5. Udan hondartzetara joaten gara.

    In summer we go to the beaches.

    hondartza loses its -a: hondartzetara.

  6. Nesken gela bigarren solairuan dago.

    The girls' room is on the second floor.

    nesken: of the girls. The singular would be neskaren.

Common Mistakes

  • Building the plural from -ak.

    Lagunakin afaldu dut.
    Lagunekin afaldu dut.

    The plural with is -ekin: lagunekin. The singular is lagunarekin (with the friend). There is no lagunakin.

  • Keeping the -a- in the plural place endings.

    Mendiatan elur asko dago.
    Mendietan elur asko dago.

    In the plural the place endings are -etan, -etara, -etatik: mendietan.

  • Using -ak for several doers.

    Ikasleak azterketa gainditu dute.
    Ikasleek azterketa gainditu dute.

    Several people doing something take -ek. With -ak the sentence would be about one student and need du.

How It Connects

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

Plural Case EndingsLevel 2

Learn This First

Plural case endings need the plural and the case overview.