The words of others: …ela
To pass on someone's words, Basque has one form: the verb takes -(e)la. For example: “Laster etorriko dela esan du” — He said he will come soon. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To pass on someone's words, Basque has one form: the verb takes -(e)la.
Laster etorriko dela esan du — he said he will come soon. After a vowel it is -la, after a consonant -ela: dago → dagoela.
The negative hides inside the same form: Ez duela ezer ikusi esan du — he said he had seen nothing. The tense of the main verb is free: esan zuen — he said long ago, and the borrowed part stays on -la.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| that (statement) | -(e)la | etorriko dela — that he will come |
| that not (negation) | ez + -ela | ez duela etorri — that he will not come |
| past of the main verb | esan zuen | Joango zela esan zuen — he said he would leave |
By example
- Laster etorriko dela esan duHe said he will come soon
- Gaixorik dagoela esan diguteWe were told he is ill
- Ez duela ezer esan esan zuenHe said he said nothing
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 words of others: how does it work in Basque?
To pass on someone's words, Basque has one form: the verb takes -(e)la.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Laster etorriko dela esan du” — He said he will come soon. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.