To come and to go: …tera joan, …tik etorri
Motion in Basque is carried by the case, not by a preposition. The goal — the dative in -tara/-tera: kalera joan naiz — I went out to the street, merkatura joango gara — we will go to the market. The source — the origin in -tik: kalatik etorri da — he came from the street, Madrildik etorri gara — we are from Madrid. For example: “Bostetan plazara joango naiz” — At five I will go to the square. A rule from the Basque…
How it works
Motion in Basque is carried by the case, not by a preposition. The goal — the dative in -tara/-tera: kalera joan naiz — I went out to the street, merkatura joango gara — we will go to the market. The source — the origin in -tik: kalatik etorri da — he came from the street, Madrildik etorri gara — we are from Madrid.
The pair closes the circle: to go somewhere — "joan", to return — "itzuli" or "…tik etorri": Merkatura joan naiz eta arratsalderako itzuli naiz — I went to the market and returned by evening. The same verb is also "to leave for good": joan behar dut — I have to go.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| to go where | …(t)ara joan | kalera joan naiz |
| to come from where | …tik etorri | merkatutik etorri da |
| to return | itzuli | etxera itzultzen naiz |
By example
- Bostetan plazara joango naizAt five I will go to the square
- Merkatutik ogia eta frutak ekarri ditutFrom the market I brought bread and fruit
- Noiz itzuliko zara Madrildik?When will you return from Madrid?
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
To come and to go: how does it work in Basque?
Motion in Basque is carried by the case, not by a preposition. The goal — the dative in -tara/-tera: kalera joan naiz — I went out to the street, merkatura joango gara — we will go to the market. The source — the origin in -tik: kalatik etorri da — he came from the street, Madrildik etorri gara…
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Bostetan plazara joango naiz” — At five I will go to the square. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.