nolako / nongoa / noren
What Kind, From Where, Whose
Ask nolako for what kind (Nolako etxea da?), nongo for where from (Nongoa zara?) and noren for whose (Noren liburua da?).
How It Works
nolako: what kind, what like. Before a noun it asks what kind: Nolako etxea nahi duzu? (What kind of house do you want?) Alone with izan it asks what someone or something is like, and then it takes the article: Nolakoa da zure herria? (What is your town like?) The answer is usually an adjective: Txikia eta polita. In Western speech you will also hear zelako with the same meaning.
nongo: from where. It is non with the local genitive; after n the ending is -go, as in Irungo. See Of a Place: -ko. Use it for origin: Nongoa zara? (Where are you from?) Donostiakoa naiz. (I am from San Sebastián.) Before a noun: Nongo ardoa da hau? (Where is this wine from?) For several people: Nongoak zarete?
Keep it apart from nondik, which asks about movement from a place: Nondik zatoz? (Where are you coming from?) See Where, Where To and Where From.
noren: whose. It is nor with the possessive genitive -(r)en, and it goes before the thing owned: Noren liburua da? (Whose book is it?) Alone it becomes norena: Norena da hau? (Whose is this?) The answer uses the same ending: Anerena (Ane's), nirea (mine).
As with every question word, the verb comes right after it.
Examples (6)
- Nolako etxea nahi duzu?
What kind of house do you want?
- Nolakoa da zure herria?
What is your town like?
Standing alone before da, nolako takes the article: nolakoa.
- Nongoa zara? Bilbokoa naiz.
Where are you from? I am from Bilbao.
The answer uses the same -ko ending: Bilbokoa.
- Nongoak zarete?
Where are you all from?
- Nongo ardoa da hau?
Where is this wine from?
- Noren liburua da? Norena da hau?
Whose book is it? Whose is this?
noren goes before the noun; alone it becomes norena.
Common Mistakes
Using nondik to ask where someone is from.
Nondik zara?Nongoa zara?nondik asks about movement from a place and goes with verbs like etorri: Nondik zatoz? To ask about origin with izan, use nongoa.
Using nor instead of noren for whose.
Nor liburua da?Noren liburua da?nor asks who. Whose needs the genitive ending: noren.
Leaving out the article when nolako stands alone.
Nolako da zure etxea?Nolakoa da zure etxea?When nolako is not followed by a noun, it works like a predicate adjective and takes -a: nolakoa.
How It Connects
Learn This First
These question words build on nola and the genitives.
Related Patterns
- non / nora / nondikWhere, Where to and Where from
The place question words; nondik is movement from, nongo is origin.
Level 1 - nirea / zureaMine and Yours
Answers to Norena da? use these pronouns: nirea, zurea.
Level 2 - zeinWhich (Zein)
Another question word before a noun; zein picks one from a set, nolako asks about its kind.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice nolako / nongoa / noren in Bubblegum
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