The process: …-tzen aritu — being at a business
To say that a person was busy with something for some time, Basque has the verb aritu — "to be in the business": the verb in -tzen plus aritu. Igandean korrika aritu gara — on Sunday we ran, literally "running we were situated". For example: “Igandean korrika aritu gara mendian” — On Sunday we ran in the mountains. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To say that a person was busy with something for some time, Basque has the verb aritu — "to be in the business": the verb in -tzen plus aritu. Igandean korrika aritu gara — on Sunday we ran, literally "running we were situated".
The form changes by persons and tenses, like an ordinary verb: aritu naiz — I was busy, aritu da — he was busy, arituko gara — we will be busy. Often a term stands nearby: negu osoan entrenatzen aritu da — all winter he trained. The process here is a place where a person spent time.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| I was busy | …-tzen aritu naiz | Korrika aritu naiz |
| he was busy | …-tzen aritu da | Entrenatzen aritu da |
| we will be busy | …-tzen arituko gara | Gimnasioan arituko gara |
By example
- Igandean korrika aritu gara mendianOn Sunday we ran in the mountains
- Negu osoan entrenatzen aritu daAll winter he trained
- Bihar gimnasioan arituko naiz arratsaldeanTomorrow I will work out at the gym in the afternoon
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
The process: how does it work in Basque?
To say that a person was busy with something for some time, Basque has the verb aritu — "to be in the business": the verb in -tzen plus aritu. Igandean korrika aritu gara — on Sunday we ran, literally "running we were situated".
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Igandean korrika aritu gara mendian” — On Sunday we ran in the mountains. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.