-tegi / -degi

Places: -tegi

Level 4

Add -tegi to a noun to name the place for it: liburu (book) → liburutegi (library), lore (flower) → lorategi (garden).

How It Works

How to build it. Add -tegi to a noun, usually a thing or an animal:

  • liburu → liburutegi (library), lore → lorategi (garden), oilo → oilategi (henhouse)
  • bizar → bizartegi (barber's), epai → epaitegi (court)
  • haragi → harategi (butcher's shop), hitz → hiztegi (dictionary, a place for words)

-degi after n or l. The t usually becomes d after these sounds:

  • okin (baker) → okindegi (bakery)
  • arrain (fish) → arrandegi (fishmonger's)
  • ardo (wine), old form ardan- → ardandegi (wine shop)

A few common words keep -tegi: lantegi (workshop), biltegi (warehouse). Learn them as words.

From verbs. A few are built on a verb radical: ikasi → ikastegi (school, institute), bildu → biltegi (warehouse).

Other place words. Many places are compounds with etxe instead: jatetxe (restaurant), ikastetxe (school). For shops, denda is also common: liburu-denda (bookshop).

Examples (6)

  1. Liburutegira noa.

    I am going to the library.

  2. Okindegian ogia erosi dut.

    I have bought bread at the bakery.

    okin ends in n, so -degi.

  3. Harategia itxita dago.

    The butcher's shop is closed.

  4. Arrandegian arrain freskoa dago.

    There is fresh fish at the fishmonger's.

  5. Hiztegian begiratu dut.

    I have looked it up in the dictionary.

    hitz + -tegi: a place for words.

  6. Lantegi batean egiten du lan.

    She works in a workshop.

    lantegi keeps -tegi.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping -tegi after n.

    Okintegian ogia erosi dut.
    Okindegian ogia erosi dut.

    After n or l the ending is usually -degi: okindegi, arrandegi.

  • Confusing the library with the bookshop.

    Liburu-dendan liburuak mailegatzen ditut.
    Liburutegian liburuak mailegatzen ditut.

    You borrow books from a liburutegi (library). A liburu-denda is a bookshop, where you buy them.

How It Connects

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

-tegi / -degiLevel 4Places: -tegi

Learn This First

Place suffixes follow the inessive.