nintzateke / nuke

Would: Nintzateke, Nuke

Level 3

To say what would happen, use the -ko form with nintzateke (nor verbs) or nuke (nor-nork verbs): etorriko nintzateke (I would come), erosiko nuke (I would buy it).

How It Works

izan-type forms (nor verbs).

  • ni nintzateke (I would)
  • zu zinateke (you would)
  • hura litzateke (he, she or it would)
  • gu ginateke (we would)
  • zuek zinatekete (you all would)
  • haiek lirateke (they would)

ukan-type forms (nor-nork verbs).

  • nik nuke
  • zuk zenuke
  • hark luke
  • guk genuke
  • zuek zenukete
  • haiek lukete

With a plural object, the ukan forms become nituzke, zenituzke, lituzke, genituzke, zenituzkete, lituzkete: Liburu horiek erosiko nituzke (I would buy those books).

With an if-part. The conditional often follows an imagined condition: Aberatsa banintz, etxe handi bat erosiko nuke. It can also stand alone: Nik beste modu batera egingo nuke (I would do it another way).

izan alone. izan can use these forms directly: Hobe litzateke (It would be better). It can also add izango, like any other verb: Hori ez litzateke bidezkoa izango (That would not be fair).

Negatives. As with every auxiliary, ez moves the auxiliary to the front: Ez nintzateke joango (I would not go).

Not the past. With the -ko form, a past auxiliary like nintzen or nuen looks ahead from the past: joango nintzen (I was going to go). Some Western speakers also use it for would, but for an imagined present or future the standard uses the conditional: Gustura joango nintzateke (I would gladly go).

Examples (6)

  1. Aberatsa banintz, etxe handi bat erosiko nuke.

    If I were rich, I would buy a big house.

  2. Zu banintz, ez nintzateke joango.

    If I were you, I would not go.

    With ez, the auxiliary comes before joango.

  3. Zurekin etorriko nintzateke, baina lana daukat.

    I would come with you, but I have work.

  4. Hori ez litzateke bidezkoa izango.

    That would not be fair.

  5. Nik beste modu batera egingo nuke.

    I would do it another way.

  6. Dirua banu, liburu horiek erosiko nituzke.

    If I had money, I would buy those books.

    Those books is plural, so the form is nituzke.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a past auxiliary for would.

    Gustura joango nintzen Kubara.
    Gustura joango nintzateke Kubara.

    In Standard Basque, joango nintzen is a future seen from the past: I was going to go. Some Western speakers use it for would, but for something you would do now or later the standard uses nintzateke.

  • Using the izan form with a transitive verb.

    Etxe bat erosiko nintzateke.
    Etxe bat erosiko nuke.

    erosi takes dut in the present, so its conditional is nuke.

  • Using zinateke for several people.

    Zuek pozik egongo zinateke.
    Zuek pozik egongo zinatekete.

    zinateke is for zu. With zuek, add -te: zinatekete.

How It Connects

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

nintzateke / nukeLevel 3Would: Nintzateke, Nuke

Learn This First

The conditional follows the future and the if clause.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

izanedun