Basque/First Lesson

In Basque there are two irregular verbs, izan and egon, that both mean to be, although they are used very differently. The distinction is similar to that of the verbs "ser" and "estar" in Spanish and Portugues.

IZAN
To talk about lasting attributes or essential qualities, we use the verb izan: (*) Although the hi conjugations were more common in the past, zu have become more frequent in recent years. In some territories, such as Bizkaia, the conjugations of hi have practically disappeared from everyday speech, especially among the younger generations.

EGON
When we talk about condition or a state, we use the verb egon: