Directions: the root imperative
A command in Basque is the shortest form of the language: the bare root form of the verb. Ibili zuzen! — walk straight, Biratu eskuinera! — turn right. Nothing needs hiding: one word is already a command. For example: “Ibili zuzen eta iritsiko zara” — Walk straight and you will arrive. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A command in Basque is the shortest form of the language: the bare root form of the verb. Ibili zuzen! — walk straight, Biratu eskuinera! — turn right. Nothing needs hiding: one word is already a command.
The prohibition is built just as simply: ez + root. Ez utzi hemen! — do not leave it here. For the polite "you" and for a group -zaitezte is added: Ibili zaitezte zuzen! — walk straight. Signs, recipes and advice use this form more than all the others together.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| a command (you/polite you) | the root | Ibili zuzen! |
| a prohibition | ez + the root | Ez utzi hemen! |
| polite, a group | the root + zaitezte | Ibili zaitezte zuzen! |
By example
- Ibili zuzen eta iritsiko zaraWalk straight and you will arrive
- Ez utzi hemen autoaDo not leave the car here
- Biratu eskuinera bidegurutzeanTurn right at the crossroads
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
Directions: how does it work in Basque?
A command in Basque is the shortest form of the language: the bare root form of the verb. Ibili zuzen! — walk straight, Biratu eskuinera! — turn right. Nothing needs hiding: one word is already a command.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Ibili zuzen eta iritsiko zara” — Walk straight and you will arrive. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.