Europe’s oldest living language, and one of the world’s only language isolate, Basques are extremely proud of their native tongue, so knowing a few words will definitely go down well with locals in Bilbao.
Quick tip before we start. In the Basque language (which is called Euskera in Basque) ‘tx’, ‘tz’ and ‘ts’ are similar to a ‘ch’ sound in English, while plurals are formed by adding a ‘k’ or ‘ak’ to the end of a word.
Here are some examples of Basque vocabulary, divided by topic, which you can use while on holiday in Bilbao.
General conversation
- Kaixo: the official term for ‘hello’. (It’s not technically Basque, but people from Bilbao are also famous for saying ‘aupa’ as hello).
- Agur: this is Basque for ‘goodbye’, saying agur instead of ‘adios’ will definitely provoke a positive reaction in Bilbao.
- Bai: this simply means ‘yes’.
- Ez: the Basque word for ‘no’.
- Mesedez: Basque for ‘please’.
- Eskerrik asko: this is ‘thank you’, you can also say ‘milesker’ for ‘thank you very much’.
People
- Lagun: the Basque term for ‘friend’.
- Ama: this is ‘mother or mum’ in Basque, and ‘mummy’ would be ‘amatxu’.
- Aita: this means ‘father or dad’, while ‘aitatxu’ is ‘daddy’.
Weather
- Sirimiri: this is the Basque word for ‘drizzle’, expect to encounter this type of rain at least once in Bilbao.
Here’s our guide for dealing with Bilbao’s infamous wet weather.
Food
- Pintxo: Bilbao’s most beloved snack, a Basque tapa which normally consist of food laid out on top of bread which can be eaten in a couple of bites.
- Salda: in the winter months you’ll see ‘salda dago’ signs outside most bars, it’s a traditional broth sold in Bilbao.
- Hogia: this is Basque for ‘bread’.
- Okela: this simply means ‘meat’.
- Talo: a kind of corn-based tortilla wrap. Usually eaten during summer fiestas with txistorra (a thin chorizo).
Drink
- Garagardo: Basque for ‘beer’. When ordering a beer, Bilbainos normally ask for a ‘kaña’ (a bit bigger than a half-pint) or a ‘zurito’ (basically a third of a pint).
- Kalimotxo: the Basques’ favourite drink. Legend says this red wine-coca cola mix was invented in the Bizkaia town of Algorta.
- Txakoli: a refreshing Basque white wine.
- Patxaran: a sloe-flavoured liqueur originating from Navarre, normally drunk as a digestif after a big meal. If the restaurant staff felt you were kind and polite, they might offer you a free shot of patxaran to wash down your txuleton (steak).
- Ura: this is ‘water’ in Basque.
- Sagardoa: ‘cider’. Basque cider is served flat and served from height to oxygenate it.
- Kafesnea: this is what to say to order a ‘coffee with milk’ in Euskera.
Places
- Kalea: this means ‘street’ or road’.
- Etxea: ‘house’ in Euskera.
- Jatetxea: this is Basque for ‘restaurant’ and literally means ‘eating house’.
- Txozna: huge pop-up bars that are normally seen a big fiestas or celebrations such as Bilbao’s Aste Nagusia.
- Ikastola: the Basque word for ‘school’.
- Hiria: this means ‘city’.
- Mendia: Basques love hiking and this is the word for ‘mountain’.
Did you know that several Basque surnames are toponymic, meaning they are taking from the description of a place, normally a house or its location. For example, one of the most common Basque last names is ‘Etxeberria’, which is ‘New house’ in English.
Sport
- Futbola: an easy one! ‘Football’ in Basque.
- Jokalari: ‘player’ in Basque.
- Zalea: this is the Basque word for ‘fan/supporter’. For example, Athletic Club fans are called ‘Athleticzaleak’.
- Zelaia: the Basque term for ‘field’ or ‘pitch’.
Numbers
- Bat: ‘one’
- Bi: ‘two’
- Hiru: ‘three’
- Lau: ‘four’
- Bost: ‘five’
Other
- Jaiak: the Basque word for ‘parties’ or ‘celebrations’.
- Maitazuna: this is ‘love’ in Basque. As a verb it’s ‘maite’. For example, ‘I love you’ is ‘maite zaitut’.
If you want to learn more about the history of Euskera and its importance to Basque society, check out our guide.
