Where is it? — the NON case

You already know the suffix -(e)an from the lesson “Where you live” (Bilbon bizi naiz). Here we apply it to the neighbourhood: where each thing is.

The question: Non dago…?

To ask where is…? we use:

• Non dago …? — Where is + (singular subject)?
• Non daude …? — Where are + (plural subject)?
• Non zaude? — Where are you?
• Non nago? — Where am I?

The verb is egon (“to be located”), which you already saw in greetings. Remember the forms:

Person	Form
ni	nago
zu	zaude
hura	dago
gu	gaude
zuek	zaudete
haiek	daude

The answer: place + -(e)an + dago

To say where something is, add the suffix -(e)an to the place:

End of the place word	Pattern	Example
-a (organic, like Donostia)	+ n	Donostia → Donostian
Vowel without final -a (mendi, kale-)	+ an	mendi → mendian
Consonant (Madril, lur)	+ en (proper nouns) / + ean (common nouns)	Madril → Madrilen; lur → lurrean

A note for words like kale (street): when they carry the article kalea (“the street”), the -a of the article is dropped before adding the suffix: kalea → kale-an = kalean (“on the street”).

Full examples

• Botika kalean dago. — The pharmacy is on the street.
• Liburuak mahaian daude. — The books are on the table.
• Ikaslea ikasgelan dago. — The student is in the classroom.
• Aita tabernan dago. — Dad is at the bar.
• Ni euskaltegian nago. — I am at the euskaltegi.
• Bilbo Bizkaian dago. — Bilbao is in Bizkaia.

Mini-dialogue

— Aupa! Non dago liburutegia? — Hi! Where is the library?

— Liburutegia plazan dago, eskolaren ondoan. — The library is in the square, next to the school.

— Eskerrik asko!

Tip: non = “where” in Basque. Any answer to non…? carries a noun with the suffix -(e)an or an adverb of place (hemen, hor, han — you’ll see them in the next lesson).