izan and egon — the two verbs "to be"
English runs everything through one verb "to be", which is exactly why the Basque split looks arbitrary at first. The dividing line is visible in English all the same, just in the words around the verb: "Marta is a teacher" — that is what she is; "Marta is tired" — that is how she is right now. Basque gives each of the two its own verb. (And if you happen to know Spanish: izan is ser, egon is estar.) For example…
How it works
English runs everything through one verb "to be", which is exactly why the Basque split looks arbitrary at first. The dividing line is visible in English all the same, just in the words around the verb: "Marta is a teacher" — that is what she is; "Marta is tired" — that is how she is right now. Basque gives each of the two its own verb. (And if you happen to know Spanish: izan is ser, egon is estar.)
izan is for what someone or something is by essence: profession, origin, character. egon is for state and place: where you are, how you feel, what mood you are in.
The classic pair: Marta irakaslea da — "Marta is a teacher", Marta nekatuta dago — "Marta is tired (right now)".
Table
| izan | egon | |
|---|---|---|
| ni | naiz | nago |
| zu | zara | zaude |
| hura | da | dago |
| gu | gara | gaude |
| haiek | dira | daude |
By example
- Errusiarra naizI am from Russia (that is what I am, always)
- Ondo nagoI am well (right now)
- Kafea bero dagoThe coffee is hot (right now)
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
izan and egon — the two verbs "to be": how does it work in Basque?
English runs everything through one verb "to be", which is exactly why the Basque split looks arbitrary at first. The dividing line is visible in English all the same, just in the words around the verb: "Marta is a teacher" — that is what she is; "Marta is tired" — that is how she is right now.…
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Errusiarra naiz” — I am from Russia (that is what I am, always). A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.