Although and still: concession with … arren
Concession — "although, but still" — is built by the particle arren, grown onto the relative form of the verb: Euria egiten duen arren, joango naiz — although it is raining, I will go. Inside duen is "which has" (the same -n form that waits for you at the end of the wave). For example: “Euria egiten duen arren, joango naiz” — Although it is raining, I will go. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples…
How it works
Concession — "although, but still" — is built by the particle arren, grown onto the relative form of the verb: Euria egiten duen arren, joango naiz — although it is raining, I will go. Inside duen is "which has" (the same -n form that waits for you at the end of the wave).
Tense changes the form: present — duen arren, past — zuen arren. With an adjective the link izan works: Garestia izan arren — although it is expensive. The concession is honest: the obstacle is named — and the decision is still yours.
Table
| concession | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| present | duen arren | Euria egiten duen arren — although it rains |
| past | zen arren | Berandu zen arren — although it was late |
| with an adjective | izan arren | Garestia izan arren — although it is expensive |
By example
- Euria egiten duen arren, joango naizAlthough it is raining, I will go
- Garestia izan arren, erosi dutAlthough it is expensive, I bought it
- Berandu zen arren, itxaron duguAlthough it was late, we waited
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
Although and still: how does it work in Basque?
Concession — "although, but still" — is built by the particle arren, grown onto the relative form of the verb: Euria egiten duen arren, joango naiz — although it is raining, I will go. Inside duen is "which has" (the same -n form that waits for you at the end of the wave).
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Euria egiten duen arren, joango naiz” — Although it is raining, I will go. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.