The words of others: …ela esan and …dezan
Someone else's speech Basque glues to the verb with the -ela form: Gaixotuta dagoela esan du — he said that he is ill, literally "ill-being said". The form is one for all tenses: only "esan du" — said — or "esan zuen" — said once — changes. For example: “Gaixotuta dagoela esan du” — He said that he is ill. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Someone else's speech Basque glues to the verb with the -ela form: Gaixotuta dagoela esan du — he said that he is ill, literally "ill-being said". The form is one for all tenses: only "esan du" — said — or "esan zuen" — said once — changes.
A request and an order are passed by the same -ela construction, but the verb inside stands in the "let" form: Etor daitezela esan du — he said to let them come. The "let" itself is …dezala / …dezan: Itxaron dezala — let him wait. One -ela holds both "that" and "so that".
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| said that… | …ela esan du | Gaixotuta dagoela esan du |
| said so that… | …dezala(-tezan) esan du | Etor daitezela esan du |
| let (by itself) | …dezala / …dezan | Itxaron dezala |
By example
- Gaixotuta dagoela esan duHe said that he is ill
- Etor daitezela esan duHe said to let them come
- Itxaron dezala, esan diotI told him to wait
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 words of others: how does it work in Basque?
Someone else's speech Basque glues to the verb with the -ela form: Gaixotuta dagoela esan du — he said that he is ill, literally "ill-being said". The form is one for all tenses: only "esan du" — said — or "esan zuen" — said once — changes.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Gaixotuta dagoela esan du” — He said that he is ill. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.