To know and to be acquainted: dakit/nakit and ezagutzen dut
"To know" in Basque is two verbs. Jakin is to know a fact, a rule, an answer: Euskara pixka bat dakit — I know a little Basque. In the north they say nakit, in the south dakit: one "I know", two coats. For example: “Euskara pixka bat dakit” — I know Basque a little. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
"To know" in Basque is two verbs. Jakin is to know a fact, a rule, an answer: Euskara pixka bat dakit — I know a little Basque. In the north they say nakit, in the south dakit: one "I know", two coats.
Ezagutu is to know a person or a place: Iban ezagutzen dut — I know Iban. Both fit in one phrase: Herria ezagutzen dut, baina historia ez dakit ondo.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| to know (a fact) | dakit / nakit | Euskara pixka bat dakit |
| to be acquainted | …ezagutzen dut | Iban ezagutzen dut |
| not to know (a fact) | ez dakit | ez dakit non dagoen |
By example
- Euskara pixka bat dakitI know Basque a little
- Iban ezagutzen dut haurtzarotikI have known Iban since childhood
- Herria ezagutzen dut, baina historia ez dakit ondoThe village I know, but its history I do not know well
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
To know and to be acquainted: how does it work in Basque?
"To know" in Basque is two verbs. Jakin is to know a fact, a rule, an answer: Euskara pixka bat dakit — I know a little Basque. In the north they say nakit, in the south dakit: one "I know", two coats.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Euskara pixka bat dakit” — I know Basque a little. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.