Cause and consequence: …tzeagatik and …arekin
A cause in Basque is marked by -gatik — because of: Hotzagatik gaixotu naiz — I fell ill from the cold. It glues the same way to the name of an action in -tze: Lo gutxiegitagatik — from too little sleep. For example: “Hotzagatik gaixotu naiz asteburuan” — From the cold I fell ill on the weekend. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A cause in Basque is marked by -gatik — because of: Hotzagatik gaixotu naiz — I fell ill from the cold. It glues the same way to the name of an action in -tze: Lo gutxiegitagatik — from too little sleep.
The second thread of cause is …arekin — with: a state arrives together with the weather. Euriarekin beti burua min egiten dit — with rain my head always hurts. The conclusion is gathered by beraz.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| because of what (cause) | …-gatik / …tzeagatik | Hotzagatik gaixotu naiz |
| with what (state) | …arekin | Euriarekin nekatzen naiz |
| the consequence | beraz + conclusion | Beraz, etxean geratuko naiz |
By example
- Hotzagatik gaixotu naiz asteburuanFrom the cold I fell ill on the weekend
- Euriarekin beti burua min egiten ditWith the rain my head always hurts
- Beraz, etxean geratuko naiz gaurSo I will stay home today
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
Cause and consequence: how does it work in Basque?
A cause in Basque is marked by -gatik — because of: Hotzagatik gaixotu naiz — I fell ill from the cold. It glues the same way to the name of an action in -tze: Lo gutxiegitagatik — from too little sleep.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Hotzagatik gaixotu naiz asteburuan” — From the cold I fell ill on the weekend. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.