-tzen ari izan
Right Now: -tzen Ari Naiz
To say what someone is doing right now, put the -tzen form before ari and add izan: irakurtzen ari naiz (I am reading), Zer egiten ari zara? (What are you doing?)
How It Works
How it is built. The -tzen form of the verb, then ari, then naiz, zara, da, gara, zarete, dira: jaten ari naiz (I am eating), ikasten ari gara (we are learning). Some activities use a noun with the locative -(e)an instead of the -tzen form: Lanean ari naiz (I am working).
izan, even for transitive verbs. Normally a verb like irakurri takes dut and its subject takes -k: Anek liburua irakurtzen du. With ari the auxiliary is izan, so the subject has no -k: Ane liburua irakurtzen ari da (Ane is reading the book).
Other tenses. Change only the auxiliary. In the past use nintzen: Afaria prestatzen ari nintzen telefonoak jo zuenean (I was making dinner when the phone rang). In a negative, ez comes before the auxiliary: Ez naiz ezer egiten ari (I am not doing anything).
When it is needed. The plain present can also describe now: Zer irakurtzen duzu? ari makes it clear that the action is going on at this moment.
Weather is different. For rain and snow, ari takes du: Euria ari du. See Talking About the Weather.
Regional note. In the West, especially Bizkaia, you will also hear egon with the -tzen form: Jaten nago. The standard taught here is ari naiz. Even so, Euskaltzaindia's guide does not accept egon for an action with movement, such as running (Korrika ari da, not korrika dago). It also rejects esaten dago in Beti gauza bera esaten ari da (He is always saying the same thing).
Examples (6)
- Lanean ari naiz.
I am working.
lanean is the noun lan (work) with -ean.
- Liburu bat irakurtzen ari naiz.
I am reading a book.
irakurri is transitive, but with ari the auxiliary is naiz.
- Zer egiten ari zara?
What are you doing?
- Umeak parkean jolasten ari dira.
The children are playing in the park.
- Euskara ikasten ari gara.
We are learning Basque.
- Afaria prestatzen ari nintzen telefonoak jo zuenean.
I was making dinner when the phone rang.
The past auxiliary nintzen puts the action in progress in the past.
Common Mistakes
Putting -k on the subject.
Nik liburu bat irakurtzen ari naiz.Ni liburu bat irakurtzen ari naiz.The auxiliary is naiz, an izan form, so the subject takes no -k: ni, not nik.
Leaving out ari.
Liburu bat irakurtzen naiz.Liburu bat irakurtzen ari naiz.irakurri does not take naiz on its own. Either say irakurtzen dut (I read) or irakurtzen ari naiz (I am reading).
Using egon for an ongoing activity.
Beti gauza bera esaten dago.Beti gauza bera esaten ari da.Euskaltzaindia's guide does not accept egon for activities like this one. Use ari da.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The progressive builds on the habitual.
Related Patterns
- -tzen / -tenMaking the -tzen Form
Shows how to make the -tzen form that comes before ari.
Level 1 - izan: naiz / zara / daThe Verb Izan (To Be)
Supplies the auxiliary that ari takes everywhere except in weather expressions.
Level 1 - euria ari duTalking About the Weather
The one common case where ari takes du instead of da.
Level 2 - -kThe Ergative Case -k
Explains why the subject of irakurtzen du takes -k but the subject of irakurtzen ari da does not.
Level 1 - -tzen + Past AuxiliaryUsed to
The past habitual; ari nintzen is clearer for an action in progress at one moment.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice -tzen ari izan in Bubblegum
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