-di / -tza

Groves and Great Amounts: -di, -tza

Level 5

Tree + -di = a wood of that tree: pago (beech) → pagadi. Noun + -tza = a lot of it: jende (people) → jendetza (a crowd).

How It Works

1. -di: woods and plant places.

  • pagadi: beech wood (pago)
  • pinudi: pine wood (pinu)
  • belardi: meadow (belar, grass)
  • harizti: oak wood (haritz)
  • mahasti: vineyard (mahats)
  • zuhaizti: wooded area (zuhaitz)

A few newer -di words name a whole group of people: gizadi (humanity), gaztedi (young people as a group).

2. -tza: a lot of something.

  • jendetza: a crowd
  • dirutza: a fortune
  • harritza: a place full of stones
  • belartza: a grassy place

3. Other -tza endings. Do not confuse this -tza with two others: one for trades (artzaintza, shepherding; erizaintza, nursing) and one for events (ezkontza, wedding; jaiotza, birth).

4. In names. Many place names and surnames are old -di and -tza words: Lizardi (from lizar, ash tree), Elortza, Gorostitza. See place-name and surname endings.

Compare: -tegi names a building or place for keeping or making things (liburutegi, library). -di names a natural place full of a plant.

Examples (6)

  1. Pagadian paseatzea asko gustatzen zait.

    I love walking in the beech wood.

  2. Mendi hori pinudiz beteta dago.

    That mountain is covered in pine woods.

  3. Errioxan mahasti ederrak daude.

    There are beautiful vineyards in La Rioja.

  4. Plazan jendetza handia zegoen.

    There was a huge crowd in the square.

  5. Etxe horrek dirutza balio du.

    That house is worth a fortune.

  6. Gizadiaren historia luzea da.

    The history of humanity is long.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping -di after a sibilant.

    Mahatsdi handi bat erosi dute.
    Mahasti handi bat erosi dute.

    After s, z or tz, the ending becomes -ti, and mahats + -ti is written mahasti.

  • Using -di for a crowd of people.

    Plazan jendedi handia zegoen.
    Plazan jendetza handia zegoen.

    A crowd of people is jendetza. The -di ending is mainly for places full of trees or plants.

How It Connects

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

-di / -tzaLevel 5Groves and Great Amounts: -di, -tza

Learn This First

-di follows -tegi.