-tzea + nahi

Wanting Someone Else to Do

Level 3

Same person: etorri nahi dut (I want to come). Someone else: zu etortzea nahi dut (I want you to come).

How It Works

1. Two patterns.

  • Same person wants and acts: participle + nahi, as in nahi izan: Etorri nahi dut. (I want to come.)
  • Someone else acts: -tzea + nahi: Zu etortzea nahi dut. (I want you to come.)

2. The subject of the -tzea verb. It keeps the case it would have in a normal sentence:

  • verbs without an object (etorri, joan): no ending: zu etortzea, ni joatea
  • verbs with an object (ikasi, ordaindu, gidatu): ergative -k: nik ikastea, zuk gidatzea

3. The auxiliary of nahi. The -tzea clause counts as one thing, so the auxiliary is dut, duzu, du, dugu, dute, whoever does the action.

4. Questions and negatives. Zer nahi duzu nik egitea? (What do you want me to do?) Ez dut zu joatea nahi. (I don't want you to go.)

5. Softer and stronger. For a polite wish, use nahi nuke: Zu etortzea nahi nuke. (I would like you to come.) See nahi nuke. nahiago works the same way: Nahiago dut zuk gidatzea. (I'd rather you drove.)

Tip: Formal Basque can also use the subjunctive: Etor zaitezen nahi dut. In everyday speech the -tzea form is far more common. See nahi with the subjunctive.

Examples (6)

  1. Zu etortzea nahi dut.

    I want you to come.

  2. Ez dut zu joatea nahi.

    I don't want you to go.

  3. Gurasoek nik ikastea nahi dute.

    My parents want me to study.

    ikasi takes an object, so its subject is nik, with -k.

  4. Nik ordaintzea nahi duzu?

    Do you want me to pay?

  5. Zer nahi duzu nik egitea?

    What do you want me to do?

  6. Nahiago dut zuk gidatzea.

    I'd rather you drove.

    nahiago (prefer) follows the same pattern.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the participle when someone else acts.

    Zu etorri nahi dut.
    Zu etortzea nahi dut.

    The participle alone is only for wanting to do something yourself. When another person acts, use -tzea.

  • Making the auxiliary of nahi agree with the person who acts.

    Zu etortzea nahi zaitut.
    Zu etortzea nahi dut.

    The wanted thing is the whole -tzea clause, which counts as one thing. So nahi keeps dut, duzu, du, whoever does the action.

  • Leaving out the ergative -k in the -tzea clause.

    Gurasoek ni ikastea nahi dute.
    Gurasoek nik ikastea nahi dute.

    ikasi takes an object, so the person who studies takes -k, just as in Nik ikasten dut.

How It Connects

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

-tzea + nahiLevel 3Wanting Someone Else to Do

Learn This First

Wanting someone else to act combines nahi and -tzea.

Words in This Pattern

nahi izannahi