Where we are driving: gidatu, iritsi, -rantz, …ra arte
A car in Basque is "led": gidatu — to drive a car, kontuz gidatu — drive carefully. To reach a point is iritsi, and the point takes -ra: helmugara iritsi gara — we reached the goal. For example: “Etxerantz goaz, gero dendarantz” — We are going toward home, then toward the shop. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A car in Basque is "led": gidatu — to drive a car, kontuz gidatu — drive carefully. To reach a point is iritsi, and the point takes -ra: helmugara iritsi gara — we reached the goal.
The direction "roughly toward" takes -rantz: etxerantz goaz — we are going toward home, geltokirantz — toward the stop. The limit "as far as" a place is …ra arte: geltokira arte lagunduko zaitut — I will walk you to the stop.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| toward | -rantz | etxerantz — toward home |
| up to (place) | …ra arte | geltokira arte — as far as the stop |
| to reach | …ra iritsi | helmugara iritsi — to reach the goal |
By example
- Etxerantz goaz, gero dendarantzWe are going toward home, then toward the shop
- Helmugara iritsi gara eguerdianWe reached the goal at noon
- Geltokira arte lagunduko zaitutI will see you to the stop
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
Where we are driving: how does it work in Basque?
A car in Basque is "led": gidatu — to drive a car, kontuz gidatu — drive carefully. To reach a point is iritsi, and the point takes -ra: helmugara iritsi gara — we reached the goal.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Etxerantz goaz, gero dendarantz” — We are going toward home, then toward the shop. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.