Ukan 1-1

33. Ukan/Edun 1-1

There are two names for the auxiliary verb used for non-conjugated transitive verbs, Ukan and Edun.
You will see one or the other or both in literature, but they refer to the same set of words.
Transitive verbs are those that can answer the question “what”, and Ukan/Edun is used, throughout the region,
as the auxiliary verb for transitive verbs, in a similar manner to how IZAN is used with non-transitive verbs.
Ukan/Edun can also be used to mean “to have”, and is a synonym with Eduki, which is common in Spain, but seldom used in France.
Eduki will be covered later

Ukan/Edun with a single object is du- with the endings -t, -zu, -. -gu, -zue, -te
(nik dut, zuk duzu, hark du, guk dugu, zuek duzue, haiek dute)
This is a pattern you will see with other conjugated transitive verbs.
Verbs used with Ukan/Edun follow the same form as with Izan.
For the near past, the dictionary form is combined with Ukan/Edun. For example Nik egin dut. I did it.
Word order in Basque can be very flexible, but normally for transitive verbs it is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV).
As with intransitive verbs, when adjectives are used, they follow the noun,
the noun doesn’t change and the grammar suffix is added to the last adjective in the noun phrase.
Gaur nik poltsa urdina ireki dut. Today I opened the blue purse.
Subject: Nik, Object: Noun: poltsa Adjective: urdina, Verb: Main Verb: ireki Auxiliary verb: dut.

As with intrasitive, the near past is an event that happened in the present time from, usually that day
for example: Guar nik euskaraz hitz egin dut.
Today I spoke Basque.
As with intransitive verbs, when used in the negative. Didn’t do something, ez goes with the noun.
Nik ez dut liburua irakurri. I didn’t read the book.

The chart below shows the main parts of the NORK-NOR (ergative -absolutive) case in Basque.
The NORK (ergative) case is used with the subject of transitive verbs (verbs which have objects)
while the object of the verb is in the NOR (absolutive) case,
which is the case used for the subject of intransitive verbs, that was covered earlier.
Example: Txakurra gaztea da. The dog is young.(txakurra is the intransitive verb subject)
Mikelek txakurra dauka. Michael has the dog.(txakurra is the transitive verb object, while Mikelek is the subject)

As was covered in module 20, Because 1, the Basque word for any is the suffix -rik.
When using -rik, you just add -rik to the no article form. Ex: diru = money, dirurik. = any money.
As with English, -rik is normally used with negative sentences. The subject doesn’t have any of the object. Also note -rik makes the object single.

Note that the following are translated as have/has, but remember they also can be used as auxiliary verbs
and that is how they will be used in this lesson for the sentences.
Nik dut: I have (single object)
Zuk duzu: You have (single object)
Hark du: He/she/it has (single object)
Guk dugu: We have (single object)
Zuek duzue: You (plural) have (single object)
Haiek dute: They have (single object)
ireki: opened
itxi: closed
jaso: received
garbitu: cleaned