Subordinate Clauses in Basque

In Brief

Basque commonly marks a subordinate clause on its finite verb (the verb form that carries tense and agreement), rather than placing a connector at the beginning as English does. Compare Euskara zaila da “Basque is difficult” with Badakit euskara zaila dela “I know that Basque is difficult.” At B1, the key patterns are -la “that,” -lako “because,” -nez “since/given that,” -n arren “although,” and -(e)nean “when.”

Overview

A subordinate clause is a clause that plays a role inside a larger sentence or depends on another clause for its full function. In everyday terms, it is the part corresponding to English “that she is here,” “because it is late,” or “when we arrived.” Learning these clauses at B1 lets you combine facts, reasons, contrasts, and events instead of producing a string of short sentences.

The biggest adjustment for an English-speaking learner is where the relationship is marked. English normally signals it before the clause: that + clause, because + clause, although + clause. Basque often adds an ending to the final verb or auxiliary: dela, delako, denez, den arren, denean. In a compound verb, that marked element is normally the auxiliary: ikusi dudala “that I have seen it.”

A subordinate clause often precedes the main clause because Basque frequently presents background before the central message: Berandu denez, etxera joango gara “Since it is late, we will go home.” This is a strong default, not an absolute rule. Complement clauses with -la, in particular, normally follow verbs such as jakin “know,” uste izan “think,” and esan “say.”

How It Works

Start with the finite verb

The practical method is to identify the last finite verb or auxiliary in the clause and replace its independent form with the required subordinate form.

Basque	English	Note
Euskara zaila da.	Basque is difficult.	Independent statement
Badakit euskara zaila dela.	I know that Basque is difficult.	da → dela
Mirenek liburua irakurri du.	Miren has read the book.	Independent statement
Badakit Mirenek liburua irakurri duela.	I know that Miren has read the book.	du → duela

Forms such as dela and duela should be learned as whole forms at first. The visible shape is not always produced by simply adding letters to the independent auxiliary: da + -la gives dela, not dala in standard Basque.

-la: “that” after thoughts, knowledge, and statements

The ending -la makes a complement clause (a clause that completes the meaning of a verb). It is common after verbs of knowing, thinking, believing, noticing, saying, or hearing.

Pattern: main verb + [statement whose finite verb ends in -la]

• Badakit etxean dagoela. — “I know that he/she is at home.”
• Uste dut bihar etorriko direla. — “I think that they will come tomorrow.”
• Esan du ez duela astirik. — “He/She has said that he/she has no time.”

Unlike English that, -la is not simply omitted in ordinary neutral statements. English may say either “I think that it is true” or “I think it is true,” but Basque still marks the embedded verb: Uste dut egia dela.

Negation remains inside the subordinate clause. Its usual order does not become English-like: Badakit ez dela erraza “I know that it is not easy.”

-lako: a direct reason, “because”

Add -lako to the finite verb when the clause gives the reason for the main event.

Pattern: [reason + finite verb in -lako] + main clause

• Gaixorik dagoelako ez da etorri. — “He/She did not come because he/she is ill.”
• Autobusa galdu dugulako iritsi gara berandu. — “We arrived late because we missed the bus.”

Common forms include delako “because it is,” duelako “because he/she has it,” dudalako “because I have it,” and direlako “because they are.” Person, number, tense, and argument agreement remain part of the auxiliary; -lako does not erase them.

A reason clause can also follow the main clause, especially as an explanation added afterward: Ez naiz joango, nekatuta nagoelako “I’m not going, because I’m tired.” Background-first order is nevertheless an excellent learner default.

-nez: “since,” “as,” or “given that”

The ending -nez also introduces a reason or circumstance, but it often presents that reason as accepted background from which the conclusion follows.

• Berandu denez, etxera joango gara. — “Since it is late, we will go home.”
• Bidea ezagutzen duzunez, zu joango zara aurretik. — “Since you know the way, you will go first.”

This distinction is useful rather than mechanical: -lako answers “why?”, while -nez often feels like “given that this is the case…”. The expanded form -nez gero makes the “given that/since” reading especially clear: Hemen zaudenez gero, lagundu iezadazu “Since you are here, help me.”

Do not confuse clause-final -nez with every Basque word that happens to end in the same letters. Learn it through complete auxiliary forms such as denez, duenez, and dakizunez.

-n arren: “although”

For a finite concessive clause—a clause that admits one fact but says it does not prevent another—use a verb ending in -n, followed by arren.

Pattern: [finite verb in -n + arren], main clause

• Euria egiten duen arren, joango gara. — “Although it is raining, we will go.”
• Nekatuta nagoen arren, lana bukatuko dut. — “Although I am tired, I will finish the work.”
• Garestia den arren, jende askok erosten du. — “Although it is expensive, many people buy it.”

Here arren is a separate word in the finite pattern: write den arren, not denarren. The -n form is also seen in relative clauses, but the following word and the sentence function make the meaning clear. In garestia den arren, there is no following noun for the clause to describe; arren supplies the concessive meaning.

-(e)nean: “when”

The temporal ending -(e)nean locates the main event at the time of the subordinate event. In real sentences you will meet whole forms such as denean “when it is,” duenean “when he/she has or does it,” naizenean “when I am/have,” and nintzenean “when I was.”

• Iritsi naizenean, deitu dizut. — “When I arrived, I called you.”
• Lana bukatzen duzunean, etorri hona. — “When you finish the work, come here.”
• Txikia nintzenean, herrian bizi nintzen. — “When I was little, I lived in the village.”

The subordinate verb itself shows the relevant viewpoint and agreement. Do not translate one English when mechanically with a single fixed Basque word; choose the correct auxiliary and attach the temporal ending to it.

Word order and punctuation

Reason, concession, and time clauses commonly come first:

• subordinate background + main message
• Euria egiten duenean, etxean geratzen gara.

A comma is useful after a longer initial clause. A short clause does not always require one, so punctuation varies. Complement clauses behave differently: the verb that selects the complement often comes first, followed by the -la clause: Badakit etorriko dela.

Basque word order also responds to focus—the information presented as especially important—so these are reliable defaults, not rigid templates. Keep each subordinate ending on the verb belonging to its own clause.

Examples in Context

Basque	English	Note
Badakit euskara zaila dela.	I know that Basque is difficult.	Fact as a -la complement
Uste dugu Ane etxean dagoela.	We think that Ane is at home.	Thought or opinion
Esan didate denda itxita dagoela.	They told me that the shop is closed.	Reported statement
Ez dut uste gaur etorriko denik.	I do not think that he/she will come today.	Negative environments may use -nik; see Advanced Use
Gaixorik dagoelako ez da etorri.	He/She did not come because he/she is ill.	Direct reason with -lako
Etxean geratu gara euria ari duelako.	We stayed at home because it is raining.	Reason placed after the main clause
Bihar lan egin behar dudanez, goiz oheratuko naiz.	Since I have to work tomorrow, I will go to bed early.	Background reason with -nez
Denok prest gaudenez gero, has gaitezen.	Since we are all ready, let us begin.	Expanded -nez gero
Euria egiten duen arren, joango gara.	Although it is raining, we will go.	Finite -n arren
Oso nekatuta zeuden arren, ez ziren gelditu.	Although they were very tired, they did not stop.	Past concessive clause
Iritsi naizenean, deitu dizut.	When I arrived, I called you.	Completed arrival as time frame
Txikia nintzenean, egunero jolasten nintzen kalean.	When I was little, I used to play in the street every day.	Past time and repeated action
Bilera bukatzen denean, kafe bat hartuko dugu.	When the meeting ends, we will have a coffee.	Future main event
Zuk esandakoa egia dela uste dut.	I think that what you said is true.	A -la clause containing a nominalized expression

Common Mistakes

Putting an English-style connector before an unmarked clause

• Wrong: Badakit “that” euskara zaila da.
• Right: Badakit euskara zaila dela.
• Why: Basque marks “that” on the subordinate finite verb. The independent da changes to dela.

Attaching the suffix to the lexical verb instead of the auxiliary

• Wrong: Liburua irakurrilako berandu oheratu naiz.
• Right: Liburua irakurri dudalako berandu oheratu naiz.
• Why: In a compound form, the auxiliary dut carries agreement and receives the subordinate ending: dudalako.

Treating -la as optional because English “that” is optional

• Wrong: Uste dut arrazoia duzu.
• Right: Uste dut arrazoia duzula.
• Why: English can omit “that,” but a neutral Basque declarative complement still needs its subordinate marking.

Using -lako when the intended meaning is “although”

• Wrong: Nekatuta nagoelako, lanean jarraituko dut for “Although I am tired, I will keep working.”
• Right: Nekatuta nagoen arren, lanean jarraituko dut.
• Why: -lako gives a cause; -n arren sets up a fact that fails to prevent the main event.

Writing arren onto the finite verb

• Wrong: Zaila denarren, saiatuko naiz.
• Right: Zaila den arren, saiatuko naiz.
• Why: In this pattern, the verb has -n and arren is written separately.

Copying the present auxiliary into a past-time clause

• Wrong: Txikia naizenean, herrian bizi nintzen when speaking about childhood.
• Right: Txikia nintzenean, herrian bizi nintzen.
• Why: The temporal ending does not supply past tense by itself. The auxiliary must still match the time reference.

Usage Notes

-lako is the everyday, flexible way to state a reason. -nez and especially -nez gero often frame information as already available or accepted before drawing a conclusion. Context and speaker intention matter more than a one-word English translation, since English “because,” “since,” and “as” overlap.

With -la, Basque usually keeps the speaker and agreement information visible in the auxiliary. English “I know that you have it” becomes Badakit zuk daukazula: the subordinate form still identifies “you.” Build whole forms from auxiliaries you already know instead of memorizing only the suffix in isolation.

Clause order affects information flow. Initial Gaixorik dagoelako… prepares the reason first; final …gaixorik dagoelako sounds like an explanation of the statement just made. Both can be natural. In careful writing, commas help readers see the boundary of a long initial subordinate clause, but the suffix is the grammatical marker—not the comma.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Negative and questioned complement clauses

Declarative complements commonly use -la, but under negation, doubt, or a question about whether something is the case, Basque often uses a form in -enik/-nik:

• Badakit etorriko dela. — “I know that he/she will come.”
• Ez dut uste etorriko denik. — “I do not think that he/she will come.”
• Ba al dakizu etorriko den? — “Do you know whether he/she will come?”

This is not just a matter of replacing every -la after ez. The selecting verb and intended meaning matter, so learn frequent frames such as ez dut uste …-nik as units. Indirect questions and reported speech deserve their own fuller treatment.

Other concessive patterns

Basque also uses nahiz eta “even though/although,” often with a subjunctive form: Nahiz eta zaila izan, saiatuko naiz “Even though it is difficult, I will try.” You may also encounter a perfect-participle pattern such as Euria egin arren, irten gara “Although it rained, we went out.” At B1, master transparent finite forms such as duen arren and den arren first; later, compare these alternatives for tense, aspect, and style.

One sentence can contain several layers

Subordinate clauses can contain relative clauses, nominalized forms, or other subordinate clauses:

Badakit erosi duzun liburua interesgarria dela.
“I know that the book you bought is interesting.”

Here erosi duzun is a relative clause describing liburua, while interesgarria dela is the larger -la complement of badakit. To analyze a long sentence, work from each final verb outward and ask what the clause modifies or completes.

Tense is carried inside the subordinate form

The suffix expresses the relationship between clauses, but it does not replace tense. Compare dela “that it is,” zela “that it was,” denean “when it is/does,” and zenean “when it was/did.” In reported speech, the choice between forms such as dela and zela depends on viewpoint and time sequence, an advanced topic rather than a simple automatic English-style backshift.

Practice Tips

1. Transform complete sentences. Start with Ane etxean dago. Then make Badakit Ane etxean dagoela, Ane etxean dagoelako…, Ane etxean dagoen arren…, and Ane etxean dagoenean…. This keeps your attention on the auxiliary change.
2. Sort examples by relationship, not translation. Label each clause “content,” “direct reason,” “accepted background,” “concession,” or “time.” This prevents -lako and -nez, or -lako and -n arren, from collapsing into vague English equivalents.
3. Mark clause boundaries while reading. Underline dela, delako, denez, den arren, and denean, then bracket everything that belongs to that verb. Long Basque sentences become much easier when you locate the marked auxiliaries first.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Relative Clauses — reviews the verb ending -n and clauses placed before what they modify.
• Next step: Purpose and Result Clauses — adds -t(z)eko, hain… non, and related clause patterns.
• Next step: Reported Speech — develops -la complements, indirect questions, and viewpoint in reporting.
• Next step: Cause, Result, and Concessive Clauses — compares a wider range of reason and concession structures.
• Further study: Subjunctive Mood — needed for patterns such as etorri dadin and many nahiz eta clauses.
• Further study: Verbal Nouns and Nominalization — shows how actions become noun-like expressions inside larger sentences.
• Advanced: Complex Sentence Structures — combines embedded and participial clauses.
• Advanced: Sequence of Tenses — examines time relationships across main and subordinate clauses.