Postpositions of place: barruan, gainean, azpian, aurrean, atzean
The relation of place Basque glues to the end of the word: the word takes the genitive -aren, and the postposition follows — gelaren barruan — in the room, mahaiaren gainean — on the table, ohearen azpian — under the bed. Short words the genitive does not touch: atean — at the door, atearen aurrean — in front of the door. For example: “Katua leiho bazterean lotan dago, gortinaren atzean” — The cat dozes on the…
How it works
The relation of place Basque glues to the end of the word: the word takes the genitive -aren, and the postposition follows — gelaren barruan — in the room, mahaiaren gainean — on the table, ohearen azpian — under the bed. Short words the genitive does not touch: atean — at the door, atearen aurrean — in front of the door.
Five tails cover the house: barruan — inside, gainean — on top, azpian — under, aurrean — in front, atzean — behind. The question to them is non? — where; the answer falls with the same tail: non dago giltza? Atearen atzean — where is the key? Behind the door. Whereto — the tail changes to -ra: gelaren barrura — into the room.
Table
| the postposition | the meaning | the example |
|---|---|---|
| …aren barruan | inside | biltegiaren barruan |
| …aren gainean / azpian | on / under | mahaiaren gainean |
| …aren aurrean / atzean | in front / behind | atearen atzean |
By example
- Katua leiho bazterean lotan dago, gortinaren atzeanThe cat dozes on the windowsill, behind the curtain
- Giltzak sarreragelaren barruan daude, koskanThe keys are in the hallway, on the hook
- Arka ohearen azpian dago, egongelaren atzeanThe chest is under the bed, behind the living room
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
Postpositions of place: how does it work in Basque?
The relation of place Basque glues to the end of the word: the word takes the genitive -aren, and the postposition follows — gelaren barruan — in the room, mahaiaren gainean — on the table, ohearen azpian — under the bed. Short words the genitive does not touch: atean — at the door, atearen aurrean…
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Katua leiho bazterean lotan dago, gortinaren atzean” — The cat dozes on the windowsill, behind the curtain. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.