Basic Questions in Basque

Overview

Asking questions is one of the most practical skills you will develop at the A1 level. Basque has a set of question words that you will use constantly in everyday conversation — from asking someone's name to finding out where the bathroom is. The question words in Basque are sometimes called galdera-hitzak.

The main question words are: zer (what), nor (who), non (where), noiz (when), nola (how), zergatik (why), and zenbat (how many/much). In Basque, the question word typically comes before the verb, occupying the focus position. This is consistent with the general Basque rule that the most important information sits right before the verb.

For yes/no questions (questions without a question word), Basque often relies on intonation alone — you simply raise your pitch at the end of a statement. The particle al can also be placed before the auxiliary to mark a yes/no question more explicitly.

How It Works

Question Word	Basque	Usage
What	zer	Zer da hau? (What is this?)
Who	nor	Nor da hura? (Who is that?)
Where	non	Non dago? (Where is it?)
When	noiz	Noiz dator? (When is he/she coming?)
How	nola	Nola zaude? (How are you?)
Why	zergatik	Zergatik? (Why?)
How many/much	zenbat	Zenbat da? (How much is it?)
Which	zein	Zein da zurea? (Which is yours?)

Yes/no question patterns:

Type	Example	Translation
Intonation only	Zu ikaslea zara?	Are you a student?
With al particle	Ikaslea al zara?	Are you a student?
With ezta/ez (tag)	Ikaslea zara, ezta?	You are a student, right?

Key points:

• Question words sit in the focus position (immediately before the verb)
• The auxiliary follows the question word closely
• In answers, the focused information also goes before the verb

Examples in Context

Basque	English	Note
Zer da hau?	What is this?	Identifying objects
Nor zara zu?	Who are you?	Asking identity
Non dago komuna?	Where is the bathroom?	Essential travel question
Zenbat balio du?	How much does it cost?	Shopping
Nola duzu izena?	What is your name? (lit. How do you have the name?)	Greeting question
Noiz iristen da trena?	When does the train arrive?	Travel
Zergatik ez duzu nahi?	Why don't you want it?	Asking reasons
Zein da zure telefono-zenbakia?	What is your phone number?	Practical question
Euskaraz hitz egiten al duzu?	Do you speak Basque?	Yes/no with al
Ondo zaude?	Are you well?	Yes/no by intonation

Common Mistakes

Placing the question word at the end (English style)

• Wrong: Hau zer da? (in neutral context)
• Right: Zer da hau?
• Why: The question word should precede the verb in the focus position. Placing it elsewhere changes the emphasis or sounds unnatural.

Forgetting to match the auxiliary with the question word

• Wrong: Non da komuna? (using izan for location)
• Right: Non dago komuna?
• Why: For "where is" questions about location, use egon (dago), not izan (da). Izan is for identity; egon is for location.

Answering with the wrong focus position

• Wrong: Q: Nor etorri da? A: Etorri da Jon.
• Right: Q: Nor etorri da? A: Jon etorri da.
• Why: The answer to a question should place the new information (Jon) in the same focus position — before the verb.

Practice Tips

1. Memorize the seven core question words as a set. Practice them by asking yourself simple questions about your surroundings: Zer da hau? Non dago hori? Zenbat daude?
2. Practice converting statements to questions: take any sentence you know and form a question that would produce that sentence as an answer.

Related Concepts

• Verb 'To Be' (izan) - Present