The beginning and the end: hasi + …tzen, amaitu + …ta
An action that begins Basque puts into the …tzen form after hasi: Euria hasten da — the rain begins, literally "the rain begin-ing-being is". The form is one for all persons: Hasi gara lanean — we have begun working. For example: “Euria hasten da: aterkia hartu” — The rain is beginning: take an umbrella. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
An action that begins Basque puts into the …tzen form after hasi: Euria hasten da — the rain begins, literally "the rain begin-ing-being is". The form is one for all persons: Hasi gara lanean — we have begun working.
The end speaks with the participle in …ta: Lana amaitu dut — the work I have finished; amaituta dago — it is finished, the state after the deed. The same pair works with other verbs too: the beginning is a process, the end is a result.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| to begin doing | hasi + …tzen | Euria hasten da |
| to finish doing | amaitu + …ta | Lana amaitu dut |
| finished (state) | …ta dago | amaituta dago |
By example
- Euria hasten da: aterkia hartuThe rain is beginning: take an umbrella
- Lana amaitu dut gaur goizeanI finished the work this morning
- Azterketa amaituta dago, oporrak hasten diraThe exam is over, the vacation begins
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 beginning and the end: how does it work in Basque?
An action that begins Basque puts into the …tzen form after hasi: Euria hasten da — the rain begins, literally "the rain begin-ing-being is". The form is one for all persons: Hasi gara lanean — we have begun working.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Euria hasten da: aterkia hartu” — The rain is beginning: take an umbrella. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.