Language/Basque/Grammar/Subject-Pronouns
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Introduction
Pronouns are essential components of speech that replace nouns in sentences. In Basque, personal pronouns are used to refer to subjects, objects, and possessive relationships in a sentence. They are often inflected to show the subject's grammatical gender, number, and case. In this lesson, we will focus on subject pronouns, which are used to refer to the subject of a sentence. We will also discuss how to conjugate verbs with these pronouns in present tense.
Subject Pronouns
In Basque, there are two types of personal pronouns: subject pronouns and object pronouns. Subject pronouns are used to refer to the person or thing that performs the action of the verb. These are the most commonly used pronouns and they are invariable in gender, number, and case. In Basque, there are six subject pronouns:
| Basque | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ni | [ni] | I |
| Hi | [hi] | You (singular) |
| Hura | [huɾa] | He/she/it |
| Guk | [ɡuk] | We |
| Zuk | [su̞k] | You (plural) |
| Haiek | [hajek] | They |
As you can see, the third-person singular pronoun, "hura," is gender-neutral and can mean "he," "she," or "it."
Verb Conjugation with Subject Pronouns
In Basque, the verb conjugation with subject pronouns is relatively simple. Verbs are conjugated according to the person and number of the subject pronoun. For instance, if the subject is "ni" (I), the verb root will be followed by "n" in the present tense:
- Hitz egin n{it} (I speak)
- Ikusi n{int}i (I see)
On the other hand, if the subject is "hi" (you, singular), the verb root should be followed by "k":
- Hitz egin h{i} (You speak)
- Ikusi h{iki} (You see)
If the subject is "hura" (he/she/it), there is no suffix following the verb root in the present tense:
- Hitz egin d{u}/ho{s}i (He/she/it speaks)
- Ikusi d{u}/ho{s}i (He/she/it sees)
For the first-person plural subject "guk," the suffix "gu" should be added to the verb root:
- Hitz egin gu{k} (We speak)
- Ikusi gu{k} (We see)
Similarly, for the second-person plural "zuk," the suffix "zu" should be added:
- Hitz egin zu{k} (You speak)
- Ikusi zu{ki} (You see)
Finally, for the third-person plural subject "haiek," the suffix "k" should be added to the verb root:
- Hitz egin d{ie} (They speak)
- Ikusi d{i}zu(te) (They see)
It is important to note that in some words, an "r" or "s" is added to the verb root before suffixes. For instance: "maitatu" (to love)
| Basque | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Maitat{n}ut | [majtatnut] | I love |
| Maitat{k}u | [majtakʊ] | You love (singular) |
| Maitat{du}/{du}s{i} | [majtadu] | He/She/It loves |
| Maitat{gu} | [majtaɡu] | We love |
| Maitat{zu} | [majtazu] | You love (plural) |
| Maitat{d}ie | [majtade] | They love |
Examples
- Gizona Joanes da (The man is Joanes)
- Ni Euskara ikasten dut (I am learning Basque)
- Hiri lurretan bizitzen dira (They live in the city)
- Hori gustatzen zait (I like that)
- Hauek gure lagunak dira (They are our friends)
Conclusion
In this lesson, we have learned about subject pronouns in Basque and their usage in sentences. We have also discussed the verb conjugation with these pronouns in present tense. Keep practicing to master these concepts, and you will be able to make meaningful sentences in Basque. In the next lesson, we will learn about regular verb conjugation, which will help expand your skillset further.
Other Lessons
- Gender
- Past Tense
- Definite Articles in Basque
- Interrogative Words
- Future Tense
- Questions
- Conjunctions
- Common Prepositions
- Imperative Tense
- Comparatives and Superlatives
Sources
| ◀️ Ordinal Numbers — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Regular Verb Conjugation ▶️ |