The fastest way to learn Basque is to spend most of your study time on Basque you can mostly understand. That kind of Basque is called comprehensible input. What you read and listen to should change as you improve, so the plan below shows what to do at each level and how to split an hour of study.
What to Do at Each Level
Find the level that sounds like you. Its bar shows how to spend an hour of study.
- Level 1
I'm just starting out or know only a few words.
Read and listen 35 min. Review 15 min. Speak 10 min.
Read short stories with audio, and listen to each one twice. Watch INGURA's free videos of everyday situations, which have subtitles in four languages, and say a few lines out loud.
- Level 2
I can handle simple exchanges.
Read and listen 40 min. Review 10 min. Speak 10 min.
Hide the translation and look up only the words that stop you. Watch cartoons on Makusi and videos sorted by level on Ikasbil, and start short talks with a tutor or a friend.
- Level 3
I follow conversations on familiar topics.
Read and listen 40 min. Review 5 min. Speak 15 min.
Listen to short podcasts on GUAU about topics you already know, and to Basque radio from France on Euskal Irratiak. Talk about what you heard for longer.
- Level 4
I understand most content but miss some nuance.
Read and watch 45 min. Review 5 min. Speak 10 min.
Watch a Basque series on Primeran with Basque subtitles, one episode a week. Use ZerNonIkusi to find more films and series in Basque.
- Level 5
I read complex topics but rare words slow me down.
Read and watch 50 min. Speak 10 min.
Read the news in Berria and watch Basque films without subtitles. Look up only the words that block the story.
- Level 6
I read at near-native level.
Read and watch 50 min. Speak 10 min.
Read Basque novels and newspapers, and talk about them, for their own sake. Booktegi shares many Basque books for free.
Move up a level when your lessons start to feel easy, and move back down if you lose the thread by the third line.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Basque?
The U.S. Foreign Service Institute does not list Basque, and HABE, the Basque Government's institute for teaching Basque to adults, plans 1,325 class hours to take a beginner to C1. That is the level where you can follow conversations and talks at work and in the media. Basque has no relative on the Foreign Service Institute's list either, because it is related to no other known language.
| Language | FSI group | Full-time weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish, French | Category I | 30 |
| German | Category II | 36 |
| Russian, Finnish | Category III | 44 |
| Japanese, Korean | Category IV | 88 |
| Basque | Not listed | Not listed |
HABE plans 125 class hours for A1, 200 for A2, 250 for B1, 350 for B2 and 400 for C1, so a beginner needs 325 hours to reach A2, 575 to reach B1 and 1,325 to reach C1. Here is how long those take at different amounts of study a week:
| Study per week | HABE A2 (325 hours) | HABE B1 (575 hours) | HABE C1 (1,325 hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3½ hours | About 21 months | About 3¼ years | About 7¼ years |
| 7 hours | About 10½ months | About 19 months | About 3⅔ years |
| 14 hours | About 5½ months | About 9½ months | About 22 months |
| 28 hours | About 2½ months | About 4½ months | About 11 months |
These are class hours, so treat them as a rough guide. Time you spend understanding Basque on your own counts too.
What Slows Learners Down
- Missing the -k EndingWhen someone does something to a thing, Basque adds -k to that person, as in Anek ogia jan du, which means Ane ate the bread. Look for it each time you read, and it will start to feel natural.
- Helper Verb Tables AloneMost Basque verbs use a helper verb, such as du or dit, that changes to show who does something, to what and to whom. A table of these forms is hard to use until you have read each one in many sentences.
- Content Far Too HardBasque TV and radio are made for people who already speak Basque. A show where you know one word in five teaches you very little.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Basque app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Basque, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Basque app comparison covers free courses, tutors and language exchange too.
Can I learn Basque in three months?
You can learn enough Basque to introduce yourself and talk simply about people and things you know. At 14 hours a week, three months is about 180 hours, which is more than HABE's 125 class hours for A1 and just over half of the 325 it plans to reach A2.
How much should I study Basque each week?
Aim for three to five hours a week of Basque you understand, in sessions of at least 15 to 30 minutes. A longer session lets you get lost in a story, which teaches more than five minutes a day, and steady time each week matters more than a daily streak. Our post on deep sessions over daily streaks explains why.
Is Basque hard for English speakers?
The Foreign Service Institute has not put Basque in any of its groups, so there is no official ranking. Some Basque words come from Latin, such as liburu (book), and many more will be new to you. Most of the time goes into those words and the verb forms, which you pick up fastest from Basque you understand.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Language Training (FSI language categories)
- Basque Government, Order of 22 July 2015 setting HABE's Basic Curriculum for Teaching Basque to Adults (HEOC), with class hours for each level from A1 to C2
- Etxepare Basque Institute: What is the Basque language? (related to no other known language family)
- Wikipedia: Basque grammar (the ergative ending -k)
- Wikipedia: Basque verbs (helper verbs that show the subject, object and indirect object)
- Wiktionary: liburu (from Latin, book)
