7TH. LESSON: "NAHI DUDALAKO"

Today, we will see the basque ways of verbs "must", "want" and "can".

1- BEHAR, NAHI, AHAL-EZIN

-BEHAR: "Ikastolara joan behar dut" (I MUST go to the school)

On the one hand, "Behar" is used alone, meaning "to need", with, usually, the NOR-NORK auxiliary verb (dut, dugu, dute, etc.):

Ogia behar dut (I need bread)
Zu behar zaitut (I need you)
Dirua behar dute (They need money)

On the other hand, *as an auxiliary*, "behar" is postponed to the main verb, then followed by, usually, the NOR-NORK or NOR-NORI-NORK auxiliary verb (dut, diot, dugu, dute, didate, etc.). It means, depending on the context, "obligation" or "intention to do something":

Etxera joan behar duzue (You must go home)
Lanean hasi behar dugu (We must start working)
Praka berriak erosi behar ditut (I have to buy new pants)
Gona gorria jantzi behar dut (I'm going to wear my red skirt)

-NAHI: "Ikastolara joan nahi dut" (I WANT to go to the school)

As in the previous verb, NAHI also may be used as a single or as an auxiliary verb. In both cases, the NOR-NORK auxiliary verb (dut, dugu, dute, etc.) will be used. The meaning is always the same: TO WANT. "Want + something + NOR-NORK" or "want + verb + NOR-NORK".

Examples:

Ogia nahi dut (I want some bread)
Ardoa nahi duzu (You want some wine)
Okela nahi dute (They want some meat)
Euskara ikasi nahi dugu (We want to learn basque)
Euskara irakatsi nahi dute (They want to teach basque)
Musika entzun nahi duzue (You want to listen music)
Dantza egin nahi du (He/she wants to dance)

- AHAL/EZIN:

Those are used just as auxiliaries with any other verb. AHAL means "to be able to", and EZIN means "to be unable to".

Examples:

Ezin naiz kalera joan (I can't go to the street)
Ezin dut txerrikirik jan (I can't eat pork)
Nahi duzunean etorri ahal zara (You can come whenever yo want)
Kafea eman ahal diozu osabari (You can give coffee to our uncle)

2- ZERGATIK (Why?)

In basque, the most usual way for causal sentences is adding the particle -LAKO to the auxiliary verb.

Ex.:

Euritakoa hartu dut euria egin behar duelako (I took the umbrella, because it is going to rain)

Txapela jantzi dut eguzkia dagoelako. (I put the cap because it's sunny)

Umea negarrez dago gose delako (The child is crying because he is hungry)

Ez dut etxea erosi, garestia delako ( I didn't buy the house, because it is expensive)

As you may have noticed an "-e" is added to LAKO whenever the auxiliary verb doesn't end by -Gu, -Zu, -Zue, -Te, -O, or -E ( dugulako, duzulako, dutelako, zaiolako or dielako don't take any "e").

-T and -K/-N become, as always, -DA and -A/-NA (DUT-->dudalako; DUK-->dualako; DUN-->dunalako)

Examples:

-Umea negarrez dago. Erori egin da. Zergatik dago umea negarrez? (Why is the child crying?) Erori egin delako (Because he felt)

-Ohera noa. Berandu da. Zergatik zoaz ohera (Why are you going to bed?) Berandu delako (Because it's late.)

EXERCICES

(Please fill in the blanks: in the first part, you will have to write the auxiliary verb, then the causal particle in the second part)

Ex: Bainugela garbitu BEHAR..DUT, zikin dagoELAKO...

Gurasoek konketa berria erosi NAHI....., puskatu egin da.....
Inor EZIN .... komunean sartu, Mertxe dago.......
Ohean etzan AHAL ...... (zu), nekatuta zaude......
Burko pare bat BEHAR...... (zuk), buruhandia zara......
Iratzargailua ipini BEHAR.....(hark), goiz jeiki behar du.....
Ilea lehortu NAHI......., busti egin zaigu......
EZIN .......eskaileratik igo (zuek), apurtuta dago......
Hozkailuan sartu BEHAR.....esnea (nik), bero dago......
Ogia ebaki BEHAR ...... (nik hari), ogitartekoa nahi du....
Oilasko errea NAHI.....(guk), hala gustatzen zaigu.....

VOCABULARY:

Apurtuta= broken
Ardo= wine
Bainugela= bathroom
Berandu= late (goiz= early)
Bero= hot (hotz= cold)
Berri= new
Berri= new (zahar= old)
Burko= pillow
Buruhandi= big head (buru + handi)
Busti= to wet
Dago= "Egon" verb (to be; to stay), 3rd. person
Dantza egin= to dance
Diru= money
Ebaki= to cut
Eguzki= sun
Eman= to give
Entzun= to listen
Erori= to fall
Erosi= to buy
Eskailera= stairs
Esnea= milk
Etorri= to come
Etxe= house
Etxera= (to) home (etxe + ra)
Etzan= to lie down
Euria egin= to rain
Euritako= umbrella
Garbitu= to clean
Garesti= expensive
Goiz= early
Gona= skirt
Gorri= red
Gose= hungry; gose egon= to be hungry
Guraso= parents
Gustatu= to like
Hartu= to take
Hozkailu= fridge
Igo= to go up
Ikasi= to learn
Ikastolara= to the school (Ikastola + ra)
Ile= hair
Inor= nobody (ezer= nothing)
Ipini= to put
Irakatsi= to teach
Iratzargailu= alarm clock
Jan= to eat pork
Jantzi= to wear
Jeiki= to get up
Joan= to go
Joan= to go
Kafe= coffee
Kalera= to the street (kale + ra)
Komunean= in the toilet (komuna + an)
Konketa= sink
Lanean= in the work place; working (lan + ean)
Lehortu= to dry
Musika= music
Negarrez= crying
Nekatuta= tired (nekatu= to tire)
Ogi= bread
Ogitarteko= sandwich
Ohera= to bed (ohe + ra)
Oilasko errea= roast chicken
Okela= meat
Osabari= to uncle (osaba + ari)
Pare bat= a pair
Praka= pants
Puskatu= to brake
Sartu= to enter
Sartu= to put into; to enter
Txapela= cap
Txerriki: pork meat
Ume= child
Zaude= verb EGON, 2nd. singular person
Zergatik= Why
Zikin= dirty (garbi= clean)

Note: Exercises will be corrected in the next lesson. You may ask questions on the newsgroup, somebody will sure answer. If you have any suggestions, please write us to

Thanks,

Maria S. Santisteban

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