The Verb Radical
The radical is the participle with its ending taken off: sartu → sar, hartu → har, etorri → etor. Verbs ending in -n or a vowel stay the same: egin, jan, atera.
How It Works
How to make it.
- Participle in -tu or -du: drop it. sartu → sar, hartu → har, kendu → ken, bukatu → buka.
- Participle in -i: drop it. etorri → etor, ikusi → ikus, eseri → eser, erosi → eros.
- Participle in -n or a vowel: no change. egin, jan, esan, joan, jo, atera.
- A few verbs keep their -i because it belongs to the root: itxi, jaiki, ireki, eraiki, etsi. So it is Itxi ezazu, not itx ezazu.
The dictionary of the Basque Academy (Euskaltzaindia) lists the radical of each verb, so check there when you are unsure. See The Dictionary Form of Verbs for the participle itself.
Where it is used. The radical always comes with an auxiliary built on edin (for nor verbs) or ezan (for nor-nork verbs):
- Commands: Eser zaitez (Sit down), Har ezazu (Take it). See Commands With zaitez and ezazu.
- Let's: Ikus dezagun (Let's see). See Let's.
- So that: ondo uler dezazun (so that you understand well). See So That: dadin, dezan.
- Can: Bihar etor zaitezke (You can come tomorrow). See Can: The Potential Forms.
Radical or full participle? Many speakers in the Southern Basque Country say Etorri zaitez with the full participle. The Academy accepts both and recommends the radical, which is what careful standard Basque uses. Verbs made from a noun or adjective may also keep -tu: lodi daiteke or loditu daiteke (it can get thicker).
Examples (6)
- Eser zaitez, mesedez.
Sit down, please.
eseri drops -i and becomes eser.
- Har ezazu gozoki bat.
Take a sweet.
hartu drops -tu and becomes har.
- Itxi ezazu atea.
Close the door.
itxi keeps its -i: it is part of the root.
- Egin ezazu orain.
Do it now.
egin ends in -n, so the radical is the whole verb.
- Jaiki zaitez, berandu da!
Get up, it is late!
- Bihar etor zaitezke.
You can come tomorrow.
The radical etor also makes the "can" forms.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the t of -tu on the radical.
Hart ezazu gozoki bat.Har ezazu gozoki bat.The whole ending -tu goes: hartu becomes har, sartu becomes sar.
Dropping an -i that belongs to the root.
Itx ezazu atea.Itxi ezazu atea.itxi, jaiki, ireki and eraiki keep their -i. Only an -i that is a participle ending is dropped, as in etorri, etor.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The verb radical builds on the -tzen form.
Related Patterns
- -tu / -i / -nThe Dictionary Form of Verbs
The participle is the starting point: the radical is the participle with -tu, -du or -i removed.
Level 1 - zaitez / ezazuCommands with Zaitez and Ezazu
The most common use of the radical: commands such as Eser zaitez and Ireki ezazu.
Level 3 - goazen / dezagunLet's
Let's forms such as Ikus dezagun also start with the radical.
Level 3 - dadin / dezanSo That: Dadin, Dezan
So-that clauses combine the radical with a subjunctive auxiliary.
Level 3 - naiteke / dezaketCan: The Potential Forms
The "can" forms put the radical before naiteke or dezaket.
Level 3 - edin / ezanThe Roots Edin and Ezan
Explains the two auxiliary roots that always accompany the radical.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice The Verb Radical in Bubblegum
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