-(e)n
Relative Clauses
Everyday Basque uses no word for who or that here. Add -(e)n to the verb and put the clause before the noun: Bilbon bizi den laguna (the friend who lives in Bilbao).
How It Works
Adding -(e)n. Some forms add -en and some add only -n, and a final -a changes to -e-. Learn the common ones:
- da → den, dira → diren, naiz → naizen, zara → zaren
- du → duen, duzu → duzun, dugu → dugun, dute → duten
- dago → dagoen, daki → dakien
- A final -t becomes -da-: dut → dudan, daukat → daukadan
- Past forms already end in -n and do not change: nuen, zen, zegoen
Word order. English puts the clause after the noun (the book that I bought). Basque normally puts it before: erosi dudan liburua. The verb with -(e)n sits right before the noun.
The rest of the phrase. The noun keeps whatever ending the main sentence needs: Erosi dudan liburua oso luzea da (The book I have bought is very long), Erosi dudan liburuan (in the book I have bought). The clause itself never takes the article.
Related forms. Without a noun, the clause takes the article: see The One Who, What. The same -(e)n also marks Indirect Questions. For a negative clause, see Negation Inside a Clause.
Examples (6)
- Atzo ikusi nuen filma oso ona zen.
The film I saw yesterday was very good.
nuen already ends in -n.
- Bilbon bizi den laguna etorriko da.
The friend who lives in Bilbao will come.
- Erosi dudan liburua oso luzea da.
The book I have bought is very long.
dut becomes dudan.
- Hemen lan egiten duten pertsonak jatorrak dira.
The people who work here are nice.
- Mahai gainean dagoen giltza nirea da.
The key that is on the table is mine.
- Zuk ekarri duzun ardoa oso ona da.
The wine you have brought is very good.
Common Mistakes
Joining two sentences without -(e)n.
Liburua erosi dut oso luzea da.Erosi dudan liburua oso luzea da.To describe the book, the clause goes before liburua and its verb takes -(e)n: erosi dudan liburua.
Keeping -t before -(e)n.
Erosi dutan liburua oso luzea da.Erosi dudan liburua oso luzea da.A final -t turns into -da- before -n: dut becomes dudan, daukat becomes daukadan.
Using -(e)la instead of -(e)n.
Bilbon bizi dela laguna etorriko da.Bilbon bizi den laguna etorriko da.-(e)la means that and reports what someone says or thinks. A clause that describes a noun takes -(e)n.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Relative clauses need the auxiliary and noun phrase order.
Related Patterns
- -(e)naThe One Who, What
The same clause without a noun: dena, duzuna.
Level 3 - Indirect Question + -(e)nIndirect Questions
Uses the same -(e)n ending for questions inside a sentence.
Level 3 - -(e)laThat: -(e)la
The -(e)la ending for reported content, easy to confuse with -(e)n.
Level 2 - -takoParticiples Before Nouns
A shorter way to put an action before a noun: erositako liburua.
Level 3 - The Town Where I Live
Relative clauses for where and when: bizi naizen herria.
Level 4 - ez dela / etorri ez denNegation Inside a Clause
How to say not inside a relative clause.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice -(e)n in Bubblegum
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