The kin: one word for two, and the tender nenorak
Basque words for kin often do not tell the sexes apart. Suhi is both son-in-law and daughter-in-law. Iloba is nephew and niece, and biloba is grandson and granddaughter at once. One word covers the mother-in-law on either side: amaginarreba, and the father-in-law: aitaginarreba. When the difference matters, say it in full: emaztearen ama — the wife's mother. For example: “Nenorak bazkalera etorriko dira igandean”…
How it works
Basque words for kin often do not tell the sexes apart. Suhi is both son-in-law and daughter-in-law. Iloba is nephew and niece, and biloba is grandson and granddaughter at once. One word covers the mother-in-law on either side: amaginarreba, and the father-in-law: aitaginarreba. When the difference matters, say it in full: emaztearen ama — the wife's mother.
Your own people, the whole kin, are fondly called nenorak — my dear ones: Nenorak bazkalera etorriko dira. A spouse of either sex is ezkontidea — husband and wife in one word.
Table
| the meaning | one word | the example |
|---|---|---|
| son-in-law and daughter-in-law | suhi | gure suhia — our son-in-law / our daughter-in-law |
| mother-in-law on either side | amaginarreba | amaginarreba etorri da — the mother-in-law came |
| my dear ones | nenorak | nenorak — my dear ones |
By example
- Nenorak bazkalera etorriko dira igandeanMy dear ones will come to lunch on Sunday
- Suhi berria sukaldaritzan trebea daOur daughter-in-law cooks skillfully
- Bi iloba ditut: mutil bat eta neska batI have two of them: a boy and a girl
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
The kin: how does it work in Basque?
Basque words for kin often do not tell the sexes apart. Suhi is both son-in-law and daughter-in-law. Iloba is nephew and niece, and biloba is grandson and granddaughter at once. One word covers the mother-in-law on either side: amaginarreba, and the father-in-law: aitaginarreba. When the difference…
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Nenorak bazkalera etorriko dira igandean” — My dear ones will come to lunch on Sunday. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.