Doubled and Expressive Words

Level 5

Say it twice to say it strongly: bero (hot) → bero-beroa (piping hot), berri (new) → berri-berria (brand new).

How It Works

1. Doubling to intensify.

  • adjectives: bero-beroa (piping hot), berri-berria (brand new), luze-luzea (very long), txiki-txikia (tiny)
  • adverbs: poliki-poliki (little by little), astiro-astiro (very slowly), ozta-ozta (only just)
  • set phrases: bat-batean (suddenly)

It works like oso (very), but it sounds warmer and more lively.

2. Writing. Use a hyphen, and leave the first half without any ending: kafe bero-beroa, kafe bero-bero bat. Phrases like etxez etxe (from house to house) and kalerik kale (from street to street) are different: the first half has a case ending, so they are written without a hyphen.

3. Sound words. Basque has a large set of expressive words that copy sounds or movements:

  • plisti-plasta (splashing), tipi-tapa (step by step), kili-kili (tickling), dir-dir (glittering)
  • pil-pilean (bubbling), also said of a hot topic
  • zurrut egin (to gulp down)

Many of them are echo pairs, where the second half repeats the first with a small change: plisti-plasta, zehatz-mehatz (in full detail), handi-mandi (a big shot). Many combine with egin: dir-dir egin (to glitter).

Tip: Say the pair out loud; the rhythm helps you remember it.

Examples (6)

  1. Poliki-poliki ikasiko duzu.

    Little by little, you will learn it.

  2. Kafe bero-bero bat hartu dut.

    I have had a piping hot coffee.

    The first bero stays bare; bat comes after the whole pair.

  3. Oinetako berri-berriak ditut.

    I have brand-new shoes.

    The plural -ak goes on the second half only.

  4. Umeak plisti-plasta dabiltza uretan.

    The children are splashing about in the water.

  5. Izarrek dir-dir egiten dute.

    The stars are twinkling.

  6. Gai hori pil-pilean dago.

    That topic is a hot issue right now.

    Literally, that topic is bubbling.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the ending to both halves.

    Kafe beroa-beroa hartu dut.
    Kafe bero-beroa hartu dut.

    In a doubled word, the first half has no ending. Only the second half takes the article: bero-beroa.

  • Adding a hyphen to phrases like etxez etxe.

    Etxez-etxe ibili dira.
    Etxez etxe ibili dira.

    In etxez etxe and kalerik kale, the first word already has an ending, so they are written as two words with no hyphen.

How It Connects

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

Doubled and Expressive WordsLevel 5

Learn This First

Reduplication follows degree words.