darabilt / darabil

Using: Darabil

Level 5

Besides erabiltzen dut, Basque has a one-word form: darabilt (I am using). Zer darabilzu buruan? (What is on your mind?)

How It Works

1. Present forms.

  • One thing: darabilt (I), darabilzu (you), darabil (he or she), darabilgu (we), darabilzue (you all), darabilte (they)
  • Several things: darabiltzat, darabiltzazu, darabiltza, darabiltzagu, darabiltzazue, darabiltzate

2. Past forms. nerabilen (I was using), zenerabilen (you were using), zerabilen (he or she was using); with several things, nerabiltzan, zerabiltzan.

3. What it means. The one-word forms describe what someone is using or dealing with at the moment or in the current period:

  • a tool or a language: Ordenagailu berria darabilt. (I am using a new computer.)
  • a task: Zer darabilzu esku artean? (What are you working on?)
  • a thought: Zer darabilzu buruan? (What is on your mind?)

The periphrastic erabiltzen dut is the everyday form and also covers habits. The one-word forms are common in careful speech, in writing, and in fixed expressions like esku artean and buruan.

4. darabil or dabil? Do not mix them up. dabil has no object: Mikel kalean dabil (Mikel is out in the street). darabil has a doer and an object: Mikelek autoa darabil (Mikel is using the car).

Examples (6)

  1. Zer darabilzu esku artean?

    What are you working on?

    Literally, what do you have between your hands?

  2. Zer darabilzu buruan?

    What is on your mind?

  3. Ordenagailu berria darabilt lanean.

    I am using a new computer at work.

  4. Aitak bi hizkuntza darabiltza etxean.

    Dad uses two languages at home.

    Two languages are a plural object, so the form is darabiltza.

  5. Hitz zailak darabiltzazu.

    You are using difficult words.

  6. Aitonak makila zerabilen.

    Grandpa used a walking stick.

    zerabilen is the past of darabil.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the plural object.

    Aitak bi hizkuntza darabil etxean.
    Aitak bi hizkuntza darabiltza etxean.

    bi hizkuntza is plural, so the verb needs the plural object marker: darabiltza.

  • Using the third-person form with nik.

    Nik ordenagailu berria darabil.
    Nik ordenagailu berria darabilt.

    The doer must be marked at the end of the verb. For nik, add -t: darabilt.

  • Confusing darabil with dabil.

    Mikel autoa dabil.
    Mikelek autoa darabil.

    If you mean "Mikel is using the car", dabil is the wrong verb: it comes from ibili and has no object. erabili has a doer in the ergative (Mikelek) and an object: darabil.

How It Connects

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

darabilt / darabilLevel 5Using: Darabil

Learn This First

erabili follows ekarri and eraman.

Words in This Pattern

erabili