Language/Basque/Grammar/Alphabet-and-Pronunciation
Basque is a unique language spoken by the Basque people in the Basque Country, a region located in the north of Spain and south of France. It is considered one of the oldest languages in the world and has no known relationship with any other European language. In this lesson, you will learn the basics of the Basque alphabet and proper pronunciation of letters and common words.
Basque Alphabet
The Basque alphabet, called "Euskal alfabetoa," is made up of 27 letters. The letters "c," "q," "w," "x," "y," and "z" are not used in traditional Basque words.
The Basque alphabet is made of the following letters: A, B, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, Ñ, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, X, Z.
The Basque language makes use of the acute accent (´) and, less frequently, the grave accent (`) to indicate stress on different syllables. The stressed syllable in a word is essential, as changing the stress can change the meaning of the word.
Pronunciation
Basque pronunciation is largely phonetic, which means that once you learn the alphabet and how to pronounce each letter, you should be able to read a word correctly even if you have never seen it before.
Below is a table with the Basque alphabet, pronunciation guide, and English translation:
Basque | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
A | ah | apple |
B | beh | boat |
D | deh | day |
E | eh | egg |
F | eff | flower |
G | geh | go |
H | hache | house |
I | ee | igloo |
J | hotz | jump |
K | kah | kiss |
L | ele | leap |
M | eme | moon |
N | ene | nest |
Ñ | eñe | canyon |
O | oh | orange |
P | peh | pencil |
R | erre | rabbit |
S | esse | sun |
T | teh | table |
U | oo | umbrella |
V | beh | valley |
X | ekis | sea |
Z | zeta | zoo |
Note that the Basque pronunciation of the letters "c," "q," "w," "x," "y," and "z" are borrowed from Spanish.
Also note that the letter "tx" represents a unique sound in Basque, similar to the "ch" sound in the English word "cheese." The letter "tz" also has a unique sound, similar to the "zz" sound in the English word "pizza." It may take some time to get used to these sounds, but with practice, you should be able to pronounce them easily.
Common Words
Now that you have learned the Basque alphabet and pronunciation, it's time to practice with some common words. Here is a list of basic Basque words you can use to get started:
- Kaixo - Hello (informal)
- Egun on - Good morning
- Arratsalde on - Good afternoon
- Gabon - Good evening
- Gabon zoriontsua - Good night
- Agur - Goodbye (informal)
- Mesedez - Please
- Eskerrik asko - Thank you
- Barkatu - Sorry
- Bai - Yes
- Ez - No
- Adio - Goodbye
Practice saying these words and phrases out loud, paying close attention to the stress on each syllable.
Congratulations on completing your first lesson in Basque! Keep practicing your alphabet and pronunciation, and you'll be speaking Basque fluently in no time.