Retelling others: …ela, bere esanetan, antza denez
Someone else's words Basque glues straight to the verb: -ela makes the clause a retelling — Etorriko dela kontatu du — he told that he will come, literally "will-come-that he told". The form is the same after entzun: Entzun dut etorriko dela — I heard that he will come. For example: “Etorriko dela kontatu du telefonoz” — He told by phone that he will come. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not…
How it works
Someone else's words Basque glues straight to the verb: -ela makes the clause a retelling — Etorriko dela kontatu du — he told that he will come, literally "will-come-that he told". The form is the same after entzun: Entzun dut etorriko dela — I heard that he will come.
The opening of someone else's story — two phrases: Bere esanetan… — in his words… (literally "in his sayings") and Antza denez… — as it appears… (antza — appearance): Bere esanetan, ekaitza gauean heldu zen. Antza denez, ez zen zoritzarrik izan — in his words, the storm came at night. As it appears, there was no trouble.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| that … (the words of others) | …ela | etorriko dela kontatu du |
| in his words | bere esanetan | Bere esanetan, dena ondo dago |
| as it appears | antza denez | Antza denez, berandu heldu da |
By example
- Etorriko dela kontatu du telefonozHe told by phone that he will come
- Bere esanetan, ekaitza gauean heldu zenIn his words, the storm came at night
- Antza denez, ez da ezer gertatuAs it appears, nothing happened
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
Retelling others: how does it work in Basque?
Someone else's words Basque glues straight to the verb: -ela makes the clause a retelling — Etorriko dela kontatu du — he told that he will come, literally "will-come-that he told". The form is the same after entzun: Entzun dut etorriko dela — I heard that he will come.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Etorriko dela kontatu du telefonoz” — He told by phone that he will come. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.