I think that…: uste dut + -(e)la
Opinion Basque puts into a separate word: uste — opinion. The formula: Uste dut + the verb in the -(e)la form — the same one as in indirect speech: Uste dut etorriko dela — I think he will come, literally "opinion I-have: will-come-being". After a vowel -la, after a consonant -ela. For example: “Uste dut etorriko dela” — I think he will come. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a…
How it works
Opinion Basque puts into a separate word: uste — opinion. The formula: Uste dut + the verb in the -(e)la form — the same one as in indirect speech: Uste dut etorriko dela — I think he will come, literally "opinion I-have: will-come-being". After a vowel -la, after a consonant -ela.
The negation stays inside the subordinate clause: Uste dut ez duela arrakastarik izango — I think he will have no success. And "it seems to me" is a relative: Zuzena iruditzen zait — it seems right to me: the opinion here "appears to your eyes", and the language does not advise hurrying with it.
Table
| an opinion about | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| the future | -(e)la + future | etorriko dela — that he will come |
| the present | dagoela | gela libre dagoela — that the room is free |
| negation | ez duela | ez duela etorri — that he will not come |
By example
- Uste dut etorriko delaI think he will come
- Uste dut gela libre dagoelaI think the room is free
- Uste dut ez duela arrakastarik izangoI think he will have no success
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
I think that…: how does it work in Basque?
Opinion Basque puts into a separate word: uste — opinion. The formula: Uste dut + the verb in the -(e)la form — the same one as in indirect speech: Uste dut etorriko dela — I think he will come, literally "opinion I-have: will-come-being". After a vowel -la, after a consonant -ela.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Uste dut etorriko dela” — I think 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.