A little and none at all: -rik
The suffix -rik turns a thing into "some of" that thing: ogirik nahi? — do you want some bread? The article -a drops off: ogia → ogirik, gatza → gatzik. For example: “Ogirik nahi?” — Do you want some bread?. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The suffix -rik turns a thing into "some of" that thing: ogirik nahi? — do you want some bread? The article -a drops off: ogia → ogirik, gatza → gatzik.
In a negative sentence -rik is a must: ez dut ogirik — I have no bread at all, ez dago gatzik — there is no salt.
With gabe, "without", the same shift: dirurik gabe — without money. English does this with "any"; Basque does it with one suffix.
Table
| the meaning | the usual form | the -rik form |
|---|---|---|
| bread | ogia | ogirik |
| salt | gatza | gatzik |
| I want some | ogi bat nahi dut | ogirik nahi dut |
| none at all | ogia ez dago | ez dago ogirik |
By example
- Ogirik nahi?Do you want some bread?
- Ez dut ogirik, baina irina dagoThere is no bread, but there is flour
- Gatzik gabe, mesedezWithout salt, please
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
A little and none at all: how does it work in Basque?
The suffix -rik turns a thing into "some of" that thing: ogirik nahi? — do you want some bread? The article -a drops off: ogia → ogirik, gatza → gatzik.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Ogirik nahi?” — Do you want some bread?. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.