nendin / nezan

The Past Subjunctive

Level 5

When the main verb is in the past, dadin and dezan move to the past: zedin, zezan. Argia piztu nuen, ondo ikus zenezan (I turned on the light so that you could see well).

How It Works

1. Without a doer (edin).

  • ni: nendin
  • zu: zintezen
  • hura: zedin
  • gu: gintezen
  • zuek: zintezten
  • haiek: zitezen

2. With a doer (ezan), one thing.

  • nik: nezan
  • zuk: zenezan
  • hark: zezan
  • guk: genezan
  • zuek: zenezaten
  • haiek: zezaten

With several things: nitzan, zenitzan, zitzan. More about these roots in edin and ezan.

3. So that, in the past. This is the past of dadin, dezan: Isildu nintzen, umeak lo egin zezan. (I kept quiet so that the child could sleep.)

4. Past wishes. After nahi nuen, as in nahi + subjunctive: Nahi nuen zu ere etor zintezen. (I wanted you to come too.)

5. Past reported commands. With -la, as in etor nadila: Amak esan zidan etxera goiz etor nendila. (Mom told me to come home early.) With verbs like eskatu (ask) and agindu (order), writing also uses -n: Etor zedin eskatu zion. (She asked him to come.)

Tip: In speech, many people use -tzeko instead: ondo ikusteko, goiz etortzeko esan zidan. Recognize the subjunctive in writing; use whichever feels natural when you speak.

Examples (5)

  1. Argia piztu nuen, ondo ikus zenezan.

    I turned on the light so that you could see well.

    ikus is the radical of ikusi; zenezan: past, you as the doer.

  2. Isildu nintzen, umeak lo egin zezan.

    I kept quiet so that the child could sleep.

    zezan: past, the child as the doer.

  3. Nahi nuen zu ere etor zintezen.

    I wanted you to come too.

    etorri has no object, so it uses zintezen.

  4. Amak esan zidan etxera goiz etor nendila.

    Mom told me to come home early.

    nendin + -la for a reported command.

  5. Gutuna idatzi zion, egia jakin zezan.

    She wrote him a letter so that he would know the truth.

    It can also mean "He wrote her a letter so that she would know".

Common Mistakes

  • Using the ezan forms with a verb that has no object.

    Nahi nuen zu ere etor zenezan.
    Nahi nuen zu ere etor zintezen.

    etorri has no doer and no object, so it takes the edin forms: zintezen.

  • Using the present subjunctive after a past main verb.

    Isildu nintzen, umeak lo egin dezan.
    Isildu nintzen, umeak lo egin zezan.

    isildu nintzen is in the past, so standard Basque uses the past form zezan. Keep dezan for a present main verb: Isildu naiz, umeak lo egin dezan.

How It Connects

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

nendin / nezanLevel 5The Past Subjunctive

Learn This First

The past subjunctive follows the subjunctive and izan past.

Words in This Pattern

edinezan