-tzeke

Still to Be Done: -tzeke

Level 6

Lana egiteke dago. The work is still undone. -tzeke is a negative form, like -tu gabe.

How It Works

1. The form. Swap the -ko of the -tzeko form for -ke:

  • egin → egiteko → egiteke
  • amaitu → amaitzeko → amaitzeke
  • esan → esateko → esateke
  • ikusi → ikusteko → ikusteke

2. With egon: still not done.

  • Hau amaitzeke dago. This is not finished yet.
  • Etxea saltzeke dago. The house is still unsold.
  • Hori ikusteke dago. That remains to be seen.

3. With other verbs: without doing. Here it means the same as -tu gabe:

  • Ezer esateke joan zen. = Ezer esan gabe joan zen. He left without saying anything.

4. It is already negative. egiteke itself says not done, so do not add ez to get that meaning.

5. Where you meet it. It is used in the south, in western and west-central Basque, in speech and in writing, and it is the form found in the standard. Older texts also have -tzaka and -tzeka. Everywhere, -tu gabe is the most common way to say without doing.

Examples (6)

  1. Lana egiteke dago.

    The work is still undone.

  2. Ezer esateke joan zen.

    He left without saying anything.

    The same as: Ezer esan gabe joan zen.

  3. Hau amaitzeke dago.

    This is not finished yet.

  4. Hori ikusteke dago.

    That remains to be seen.

  5. Gosaltzeke irten naiz etxetik.

    I left home without having breakfast.

    gosaldu → gosaltzeko → gosaltzeke.

  6. Etxea saltzeke dago oraindik.

    The house is still unsold.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding ez to -tzeke.

    Lana ez dago egiteke.
    Lana egiteke dago.

    If you mean "The work is not done yet", do not add ez: egiteke already means not done. Lana ez dago egiteke says the opposite: the work is not left undone.

  • Building -tzeke from the wrong stem.

    Lana egintzeke dago.
    Lana egiteke dago.

    Start from the -tzeko form and swap -ko for -ke: egiteko → egiteke, not egintzeke.

How It Connects

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

-tzekeLevel 6Still to Be Done: -tzeke

Learn This First

This form describes an action still left undone and can be used as a state with egon.