LingoflyWishes: …dezazula, …dadila
To wish something, Basque puts the verb into its "may" form and adds -la: Ondo pasa dezazula! — have a good time! For "may he" with an object it is dezala, without one dadila: Beldurrik gabe ibil dadila — may he walk without fear. For example: “Beldurrik gabe ibil dadila beti” — May he always walk without fear. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To wish something, Basque puts the verb into its "may" form and adds -la: Ondo pasa dezazula! — have a good time! For "may he" with an object it is dezala, without one dadila: Beldurrik gabe ibil dadila — may he walk without fear.
In books and solemn greetings you also meet the old form bedi: Zorionez bete bedi zure etxe berria — may your new home be filled with happiness. Before a toast the simple Zorionak! is usual — congratulations, literally "happinesses".
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| a wish to you | …dezazula | Ondo pasa dezazula! |
| may he (no object) | …dadila | Beldurrik gabe ibil dadila |
| bookish "may" | …bedi | Zorionez bete bedi |
By example
- Beldurrik gabe ibil dadila betiMay he always walk without fear
- Happy birthday!
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
Wishes: how does it work in Basque?
To wish something, Basque puts the verb into its "may" form and adds -la: Ondo pasa dezazula! — have a good time! For "may he" with an object it is dezala, without one dadila: Beldurrik gabe ibil dadila — may he walk without fear.
What does it look like in a Basque example sentence?
“Beldurrik gabe ibil dadila beti” — May he always walk without fear. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.