Published on: 04/03/2021
The people of the Basque Country are very attached to their history, their culture and their language: Euskara. This ancient language is still spoken every day. With this little lexicon, we suggest you learn a few Basque words and expressions so that you can enjoy your vacation in O.V. and without subtitles!
Basque pronunciation
Some letters are pronounced differently from French.
- E is pronounced “é
- U is pronounced “or
- J is pronounced “y” (as in yogurt) at the beginning of a word and i in the middle of a word,
- Z is pronounced “ç
- S is pronounced “sh
- X is pronounced “ch
- TX is pronounced “tch”.
- G is pronounced “gu
In Basque, all letters are pronounced. Thus, “eu” is “éou”, and “au” is “aou” (pronounced as a single syllable).
Let’s start with the basics
- Yes: Bai (baï)
- No: Ez (és)
- The Basque Country: Euskal Herria (é-ou-schkal éria), meaning “country where Basque is spoken
- Basques: Euskaldunak (é-ou-shkaldounak)
- Do you speak Basque? Euskara badakizu? (éouskara badikisou)
- I don’t speak Basque: euskara ez dut mintzatzen (éouskara és dout mintsatsenn)
- How are you? : Nola zara ?
- How’s it going? : Ari ?
- I’m fine: Ongi naiz / Ontsa naiz
To say hello and goodbye
- Hello: Egun on (égoun onn)
- Welcome: Ongi Etorri (Onn-gui étori)
- Good afternoon: Arratsalde on (aratchaldéon)
- Good night: Gau on (gaou onn)
- Goodbye: Ikus arte (ikoush arté)
- Salut, adieu: Agur (agourr)
Did you know that the name of our campsite – Biper gorri – means “red pepper” in Basque?
Basque politeness
- Thank you: Milesker (miléshkerr)
- Many thanks: Eskerrik asko (esh-ké-rrik asko)
- Please: Plazer baduzu (plasser badoussou)
- Excuse me: Barkatu (barcatou)
Vacation vocabulary
- Where do you live? : Non bizi zara ?
- I live in Esplette: Ezpeletako bizi naiz
- Tourist office: Turismo bulego
- I’m thirsty: Egarri naiz (égarri naïs)
- Bar: Ostatu
- Aperitif: Aperitifa
- To your health: Zure osagarriari (souré osagarriari)
- I’m hungry: Gose naiz (goché naïs)
- Restaurant : Jatetxe (yatétché)
- Bon appétit: Apetitu on (apétitou one)
- It’s very good! : Biziki ona da!
A few swear words: Basque in hot sauce!
For fans of bird names, here are a few bonus swear words: Zozoa! (Imbecile, sot), Zakurra! (scoundrel!), Kaka! (poop!) or Ala jainkoa (“a-la yaïnn-ko-a”), an expression from the Ainhoa region used to swear in all sorts of ways.
Europe’s oldest language
Euskara is an ancient language unlike any other, whose origins are still unknown. Some linguists trace the Basque language back to prehistoric times. There are also astonishing similarities with dialects of ancient South American tribes and certain regions of the Caucasus.
After the French Revolution in 1789, speaking Basque was frowned upon, even forbidden. But that was without taking into account the Basques ‘ attachment to their language! In 1969, the first Ikastola (Basque-language school) opened its doors. Since then, the number of Basque speakers has continued to grow. Today, there are an estimated 700,000 Basque speakers (25% of the total population), including 150,000 in the northern French provinces.
All that’s left for us to say is “Oporraldi on”, in other words, happy vacations in the Basque Country!
ALSO READ: Basque traditions: play, dance and sing like a true Basque!
