Interrogative questions (as opposed to yes/no questions) use question words, such as: * Zer (what) and nor/nortzunk (who(single/plural)), and take the form of Question word * verb * subject. * Nor zara zu? Who are you? * Zer zara zu? What are you?
The question words specify what kind of question is being asked and include: * Noiz (when) * Nola (how) * Non (where) * Nondik (from where) * Nongoa (of which place) * Nor (who) * Zein (which) * Zenbat (how many) * Zer (what) * Zergatik (why). Some of these words also serve as the names of the noun cases.
| Basque | English | Images |
|---|---|---|
| zer | what | ['what1', 'what2', 'what3'] |
| nor | who | ['who1', 'who2', 'who3'] |
| nortzuk | who(plural),who,who'll | ['who1', 'who2', 'who3'] |
| autobus | bus | ['bus1', 'bus2', 'bus3'] |
| kotxe | car,automobile | ['car1', 'car2', 'car3'] |
| autobusak | buses,busses | ['buses1', 'buses2', 'buses3'] |
| kotxeak | cars,automobiles | ['cars1', 'cars2', 'cars3'] |
| al | question_word,yes/no question word | None |
| edo | or | ['choice1', 'choice2', 'choice3'] |
|
Kaixo. Nor zara zu? |
Hello. Who are you? Hi. Who are you? |
|
Zer zara zu? |
What are you? |
|
Zu al zara irakaslea? Al zara irakaslea? |
Are you the teacher? Are you a teacher? |
|
Zu irakaslea edo ikaslea zara? Irakaslea edo ikaslea zara? |
Are you a teacher or a student? Are you the teacher or the student? |
|
Nor da hura? |
Who is he? Who is she? |
|
Zer da hura? |
What is he? What is she? What is it? |
|
Hura neska da? Neska da? |
Is she a girl? Is she the girl? |
|
Hura mutila da? Mutila da? Hura multila al da? Mutila al da? |
Is he a boy? Is he the boy? |
|
Hura al autobusa da? Al autobusa da? Hura autobusa da? Autobusa da? |
Is it the bus? Is it a bus? |
|
Kotxe bat ere al da? Kotxea ere al da? Kotxe bat ere da? Kotxea ere da? |
Is it also a car? |
|
Hura autobusa edo kotxea da? Autobusa edo kotxea da? Hura autobus bat edo kotxe bat da? Autobus bat edo kotxe bat da? |
Is it a bus or a car? Is it the bus or the car? |
|
Nortzuk gara gu? Nortzuk gara? |
Who are we? |
|
Zer gara gu? Zer gara? |
What are we? |
|
Nortzuk zarete zuek? Nortzuk zarete? |
Who are you(plural)? Who are you? Who are you'll? Who are y'all? |
|
Nortzuk dira haiek? Nortzuk dira? |
Who are they? |
|
Zer dira haiek? Zer dira? |
What are they? |
|
Haiek autobusak al dira? Autobusak al dira? Haiek autobusak dira? Autobusak dira? |
Are they the buses? |
|
Haiek autobusak edo kotxeak dira? Autobusak edo kotxeak dira? |
Are they buses or cars? Are they the buses or the cars? |
|
Zer zarete zuek? Zer zarete? |
What are you(plural)? What are you? What are you'll? What are y'all? |
|
Zuek al zarete irakasleak? Al zarete irakasleak? |
Are you(plural) teachers? Are you teachers? Are you'll teachers? Are y'all teachers? |
|
Nortzuk irakasleak dira? |
Who are the teachers? |
|
Nortzuk emakumeak dira? |
Who are the women? |
|
Nortzuk gizonak dira? |
Who are the men? |
|
Nortzuk dira haiek? Nortzuk dira? |
Who are they? |
|
Haiek emakumeak edo gizonak dira? Emakumeak edo gizonak dira? |
Are they women or men? |
| English | Basque |
|---|---|
| a | ('-a',) |
| also | ('ere',) |
| are | ('zara', 'gara', 'zarete', 'dira') |
| boy | ('mutila',) |
| bus | ('autobusa',) |
| buses | ('autobusak',) |
| car | ('kotxe',) |
| cars | ('kotxeak',) |
| girl | ('neska',) |
| he | ('hura',) |
| hello | ('kaixo',) |
| is | ('da',) |
| it | ('hura',) |
| men | ('gizonak',) |
| or | ('edo',) |
| question_word | ('al',) |
| she | ('hura',) |
| teacher | ('irakaslea',) |
| teachers | ('irakasleak',) |
| the | ('-a',) |
| they | ('haiek',) |
| we | ('gu',) |
| what | ('zer',) |
| who | ('nor',) |
| who'll | ('nortzuk',) |
| who(plural) | ('nortzuk',) |
| women | ('emakumeak',) |
| you | ('zu',) |
| you(plural) | ('zuek',) |
| you'll | ('zuek',) |
| y'all | ('zuek',) |
| Basque | English |
|---|---|
| al | ('question_word',) |
| autobusa | ('a bus',) |
| bat | ('one',) |
| da | ('is',) |
| dira | ('are',) |
| edo | ('or',) |
| ere | ('also',) |
| emakumeak | ('women',) |
| gara | ('are',) |
| gizonak | ('men',) |
| gu | ('we',) |
| haiek | ('they',) |
| hura | ('he', 'she', 'it') |
| irakaslea | ('teacher',) |
| irakasleak | ('teachers',) |
| kaixo | ('hello',) |
| kotxea | ('a car',) |
| kotxeak | ('cars',) |
| mutila | ('boy',) |
| neska | ('a girl',) |
| nor | ('who',) |
| nortzuk | ('who(plural)',) |
| zara | ('are',) |
| zarete | ('are',) |
| zer | ('what',) |
| zu | ('you',) |
| zuek | ('you(plural)', "you'll") |