Feelings: three formulas
A state here and now is made by -ta/-ik/-rik plus egon: nekatuta nago — I am tired, pozik nago — I am glad, gaixorik nago — I feel bad. For example: “Ez kezkatu: pozik nago” — Do not worry: I am glad. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A state here and now is made by -ta/-ik/-rik plus egon: nekatuta nago — I am tired, pozik nago — I am glad, gaixorik nago — I feel bad.
A feeling can be "had", like a thing: beldurra dut — "fear I-have". The same with gosea dut and mina dut. English says "I am afraid"; Basque says "I have fear".
The third way: the feeling comes to you, with …zait: gustatzen zait — I like it, etxea falta zait — I miss home. One thought, three builds, and the speaker picks.
Table
| the pattern | the example | in English |
|---|---|---|
| …ta/-ik + nago | nekatuta nago | I am tired |
| feeling + dut | beldurra dut | I am afraid |
| …zait (comes to me) | gustatzen zait | I like it |
By example
- Ez kezkatu: pozik nagoDo not worry: I am glad
- Beldurra dut, sua gertu dagoI am afraid, the fire is close
- Zure oparia gustatzen zaitI like your present
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
Feelings: how does it work in Basque?
A state here and now is made by -ta/-ik/-rik plus egon: nekatuta nago — I am tired, pozik nago — I am glad, gaixorik nago — I feel bad.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Ez kezkatu: pozik nago” — Do not worry: I am glad. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.