The impersonal: Han ekoizten da, bertan muntatzen da
When "who does" does not matter, Basque leaves the verb alone: the form …tzen da — it is done: Han ekoizten da — it is produced there, bertan muntatzen da — it is assembled here. Many things — …tzen dira: Gure produktuak bertan muntatzen dira — our products are assembled here. For example: “Han ekoizten da munduko gaztarik onena” — The best cheese in the world is produced there. A rule from the Basque course: worked…
How it works
When "who does" does not matter, Basque leaves the verb alone: the form …tzen da — it is done: Han ekoizten da — it is produced there, bertan muntatzen da — it is assembled here. Many things — …tzen dira: Gure produktuak bertan muntatzen dira — our products are assembled here.
With such a form the factory explains its whole process: Nola egiten da gazta? Esnea berotzen da, gazi egiten da, eta moldeetara doa — how is cheese made? The milk is heated, soured and goes into the molds. Not a single "who" — and the story goes by itself.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| it is done | …tzen da | Han ekoizten da |
| they are done | …tzen dira | bertan muntatzen dira |
| how is it done? | nola …tzen da | Nola egiten da gazta? |
By example
- Han ekoizten da munduko gaztarik onenaThe best cheese in the world is produced there
- Gure produktuak bertan muntatzen diraOur products are assembled here
- Nola egiten da gazta?How is cheese made?
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 impersonal: how does it work in Basque?
When "who does" does not matter, Basque leaves the verb alone: the form …tzen da — it is done: Han ekoizten da — it is produced there, bertan muntatzen da — it is assembled here. Many things — …tzen dira: Gure produktuak bertan muntatzen dira — our products are assembled here.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Han ekoizten da munduko gaztarik onena” — The best cheese in the world is produced there. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.