Which: a modifier by a clause in …n
"The person who came" Basque assembles with a verb form in -n: etorri den gizona — the person who came, literally "came-being person". The -n form is the same relative suffix as in the …tenean of wave 4, only here it sticks to a noun. For example: “Hau da etorri zen eguna” — This is the day he came. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
"The person who came" Basque assembles with a verb form in -n: etorri den gizona — the person who came, literally "came-being person". The -n form is the same relative suffix as in the …tenean of wave 4, only here it sticks to a noun.
Tense changes inside: present — den, past — zen: etorri zen eguna — the day he came. The person hides in the auxiliary: irakurri dudan liburua — the book I read; bizi naizen etxea — the house I live in. Adjectives are not needed — the verb itself becomes the modifier.
Table
| which | present | past |
|---|---|---|
| who (he) | den | zen |
| which (I) | dudan | nuen |
| in which | dagoen | zegoen |
By example
- Hau da etorri zen egunaThis is the day he came
- Etorri den gizona nire laguna daThe person who came is my friend
- Irakurri dudan liburua oso ona daThe book I read is very good
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
Which: how does it work in Basque?
"The person who came" Basque assembles with a verb form in -n: etorri den gizona — the person who came, literally "came-being person". The -n form is the same relative suffix as in the …tenean of wave 4, only here it sticks to a noun.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Hau da etorri zen eguna” — This is the day he came. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.