Gonbidapenak — Inviting, Meeting Up, and Responding
Knowing the future is all well and good, but social life calls for something more concrete: inviting, making plans, meeting up, and responding — saying yes, saying no, maybe another day. This lesson is pure conversational muscle.
Inviting and Proposing
| English | Basque |
|---|---|
| Do you want to have dinner with me? | Nirekin afaldu nahi duzu? |
| Why don’t we go to the movies? | Zergatik ez goaz zinemara? |
| Fancy a coffee? | Kafe bat hartuko dugu? |
| I’m inviting you | Gonbidatzen zaitut |
| It’s on me (I’m paying) | Nire kontu |
Tip: the most natural way to suggest something among friends is simply using the future tense as a question: Kafe bat hartuko dugu? (shall we have a coffee?), Mendira joango gara larunbatean? (shall we go to the mountain on Saturday?).
Meeting Up: Where and When
| English | Basque |
|---|---|
| Shall we meet? | Geratuko gara? |
| Where shall we meet? | Non geratuko gara? |
| At what time? | Zer ordutan? |
| At eight in the square | Zortzietan plazan |
| I’ll be waiting for you | Zure zain egongo naiz |
Geratu and gelditu are interchangeable here; you’ll hear both depending on the region.
Accepting
Ondo iruditzen zait! — Sounds good to me!
Primeran! — Great!
Ados. — Agreed.
Bai, noski. Han egongo naiz. — Yes, of course. I’ll be there.
Declining (with style)
Ezin dut, sentitzen dut. Lana daukat. — I can’t, I’m sorry. I have work.
Gaur ezin dut, baina beste egun batean bai? — I can’t today, but how about another day?
Eskerrik asko, baina beste plan bat daukat. — Thanks, but I have other plans.
Cultural note: in the Basque Country, the quintessential social plan is the poteo (potea): going from bar to bar having potes (small drinks) with your cuadrilla (group of friends). If someone asks you «Poteoa egingo dugu?», you know how to accept: Primeran!
Complete Dialogue
— Aizu, Maite! Larunbatean kontzertu bat dago Kafe Antzokian. Etorri nahi duzu?
— Larunbatean… ezin dut, familia-bazkaria daukat. 😞
— Lasai. Eta igandean? Zergatik ez dugu hamaiketako bat egiten Alde Zaharrean?
— Ondo iruditzen zait! Non geratuko gara?
— Plaza Berrian, hamaiketan. Nire kontu lehenengo potea!
— Primeran! Han egongo naiz.
To Remember
Three pieces and you’ve got any conversation about plans sorted:
- Proposing: …nahi duzu? / Zergatik ez…? / future tense as a question.
- Specifying: Non? Zer ordutan? — X-etan, Y-n.
- Responding: Ondo iruditzen zait / Ezin dut, sentitzen dut.
Ejercicios
"Nirekin afaldu nahi duzu?" is a way of…
Which of these responses ACCEPTS the plan?
"Why don't we go to the mountain?" (proposing a plan) = …
Shall we meet at six? = seietan gara?
I can't, I have other plans = ezin , beste plan bat daukat.