# ​People and Past 2

*   As mentioned earlier, Southern Basque (like Spanish) has two different verbs that can be translated as “to be”; izan and egon.
*   Like the present tense, Izan in the past is used for facts or qualities that are fairly permanent, fixed attributes of something.

## Simple Past vs Simple Present of Izan

*   Ni nintzen: I was
*   Ni naiz: I am\*
*   Zu zinen: You (single) were
*   Zu zara: You (single) are\*
*   Hura zen: He/he/it was
*   Hura da: He/he/it is\*
*   Gu ginen: We were
*   Gu gara: We are\*
*   Zuek zineten: You (plural) were
*   Zuek zarete: You (plural) are\*
*   Haiek ziren: They were
*   Haiek dira: They are

## Vocabulary People and Past 2

*   Ni nintzen: I was
*   Zu zinen: You (single) were
*   Hura zen: He/she/it was
*   Gu ginen: We were
*   Zuek zineten:You (plural) were
*   Haiek ziren: They were
*   orain: now
*   gaur: today
*   baina: but

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