Norekin bizi zara? — Who you live with

One of the basic questions for getting to know someone is Norekin bizi zara? — “Who do you live with?”. The answer uses the suffix -(r)ekin, called the comitative, which is the “with” of company in Basque.

The suffix -rekin

It is added to the noun, already with its article:

Noun	+ -(r)ekin	Meaning
laguna (the friend)	lagunarekin	with the friend
ama (the mother)	amarekin	with the mother
anaia (the brother)	anaiarekin	with the brother
txakurra (the dog)	txakurrarekin	with the dog
bikotekidea (the partner)	bikotekidearekin	with the partner

With proper names and with bat, you add -(e)kin directly, without the article: Miren + ekin → Mirenekin (with Miren), lagun batekin (with a friend).

Plural

Plural	+ -ekin	Meaning
gurasoak (the parents)	gurasoekin	with the parents
lagunak (the friends)	lagunekin	with the friends
pisukideak (flatmates)	pisukideekin	with the flatmates
seme-alabak (the children)	seme-alabekin	with the children

Living alone

If you live without company, you don’t need to use -rekin:

• Bakarrik bizi naiz. — I live alone.
• Bakarrik bizi naiz, baina katu batekin. — I live alone, but with a cat.

The most common living arrangements

Situation	How to say it
Alone	Bakarrik bizi naiz.
With one’s parents	Gurasoekin bizi naiz.
With one’s partner	Bikotekidearekin bizi naiz.
With one’s husband / wife	Senarrarekin / Emaztearekin bizi naiz.
With flatmates	Pisukideekin bizi naiz.
With one’s children	Seme-alabekin bizi naiz.
With a friend / friends	Lagun batekin / Lagunekin bizi naiz.

Renting or owning

• Alokairuan bizi naiz. — I live in a rented place.
• Nire pisua da. — It’s my flat (owned).
• Errenta gora doa. — The rent is going up. (colloquial)

Sample conversation

— Kaixo Maialen! Norekin bizi zara?

— Bi pisukiderekin bizi naiz Iruñean. Eta zu?

— Ni bakarrik, baina txakur batekin. Etxea handia da?

— Ez, txikia. Hiru logela ditu.

Note: bikotekide is a modern, gender-neutral word, valid for both married and unmarried couples, heterosexual or homosexual. For “husband” and “wife”, senarra and emaztea are still used.