oso / nahiko / samar
Very, Quite and Rather
oso and nahiko go before the adjective: oso polita (very pretty), nahiko ona (quite good). samar goes after it: garesti samarra (rather expensive).
How It Works
oso: very. It goes right before an adjective or adverb: oso polita (very pretty), oso ondo (very well). With a noun, oso stays inside the phrase: etxe oso polita (a very pretty house).
After a noun, oso means whole: egun osoa (the whole day). See All and Whole.
nahiko or nahikoa: quite, fairly. It also goes before the adjective: nahiko ona (quite good), nahikoa handia (fairly big). With a noun it means enough: nahiko denbora (enough time).
samar: rather, somewhat. It comes after the adjective. The adjective loses its article, and the article goes on samar: garestia → garesti samarra (rather expensive). After an adverb nothing is added: berandu samar (rather late).
With comparatives. oso does not go with -ago. To say much bigger, use askoz: askoz handiagoa. See More Than: -ago. For too much, use -egi: garestiegia (too expensive).
Examples (6)
- Etxe oso polita da.
It is a very pretty house.
- Nahiko ona da.
It is quite good.
- Jatetxe hau garesti samarra da.
This restaurant is rather expensive.
The article goes on samar: garesti samarra.
- Oso ondo hitz egiten duzu euskaraz.
You speak Basque very well.
oso also goes before adverbs like ondo.
- Berandu samar iritsi ginen.
We arrived rather late.
After an adverb, samar takes no article.
- Azterketa nahiko erraza izan da.
The exam was quite easy.
Common Mistakes
Putting oso after the adjective.
Etxea polita oso da.Etxea oso polita da.oso always comes right before the adjective. After a noun, oso means whole, not very.
Leaving the article on the adjective with samar.
Jatetxe hau garestia samar da.Jatetxe hau garesti samarra da.samar joins the adjective, and the article goes at the very end: garesti samarra.
Using oso with a comparative.
Ane Mikel baino oso altuagoa da.Ane Mikel baino askoz altuagoa da.oso does not combine with -ago. Much taller is askoz altuagoa.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Degree words build on adjectives.
Related Patterns
- Noun + Adjective + -aAdjective, Then Article
oso and samar sit inside the noun phrase, next to the adjective.
Level 1 - -ago ... bainoMore than: -ago
Comparatives use askoz, not oso, to say much more.
Level 2 - -egiToo: -egi
Says a quality goes past what is wanted: garestiegia.
Level 2 - guztiak / denak / osoaAll and Whole
After a noun, oso means whole: egun osoa.
Level 2 - asko / gutxi / batzuk / zenbaitQuantity Words
With a noun, use asko, not oso: diru asko (a lot of money).
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice oso / nahiko / samar in Bubblegum
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