Places and Directions in Basque

Overview

Knowing place names and direction words is essential for getting around at the A1 level. Whether you are navigating a Basque town, asking for directions, or describing where things are, this vocabulary combined with the locative case suffixes you have been learning will make you functional in everyday situations.

Basque uses the verb egon (to be located) with places and the locative suffix -n (in/at) to say where things are. For movement, you use joan (go) with -ra (to) and etorri (come) with -tik (from). Direction words like eskuinera (to the right) and ezkerrera (to the left) are essential for following or giving directions.

Place vocabulary naturally reinforces your knowledge of postpositions, the inessive case, and the allative case — all core A1 grammar.

How It Works

Common places:

Basque	English	Basque	English
etxea	house/home	eskola	school
denda	shop	ospitalea	hospital
eliza	church	geltokia	station
jatetxea	restaurant	parkea	park
liburutegia	library	taberna	bar/pub
supermerkatua	supermarket	farmazioa	pharmacy

Direction words:

Basque	English
eskuinera	to the right
ezkerrera	to the left
aurrera / zuzenean	straight ahead
atzera	back
gertu	near
urrun	far
goian	above
behean	below

Combining places with locative suffixes:

Suffix	Meaning	Example
-n	at/in	eskolan (at school)
-ra	to	eskolara (to school)
-tik	from	eskolatik (from school)

Examples in Context

Basque	English	Note
Eskola non dago?	Where is the school?	Asking location
Zuzenean aurrera joan.	Go straight ahead.	Giving directions
Ezkerrera biratu.	Turn left.	Direction command
Denda gertu dago.	The shop is nearby.	Proximity
Geltokira noa.	I am going to the station.	Movement with -ra
Ospitaletik etorri naiz.	I have come from the hospital.	Origin with -tik
Parkean gaude.	We are in the park.	Location with -n
Jatetxea eskuinean dago.	The restaurant is on the right.	Describing location
Farmaziara joan behar dut.	I need to go to the pharmacy.	Necessity + direction
Liburutegia urrun dago?	Is the library far?	Distance question

Common Mistakes

Using izan instead of egon for location

• Wrong: Eskola non da?
• Right: Eskola non dago?
• Why: For asking and stating location, use egon (dago), not izan (da).

Confusing -n (static) and -ra (movement)

• Wrong: Eskolara nago. (I am to the school)
• Right: Eskolan nago. (I am at the school)
• Why: Use -n for being somewhere (static location) and -ra for going somewhere (movement toward).

Mixing up eskuinera and ezkerrera

• Wrong: Following directions incorrectly
• Right: Eskuinera = right, ezkerrera = left
• Why: Both end in -ra (directional suffix). Memorize them together: eskuin (right side), ezker (left side).

Practice Tips

1. Learn the places in your neighborhood in Basque. Practice the three locative forms for each: -n (at), -ra (to), -tik (from).
2. Practice giving directions from your home to a nearby place, using aurrera, ezkerrera, eskuinera, and distance words.

Related Concepts

• Verb 'To Be Located' (egon)