Grammar in Proverbs
Proverbs put two halves side by side, often with no verb: Nolako zura, halako ezpala (Like the wood, so the splinter).
How It Works
1. Matching pairs.
- nolako ... halako (what kind ... that kind): Nolako zura, halako ezpala.
- nola ... hala (how ... so): Nola bizi, hala hil.
- zenbat ... hainbat (how many ... that many): Zenbat buru, hainbat aburu.
- non ... han (where ... there): Non gogoa, han zangoa.
The question words are the ones in nolako, nongoa, noren, and the answer words match honela, horrela, hala and horrelako. A full sentence with verbs uses the same idea in zenbat eta ... orduan eta.
2. The missing verb. Nolako zura, halako ezpala leaves out da. In an ordinary sentence the verb must be there: Ezpala zura bezalakoa da. (The splinter is like the wood.)
3. Participles as the verb. Some proverbs use a bare participle with no auxiliary: Bi etxetako txakurra, goseak jan (The dog of two houses starves; literally, hunger eats it). Others use a participle with -a: Ohitura gaiztoa, berandu ahaztua (A bad habit is forgotten late).
4. Relatives and old verbs. Urak dakarrena, urak darama (What the water brings, the water takes away) joins a headless relative -(e)na with the synthetic verbs of ekarri and eraman: dakart, daramat.
5. Rhyme. Many proverbs rhyme, which makes them easy to remember: buru / aburu, gogoa / zangoa.
Tip: When you meet a proverb, add the missing da or du in your head, and it will read like a normal sentence.
Examples (6)
- Nolako zura, halako ezpala.
Like father, like son.
Word by Word: what-kind wood, that-kind splinter
nolako is answered by halako. The verb da is left out.
- Zenbat buru, hainbat aburu.
There are as many opinions as there are heads.
Word by Word: how-many head, that-many opinion
zenbat is answered by hainbat. buru and aburu rhyme.
- Non gogoa, han zangoa.
Where the mind goes, the legs follow.
Word by Word: where the mind, there the leg
non is answered by han.
- Nola bizi, hala hil.
As you live, so you die.
nola is answered by hala. bizi and hil stand alone with no auxiliary.
- Urak dakarrena, urak darama.
What the water brings, the water takes away.
dakarrena is dakar + -(e)n + -a: "what it brings".
- Bi etxetako txakurra, goseak jan.
A dog with two homes starves.
Word by Word: two houses-of dog-the, hunger-ERG eat
jan has no auxiliary. goseak (hunger) is the ergative subject.
Common Mistakes
Answering nolako with the wrong word.
Nolako zura, hala ezpala.Nolako zura, halako ezpala.nolako (what kind) must be answered by halako (that kind). hala means "so, in that way" and answers nola.
Leaving out the verb in an ordinary sentence.
Nire etxea handia.Nire etxea handia da.Proverbs can drop da because they are fixed sayings. In a normal sentence, the verb is needed.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Proverb grammar follows these.
Related Patterns
- nolako / nongoa / norenWhat Kind, From Where, Whose
nolako opens the most common proverb pattern.
Level 2 - zenbat eta ... orduan etaThe More ... the More
A full-sentence way to link two amounts.
Level 4 - dakart / daramatBringing and Carrying: Dakart, Daramat
dakar and darama are synthetic forms of these verbs.
Level 4 - -tu / -i / -nThe Dictionary Form of Verbs
Some proverbs use a bare participle as the verb.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
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