Time Word + -ko

Time with -ko

Level 2

Put -ko on a time word and place it before the noun: gaurko egunkaria (today's paper), udako oporrak (the summer holidays), goizeko zazpietan (at seven in the morning).

How It Works

1. The same -ko, now for time. You met -ko with places. With times it works the same way. The -ko word goes before the noun, and the article goes on the noun: gaurko egunkaria.

2. Change -n to -ko.

  • goizean (in the morning) → goizeko zazpietan (at seven in the morning)
  • udan (in summer) → udako oporrak (the summer holidays)
  • ostiralean (on Friday) → ostiraleko bilera (Friday's meeting)
  • zortzietan (at eight) → zortzietako trena (the eight o'clock train)
  • 2024an (in 2024) → 2024ko uda (the summer of 2024)

3. Adverbs add -ko directly. gaurko (today's), biharko (tomorrow's), atzoko (yesterday's), iazko (last year's). After -n the ending is -go: orain → oraingo (present-day), lehen → lehengo (former).

4. Telling the time. With clock times and parts of the day, -ko says which part of the day: arratsaldeko bostetan (at five in the afternoon), gaueko hamarretan (at ten at night).

Tip: These time words take -ko, not the -(r)en "whose" ending: gaurko, never gaurren. See -ko or -(r)en?.

Examples (6)

  1. Gaurko egunkaria irakurri duzu?

    Have you read today's paper?

  2. Biharko bilera bertan behera geratu da.

    Tomorrow's meeting has been cancelled.

    bihar + -ko. The article -a goes on bilera.

  3. Goizeko zazpietan jaikitzen naiz.

    I get up at seven in the morning.

    goizean → goizeko: "of the morning".

  4. Udako oporrak Zarautzen pasatuko ditugu.

    We will spend the summer holidays in Zarautz.

    udan → udako.

  5. Zortzietako trena beti beteta dator.

    The eight o'clock train always arrives full.

    zortzietan → zortzietako.

  6. Oraingo telefonoak oso azkarrak dira.

    Today's phones are very fast.

    orain ends in -n, so it takes -go.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the "whose" ending -(r)en with a time word.

    Gaurren egunkaria irakurri dut.
    Gaurko egunkaria irakurri dut.

    Time words link to a noun with -ko. gaur has no -(r)en form.

  • Putting the article on the -ko word instead of the noun.

    Gaurkoa egunkaria irakurri dut.
    Gaurko egunkaria irakurri dut.

    The -ko word stays as it is before the noun. Only the last word of the phrase, egunkaria, takes the article.

How It Connects

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

Time Word + -koLevel 2Time with -ko

Learn This First

Time -ko combines -ko with time words.

Words in This Pattern

gaurkobiharko