Questions
​Questions 1
Yes/No Questions:
- The easiest way to make a question is to change the tone to a rising one.
- Miren zara zu? Are you Miren?
"al" question word
- Alternatively, you can be a bit more polite/formal and add "al" and ask "Miren al zara zu?"
- Note that the "al" is before the conjugated verb.
- You also need to keep in mind that Basque sentences have the most important pronoun or noun before the verb.
- So "Zu irakaslea (al) zara?" ("al" optional) means "Are you a teacher?" with irakaslea/teacher stressed.
- In other words, I thought you were the janitor. :-)
- "Zu al zara irakaslea?" would be "Are you THE teacher?" with "zu" stressed or I thought the guy in a tie by the desk was the teacher. :-)
Interrogative questions
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?
Questions words
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.
Vocabulary Questions 1
- Zer: what
- Nor: Who
- Nortzuk: Who(plural)
- Autobus: Bus
- Kotxe: Car
- Autobusak: Buses
- Kotxeak: Cars
- Al: Yes/no question word
- Edo: Or