Where we are driving: gidatu, iritsi and the postpositions -rantz / …ra arte
The car in Basque "drives itself": gidatu — to drive, autoa gidatu — to drive the car, kontuz gidatu — drive carefully (the ice on the road is remembered by wave 14: "Izotza dago errepidean, kontuz gidatu"). To reach a point is iritsi, and the destination takes the direction case -ra: helmugara iritsi gara — we reached the goal, geltokira arte iristen du autobusa — the bus goes as far as the stop. For example…
How it works
The car in Basque "drives itself": gidatu — to drive, autoa gidatu — to drive the car, kontuz gidatu — drive carefully (the ice on the road is remembered by wave 14: "Izotza dago errepidean, kontuz gidatu"). To reach a point is iritsi, and the destination takes the direction case -ra: helmugara iritsi gara — we reached the goal, geltokira arte iristen du autobusa — the bus goes as far as the stop.
The direction "roughly toward" takes the postposition -rantz: etxerantz goaz — we are going toward home, aurrerantz — forward, geltokirantz — toward the stop. The limit "up to" a place is …ra arte: geltokira arte lagunduko zaitut — I will see you to the stop. Wave 11 knew … arte about time ("until ten in the evening"); here is the same pair, but about place.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| toward | -rantz | etxerantz — toward home |
| up to (place) | …ra arte | geltokira arte — as far as the stop |
| to reach | …ra iritsi | helmugara iritsi — to reach the goal |
By example
- Etxerantz goaz, gero dendarantzWe are going toward home, then toward the shop
- Helmugara iritsi gara eguerdianWe reached the goal at noon
- Geltokira arte lagunduko zaitutI will see you to the stop
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
Where we are driving: how does it work in Basque?
The car in Basque "drives itself": gidatu — to drive, autoa gidatu — to drive the car, kontuz gidatu — drive carefully (the ice on the road is remembered by wave 14: "Izotza dago errepidean, kontuz gidatu"). To reach a point is iritsi, and the destination takes the direction case -ra: helmugara…
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Etxerantz goaz, gero dendarantz” — We are going toward home, then toward the shop. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.