Comparing measures: bikoiztu, erdia, aldiz gehiago
Basque knows no words for "twofold" and "threefold" — it says them like a householder, through the number of times. "Bi aldiz gehiago" — literally "two times more": aldiz — a time, from aldi — a spell. "Hiru aldiz gehiago" — three times more: the number is inserted into the ready-made frame. For example: “Prezioa bikoiztu egin da aurten” — The price doubled this year. A rule from the Basque course: worked out on…
How it works
Basque knows no words for "twofold" and "threefold" — it says them like a householder, through the number of times. "Bi aldiz gehiago" — literally "two times more": aldiz — a time, from aldi — a spell. "Hiru aldiz gehiago" — three times more: the number is inserted into the ready-made frame.
To double is bikoiztu: from bi — two, the price "became a twosome": Prezioa bikoiztu da. And half is the old acquaintance erdia of wave 1: Erdia hartuko dut — I will take half, not the whole. After a number the article disappears: hiru metro — three meters, without -a.
Table
| the meaning | the form | the example |
|---|---|---|
| twice as much | bi aldiz gehiago | bi aldiz gehiago behar dut |
| to double | bikoiztu | prezioa bikoiztu da |
| half | erdia | erdia hartuko dut |
By example
- Prezioa bikoiztu egin da aurtenThe price doubled this year
- Erdia hartuko dut, osoa ezI will take half, not the whole
- Hiru aldiz gehiago behar dut aurreko urtean bainoI need three times more than last year
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
Comparing measures: how does it work in Basque?
Basque knows no words for "twofold" and "threefold" — it says them like a householder, through the number of times. "Bi aldiz gehiago" — literally "two times more": aldiz — a time, from aldi — a spell. "Hiru aldiz gehiago" — three times more: the number is inserted into the ready-made frame.
What does it look like in an example sentence Basque?
“Prezioa bikoiztu egin da aurten” — The price doubled this year. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.