-rik + -ena

The Best of: -rik + -ena

Level 4

To say the oldest house in the town, Basque often says herriko etxerik zaharrena: the noun takes -(r)ik and the adjective takes -ena.

How It Works

How to build it. Take the noun without its article, add -rik after a vowel or -ik after a consonant, then add the adjective with -ena:

  • etxe → etxerik: etxerik zaharrena (the oldest house)
  • mendi → mendirik: mendirik altuena (the highest mountain)
  • film → filmik: filmik onena (the best film)

Only the adjective at the end takes the article and any case ending: herriko etxerik zaharrenean (in the oldest house in the town).

Naming the group. Put the group in front of the noun with -ko, as in munduko mendirik altuena, or with a relative clause, as in ikusi dudan filmik onena (the best film I have seen).

With or without -rik. The plain form is also correct: Zurea da liburu onena and Zurea da libururik onena both mean "Yours is the best book". The -rik form is very common in writing. Family words such as seme (son) and alaba (daughter) usually stay plain: seme zaharrena (the eldest son). See the superlative -en.

Out of a known group. When the group is a definite plural, it takes -etan or -etatik instead: Mikel da nire lagunetan leialena (Mikel is the most loyal of my friends), Liburuetatik politena erosi dut (I bought the nicest of the books).

Than ever, than anyone. A comparison with baino and an any-word gives a superlative meaning: Inoiz baino hobeto nago (I am better than ever), orain inoiz baino gehiago (now more than ever). With a person, use inork baino for a doer and inor baino with izan: Inork baino hobeto daki (She knows it better than anyone), Inor baino azkarragoa da (He is faster than anyone).

Examples (6)

  1. Everest da munduko mendirik altuena.

    Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

    mendi + -rik, then altu + -ena; munduko names the group.

  2. Herriko etxerik zaharrena elizaren ondoan dago.

    The oldest house in the town is next to the church.

    etxe loses its article: etxerik, not etxearik.

  3. Hau da ikusi dudan filmik onena.

    This is the best film I have seen.

    A relative clause can name the group: ikusi dudan.

  4. Mikel da nire lagunetan leialena.

    Mikel is the most loyal of my friends.

    A definite group takes -etan instead of -rik.

  5. Inoiz baino hobeto nago.

    I am better than ever.

    inoiz baino means "than at any time".

  6. Inork baino hobeto daki.

    She knows it better than anyone.

    inork has the doer ending -k because it is compared with the subject of daki.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -rik without the superlative -en.

    Hau da herriko etxerik zaharra.
    Hau da herriko etxerik zaharrena.

    The -rik noun only works inside a superlative. Without -en, just use the ordinary article: herriko etxe zaharra (the old house in the town).

  • Keeping the article on the noun before -rik.

    Herriko etxearik zaharrena elizaren ondoan dago.
    Herriko etxerik zaharrena elizaren ondoan dago.

    -rik replaces the article. Add it to the bare noun etxe, and put the article only at the end, on zaharrena.

How It Connects

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

-rik + -enaLevel 4The Best of: -rik + -ena

Learn This First

The best of combines the superlative and the partitive.

Words in This Pattern

inoizbaino