-tu arte
Until
Add arte to the participle to say until: Zu etorri arte itxarongo dut (I will wait until you come).
How It Works
With verbs. Use the participle: iritsi arte, bukatu arte, esnatu arte. A full verb with -(e)n is also possible: Etxera itzuli zen arte, ez genuen ezer jakin (Until he came back home, we knew nothing).
No ez inside. Spanish says hasta que no llegues, but Basque does not negate the arte clause, because what you wait for is the arrival, not a non-arrival. The ez goes on the main verb only: Zu etorri arte ez naiz joango (I will not leave until you come). An ez inside the clause is correct only when the awaited end point really is something not happening: Atea irekita egon zen, barruan inor geratzen ez zen arte (The door stayed open until nobody was left inside).
With time words. arte follows a time word directly: bihar arte (until tomorrow), goizeko hirurak arte (until three in the morning). With an allative it marks the end point clearly: astelehenera arte (until Monday). This is the arte of gero arte (see you later).
Literary emphasis. Written Basque can open the clause with harik eta: Harik eta hil zen arte, herrian bizi izan zen (She lived in the village right up until she died).
Examples (6)
- Iritsi arte itxarongo dut.
I will wait until you arrive.
iritsi stays in its plain form; itxarongo dut shows the future.
- Euria gelditu arte, etxean geratuko gara.
We will stay at home until the rain stops.
- Goizeko hirurak arte ikasi nuen.
I studied until three in the morning.
arte follows a time word directly.
- Zu etorri arte ez naiz joango.
I will not leave until you come.
ez goes on the main verb, not inside the arte clause.
- Lana bukatu arte ez dut atsedenik hartuko.
I will not rest until I finish the work.
- Bihar arte!
See you tomorrow!
Word by Word: Until tomorrow!
Common Mistakes
Putting ez inside the arte clause.
Zu ez etorri arte ez naiz joango.Zu etorri arte ez naiz joango.The clause names the moment you are waiting for, your arrival. An ez there adds no meaning, so keep the negation on the main verb only.
Using the -tzen form.
Iristen arte itxarongo dut.Iritsi arte itxarongo dut.arte follows the participle, the dictionary form: iritsi, not iristen.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Until builds on the participle and bihar arte.
Related Patterns
- harik eta ... arteUntil (Literary): Harik Eta
The literary reinforcement of arte: right up until.
Level 6 - -tu aurretikBefore Doing
Another participle clause that places one action in time relative to another.
Level 3 - -(e)netikSince
The opposite limit: since, from the moment when.
Level 4 - -tik ... -raFrom ... to
Start and end points with nouns and times.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice -tu arte in Bubblegum
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