"That" about what was said: hori
There are two levels of pointing: hau — this, right before your eyes, and hori — that, the thing already mentioned. Hori ez dakit — that I do not know: the talk is about what was just said. For example: “Hori ez dakit, barkatu” — That I do not know, sorry. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
There are two levels of pointing: hau — this, right before your eyes, and hori — that, the thing already mentioned. Hori ez dakit — that I do not know: the talk is about what was just said.
"Hori" also points at a thing: hori da — that is it, that is how it is. Its ending changes by the usual rules: horrekin — with that, horretan — in that.
Careful with the twin: horia — yellow. "Hori horia da" — "that one is yellow" — is not a mistake but the language.
Table
| before the eyes | about what was said | |
|---|---|---|
| pronoun | hau — this | hori — that (about what was said) |
| with it | honekin | horrekin |
| in it | honetan | horretan |
By example
- Hori ez dakit, barkatuThat I do not know, sorry
- Hori da nire telefono-zenbakiaThat is my phone number
- Hori da arazoaThat is the problem
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
"That" about what was said: how does it work in Basque?
There are two levels of pointing: hau — this, right before your eyes, and hori — that, the thing already mentioned. Hori ez dakit — that I do not know: the talk is about what was just said.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Hori ez dakit, barkatu” — That I do not know, sorry. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.