Noun + Adjective + -a

Adjective, Then Article

Level 1

Adjectives come after the noun: etxe handia (the big house). The article or bat goes only on the last word: etxe handi bat (a big house), etxe handiak (the big houses).

How It Works

Noun, adjective, then the ending

  • etxe handia the big house
  • etxe handiak the big houses
  • etxe handi bat a big house
  • etxe handi hau this big house

More examples: kafe beltz bat (a black coffee), auto gorria (the red car), lagun onak (good friends).

Case endings go there too
Any case ending also goes on the last word: etxe handian (in the big house). See Where: -n (In, At, On).

Words that come before the noun
Numbers from two upward, beste (other) and possessives such as nire (my) come first: bi etxe handi (two big houses), beste etxe bat (another house), nire etxe handia (my big house). See Numbers and Nouns.

A phrase or a sentence?
etxe handia is a phrase: "the big house". Etxea handia da is a sentence: "The house is big". In the sentence, both words take the article. See Describing With izan.

Examples (6)

  1. Etxe handia erosi dugu.

    We have bought the big house.

    Word by Word: House big-the bought have-we.

  2. Kafe beltz bat, mesedez.

    A black coffee, please.

    Word by Word: Coffee black one, please.

  3. Auto gorria kalean dago.

    The red car is in the street.

    Word by Word: Car red-the street-the-in is.

  4. Lagun onak ditut.

    I have good friends.

    Word by Word: Friend good-the(pl) have(pl).

  5. Etxe zahar hau oso polita da.

    This old house is very beautiful.

    Word by Word: House old this very beautiful-the is.

    The demonstrative hau takes the last place, after the adjective.

  6. Bi liburu interesgarri irakurri ditut.

    I have read two interesting books.

    Word by Word: Two book interesting read have(pl).

    The number comes first, and the phrase takes no article.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the adjective before the noun, as in English.

    Handia etxea erosi dugu.
    Etxe handia erosi dugu.

    In Basque the adjective follows the noun, and the article goes on the adjective.

  • Putting the article on both the noun and the adjective inside one phrase.

    Etxea handia erosi dugu.
    Etxe handia erosi dugu.

    Inside a phrase, only the last word takes the article. Etxea handia da (The house is big) is a different, correct sentence.

  • Using the article together with bat.

    Etxe handia bat erosi dugu.
    Etxe handi bat erosi dugu.

    Bat takes the place of the article, so the adjective stays bare: handi bat.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Noun + Adjective + -aLevel 1Adjective, Then Article

Learn This First

Adjective order needs the article first.

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Patterns that build on this one.