Who Does What: nor and nork

Level 1

Compare Ni etorri naiz (I have come) and Nik ogia jan dut (I have eaten the bread). The same I is ni or nik, depending on the verb.

How It Works

English uses I both in "I came" and in "I ate the bread", and changes it to me only for an object. Basque draws the line in a different place:

  • Ni etorri naiz. (I have come.) The subject of an intransitive verb is bare: nor.
  • Nik ogia jan dut. (I have eaten the bread.) The subject of a transitive verb takes -k: nork.
  • Anek ni ikusi nau. (Ane has seen me.) The object is bare too: nor.

The names come from the question words nor? (who?) and nork? (who, as the doer?). Course books label verbs this way: etorri (nor), jan (nor-nork). Dictionaries show the same split with da or du.

The auxiliary tells you.

  • Nor verbs take izan: etorri, joan, irten, jaiki. Ane etxera joan da.
  • Nor-nork verbs take ukan: jan, edan, ikusi, erosi, egin, jakin. Anek liburu bat erosi du.

No object, but still -k. Verbs made with egin, such as lan egin, hitz egin, lo egin and dantza egin, take dut, so their subject takes -k: Mikelek ondo lo egin du. The one-word verbs mintzatu (to speak) and dantzatu (to dance) take naiz instead, so their subject stays bare: Ni euskaraz mintzatzen naiz, Arratsalde osoan dantzatu naiz (I have danced all afternoon). Learn each verb together with its auxiliary. See verbs with egin.

For the endings themselves, see the ergative case -k.

Examples (6)

  1. Ni etorri naiz.

    I have come.

    Word by Word: I come I-am.

  2. Nik ogia jan dut.

    I have eaten the bread.

    Word by Word: I-ERG bread eaten I-have.

  3. Ane etxera joan da.

    Ane has gone home.

    Word by Word: Ane home-to gone is.

  4. Anek liburu bat erosi du.

    Ane has bought a book.

    Word by Word: Ane-ERG book a bought has.

  5. Mikelek ondo lo egin du.

    Mikel has slept well.

    Word by Word: Mikel-ERG well sleep done has.

    lo egin takes du, so the sleeper takes -k even with no object.

  6. Mikel goiz jaiki da.

    Mikel got up early.

    Word by Word: Mikel early risen is.

    jaiki takes da, so Mikel stays bare.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -k to the subject of a nor verb.

    Nik etorri naiz.
    Ni etorri naiz.

    etorri takes naiz, so its subject is the bare ni.

  • Leaving the subject of a nor-nork verb bare.

    Ni ogia jan dut.
    Nik ogia jan dut.

    jan takes dut, so its subject needs -k: nik.

  • Choosing the wrong auxiliary for the verb.

    Ni etorri dut.
    Ni etorri naiz.

    etorri is a nor verb, so its auxiliary is naiz, not dut.

How It Connects

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

Who Does What: nor and norkLevel 1

Learn This First

Ergative alignment ties the ergative to izan and ukan.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

nornor norknornork