-tu beharko + Conditional

Should

Level 3

For should, use the participle + beharko + nuke, zenuke, luke...: Medikuarengana joan beharko zenuke (You should go to the doctor).

How It Works

The pattern. participle + beharko + conditional auxiliary. In Standard Basque behar takes the ukan forms, even with verbs like joan: joan beharko nuke (I should go). Northern speakers sometimes use izan forms instead, as in joan behar nintzateke; that use is not wrong.

  • nik ... beharko nuke
  • zuk ... beharko zenuke
  • hark ... beharko luke
  • guk ... beharko genuke
  • zuek ... beharko zenukete
  • haiek ... beharko lukete

Because the auxiliary is ukan-type, the subject takes -k: Anek atseden gehiago hartu beharko luke (Ane should rest more).

behar or beharko. Both are correct and mean the same: joan behar zenuke and joan beharko zenuke. The form without -ko is the older, traditional one.

Negatives. ez takes the auxiliary to the front, and the participle and beharko go last: Ez zenuke hori esan beharko (You should not say that).

Questions. Zer egin beharko nuke? (What should I do?)

Should have. For advice about the past, the auxiliary changes to the past conditional: lehenago esan beharko zenukeen (you should have said so sooner). See Would Have.

Examples (6)

  1. Medikuarengana joan beharko zenuke.

    You should go to the doctor.

  2. Gehiago lo egin beharko genuke.

    We should sleep more.

  3. Ez zenuke hori esan beharko.

    You should not say that.

    With ez, the auxiliary zenuke moves before hori esan beharko.

  4. Zer egin beharko nuke?

    What should I do?

  5. Anek atseden gehiago hartu beharko luke.

    Ane should rest more.

    luke is transitive, so Ane takes -k.

  6. Garaiz etorri behar zenukete.

    You should all come on time.

    behar without -ko is equally correct.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the ergative -k.

    Ane atseden gehiago hartu beharko luke.
    Anek atseden gehiago hartu beharko luke.

    luke is a nork form, so the subject takes -k: Anek.

  • Keeping the auxiliary at the end in a negative.

    Ez hori esan beharko zenuke.
    Ez zenuke hori esan beharko.

    In a negative, ez and the auxiliary come first: Ez zenuke.

How It Connects

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

-tu beharko + ConditionalLevel 3Should

Learn This First

Should combines behar and the conditional.

Words in This Pattern

behar izanbehar