Izan vs egon (quality vs state)
This is probably the trickiest distinction in A1 Basque. Like in Spanish “ser” vs “estar”, but with two important differences: (1) adjectives change their form and (2) some words are only used with one of the two verbs.
The rule in one line
| When you talk about… | Verb | Adjective takes -a |
|---|---|---|
| What someone is like always (quality, description) | izan | yes (alaia, altua) |
| How someone is now (state, moment) | egon | no (pozik, nekatuta) |
Paired examples
See how the chosen word changes depending on whether you’re talking about a quality or a state:
| Quality (izan) | State (egon) |
|---|---|
| Alaia da. (She is cheerful, that’s her nature) | Pozik dago. (She is happy/content) |
| Urduria naiz. (I am a nervous person) | Urduri nago. (I am nervous today) |
| Lasaia da. (He is a calm person) | Lasai dago. (He is calm now) |
| Ona da. (He/She is a good person) | Ondo dago. (He/She is well/okay) |
| Gaixoa da. (He/She is sickly) | Gaixorik dago. (He/She is sick) |
Note: alaia and pozik both translate to “cheerful/happy”, but they are not interchangeable. Alaia describes character; pozik describes a temporary mood.
Tips to get it right
- Is it happening today or are they always like this? If it’s for a specific moment → egon. If it’s their way of being → izan.
- Does the word end in
-ik,-ta, or is it an adverb (ondo,gaizki)? It almost always goes with egon. - Am I describing a permanent physical trait (tall, fat, young)? It goes with izan +
-a.
Typical A1 cases
- Ni langilea naiz, baina gaur nekatuta nago. — I am a hard worker, but today I am tired.
- Egoitz oso jatorra da, baina haserre dago. — Egoitz is very nice, but he is angry.
- Maialenen ama gaztea da. Pozik dago, gaur urtebetetzea da eta. — Maialen’s mother is young. She is happy because today is her birthday.
Ask correctly
- Nolakoa zara? → describe your character / physique (use izan).
- Nola zaude? or Zer moduz? → say how you are today (use egon).
Note: In Spanish, you would say “soy nervioso” or “estoy nervioso” without changing the word. In Basque, the word itself changes (urduria vs urduri). It’s tricky at first, but it becomes natural with daily practice. If you’re unsure in a real conversation, a safe bet is to use egon with an invariable word: haserre nago, triste nago, nekatuta nago — they always work.
Ejercicios
To say "Maialen is cheerful (in general, it's her nature)" we use…
To say "Today Maialen is happy / content (it's a state)" we use…
My father is a nervous person (it's his nature) = Nire aita urduria .
Today my father is nervous (today's state) = Gaur nire aita urduri .
We are tired = Nekatuta .