LingoflyPoliteness: …al dezakezu?
A polite request in Basque is a question, not an order: the verb + al dezakezu? — "can you…?" Berriro esan al dezakezu? — could you say it again? The particle al stands before dezakezu, as in any question. For example: “Berriro esan al dezakezu?” — Could you say it again? A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A polite request in Basque is a question, not an order: the verb + al dezakezu? — "can you…?". Berriro esan al dezakezu? — could you say it again? The particle al stands before dezakezu, as in any question.
Softeners live nearby: Mesedez, berriro — once more, please; poliki hitz egin — speak slowly. A soft refusal is Ez, eskerrik asko — no, thank you, and Ez nuke nahi — I would rather not.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| could you… | … al dezakezu? | Berriro esan al dezakezu? |
| again, please | Mesedez, berriro | Mesedez, berriro esan |
| a soft refusal | Ez, eskerrik asko | Ez, eskerrik asko, beste batean |
By example
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
Politeness: how does it work in Basque?
A polite request in Basque is a question, not an order: the verb + al dezakezu? — "can you…?" Berriro esan al dezakezu? — could you say it again? The particle al stands before dezakezu, as in any question.
What does it look like in a Basque example sentence?
“Berriro esan al dezakezu?” — Could you say it again? A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.