dizkiot / diet

Several Things, Several Receivers

Level 3

diot changes in two ways. Several things: dizkiot (I have given him the books). Several receivers: diet (I have told them). Both at once: dizkiet.

How It Works

Plural object: -zki-. Just as dut becomes ditut (see Having Several Things), diot becomes dizkiot:

  • Liburua eman diot → Liburuak eman dizkiot (I have given him the books)
  • Other forms: dizkizut (I to you), dizkit (he or she to me), dizkio (he or she to him or her), dizkigu (he or she to us)

Plural receiver: -e-. When the receiver is haiei (them), the -o- of diot becomes -e-:

  • diet (I to them), diezu (you to them), die (he or she to them), diegu (we to them), diezue (you all to them), diete (they to them)

Both plural. Combine them: Umeei ipuinak kontatu dizkiet (I have told the children stories).

In the past. The same pieces appear in the past forms: nizkion (I gave him several things), nien (I gave it to them), nizkien (I gave them several things). See Past of Giving and Telling.

Casual speech sometimes skips this agreement, but standard Basque always marks it, and the plural receiver also takes the plural dative -ei: gurasoei, umeei. See Plural Case Endings.

Examples (6)

  1. Liburuak eman dizkiot.

    I have given him the books.

    liburuak is plural, so diot becomes dizkiot.

  2. Egia esan diet.

    I have told them the truth.

    The receiver is them, so diot becomes diet.

  3. Umeei ipuinak kontatu dizkiet.

    I have told the children stories.

    Both are plural: dizkiet.

  4. Zer esan diezu gurasoei?

    What have you told your parents?

  5. Amonak gozokiak eman dizkigu.

    Grandma has given us sweets.

  6. Nire lagunei mezu bat bidali die.

    He has sent my friends a message.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting -zki- with a plural object.

    Liburuak eman diot.
    Liburuak eman dizkiot.

    liburuak is plural, so standard Basque adds -zki- to the verb: dizkiot.

  • Using the singular receiver form for several people.

    Gurasoei egia esan diot.
    Gurasoei egia esan diet.

    gurasoei is plural, so the receiver slot changes from -o- to -e-: diet.

  • Marking only one of the two plurals.

    Umeei ipuinak kontatu dizkiot.
    Umeei ipuinak kontatu dizkiet.

    Both the stories and the children are plural, so the verb needs -zki- and -e-: dizkiet.

How It Connects

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

dizkiot / dietLevel 3Several Things, Several Receivers

Learn This First

Plural-object and plural-receiver forms extend the agreement taught with diot.

Words in This Pattern

edun