ongi / hobeki / anitz

Northern Words

Level 5

You will meet two sets of everyday words: Northern ongi, hobeki, biziki, anitz, ttipi, egun and Southern ondo, hobeto, oso, asko, txiki, gaur. Anitz jende etorri da means the same as Jende asko etorri da (Many people have come).

How It Works

1. The pairs.

  • ongi / ondo: well. Ongi is also used all over the country in set phrases: ongi etorri (welcome).
  • hobeki / hobeto: better, the comparative of ongi. Ongi baino hobeki daki (She knows it more than well). Compare hobe.
  • biziki / oso: very, deeply. Biziki pozik gaude (We are very happy). Compare oso.
  • anitz / asko: many, much, a lot. See asko.
  • ttipi / txiki: small. Euskaltzaindia's dictionary marks ttipi as Northern or literary and prefers txiki for general use.
  • egun / gaur: today. Northern writers also use egun for nowadays, where the South says gaur egun.

2. How anitz behaves. Like asko, it takes a bare noun without the article, but it usually comes first: anitz jende, anitz lekutan. It can also follow the noun: sagar ustel anitz. The verb may be singular or plural: Anitz jende etorri da. On its own, it means many people: Anitzek diote (Many say so).

3. Why learn both. Euskara Batua did not choose one set; it accepts words from the different dialect groups. Books, radio and newspapers from the North use these words, often together with Northern verb forms such as eginen.

Tip: You do not have to switch your own speech. Choose one set and use it consistently, but learn to recognize the other.

Examples (6)

  1. Anitz jende etorri da.

    Many people have come.

    In the South: Jende asko etorri da.

  2. Ongi baino hobeki daki zer egin.

    She knows perfectly well what to do.

  3. Biziki pozik gaude.

    We are very happy.

  4. Herri ttipi batean bizi da.

    He lives in a small village.

  5. Egun larunbata da.

    Today is Saturday.

    In the South: Gaur larunbata da.

  6. Hobeki idazten duzu orain.

    You write better now.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the article on the noun after anitz.

    Anitz jendea etorri da.
    Anitz jende etorri da.

    Like asko, anitz takes a bare noun without -a: anitz jende.

How It Connects

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

ongi / hobeki / anitzLevel 5Northern Words

Learn This First

Northern words follow their standard counterparts.

Words in This Pattern

ongihobekibizikianitzttipi