Why and what for: -lako, -tzeagatik, -tzeko
A reason is a suffix grown onto the word. After a noun it is -gatik: euriagatik — because of the rain, isunagatik — because of the fine. After a verb it is -lako: Nekatuta nagoelako ez naiz joan — I did not go because I was tired. For example: “Ez naiz joan euriagatik” — I did not go because of the rain. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A reason is a suffix grown onto the word. After a noun it is -gatik: euriagatik — because of the rain, isunagatik — because of the fine. After a verb it is -lako: Nekatuta nagoelako ez naiz joan — I did not go because I was tired.
An action as a cause turns into a name with -tzea and takes the same -gatik: Eskerrik asko laguntzeagatik — thank you for the help. The purpose lives apart, in -tzeko: Lan egiten dut familia mantentzeko — I work to keep the family. A reason looks back, a purpose looks forward.
Table
| the meaning | the suffix | the example |
|---|---|---|
| because of what | -gatik | euriagatik — because of the rain |
| because | -lako | nekatuta nagoelako — because I am tired |
| for an action | -tzeagatik | laguntzeagatik — for the help |
| in order to (purpose) | -tzeko | ikasteko — in order to learn |
By example
- Ez naiz joan euriagatikI did not go because of the rain
- Lan egiten dut familia mantentzekoI work to support the family
- Eskerrik asko laguntzeagatikThanks for the help
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
Why and what for: how does it work in Basque?
A reason is a suffix grown onto the word. After a noun it is -gatik: euriagatik — because of the rain, isunagatik — because of the fine. After a verb it is -lako: Nekatuta nagoelako ez naiz joan — I did not go because I was tired.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Ez naiz joan euriagatik” — I did not go because of the rain. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.