-pen / -men

Result and Faculty: -pen, -men

Level 5

Add -pen or -men to a verb stem: itzul- (itzuli, to translate) → itzulpen (a translation); ikus- (ikusi, to see) → ikusmen (sight).

How It Works

1. Actions and results with -pen.

  • itzulpen: translation (itzuli)
  • laburpen: summary (laburtu)
  • ekarpen: contribution (ekarri)
  • itxaropen: hope (itxaron, to wait)
  • adierazpen: statement, expression (adierazi)
  • lorpen: achievement (lortu)
  • aurrerapen: progress (aurreratu)

2. Abilities with -men.

  • the senses: ikusmen (sight), entzumen (hearing), ukimen (touch), usaimen (smell), dastamen (taste)
  • the mind: oroimen (memory), ulermen (understanding), irudimen (imagination), adimen (intelligence)
  • power: ahalmen (power, capacity), from ahal

3. Not every -men word is an ability. aipamen (a mention) and barkamen (forgiveness) name actions. Learn each word with its meaning.

4. Building them. Use the verb radical: laburtu → labur- → laburpen, adierazi → adieraz- → adierazpen. Result nouns can be counted: bi itzulpen (two translations).

Compare: -keta also names actions (azterketa, exam), and -era names a way of doing something.

Examples (6)

  1. Ez dut itxaropena galdu.

    I have not lost hope.

  2. Liburu honen euskarazko itzulpena oso ona da.

    The Basque translation of this book is very good.

  3. Amonak oroimen ona du oraindik.

    Grandma still has a good memory.

  4. Haurrek irudimen handia dute.

    Children have a lot of imagination.

  5. Bileraren laburpena bidaliko dizut.

    I will send you the summary of the meeting.

  6. Gure ekarpena txikia da, baina garrantzitsua.

    Our contribution is small, but important.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -pen to the participle.

    Testuaren laburtupena egin dut.
    Testuaren laburpena egin dut.

    The ending goes on the verb stem labur-, not on the participle laburtu.

  • Mixing up irudimen and irudipen.

    Idazle horrek irudipen handia du.
    Idazle horrek irudimen handia du.

    If you mean "That writer has a great imagination", use irudimen. irudipen is an impression or feeling: Irudipena dut ez dela etorriko (I have the feeling he will not come).

How It Connects

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

-pen / -menLevel 5Result and Faculty: -pen, -men

Learn This First

-pen and -men follow the radical.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.