Martial Arts

1. Saio bakar batera etor naiteke?

   Sa-io ba-kar ba-te-ra e-tor nai-te-ke?

   Can I come for a single session?

   Usage

   The standard way to ask about dropping in. Boxing and MMA gyms in Bilbao and San Sebastian are used to one-off visitors and many run a free first session. The Basque Country is bilingual — Basque with Spanish, or with French on the northern side — and opening in Basque at the desk goes down well

   Grammar Note

   Basque is agglutinative: case and direction are stacked as suffixes on the noun, with "-ra" marking motion towards ("saio bat" becomes "saio batera"). Potential meaning comes from the separate auxiliary "naiteke", placed after the verb

2. Entrenamendua ikus dezaket lehenengo?

   En-tre-na-men-du-a i-kus de-za-ket le-hen-en-go?

   May I watch the training first?

   Usage

   Use this when you want to size up the atmosphere and the coaching before committing. Basque gyms are relaxed about spectators and will rarely refuse. The 19:00-21:00 slot is busiest, and on the Spanish side, where dinner is late, sessions can run past 21:00

   Grammar Note

   The definite article is the suffix "-a": "entrenamendu" plus "a" gives "entrenamendua". Basque is basically SOV, so the object comes before the verb

3. Eskularruak alokatzen dituzue?

   Es-ku-la-rru-ak a-lo-ka-tzen di-tu-zu-e?

   Do you rent out gloves?

   Usage

   Basque boxing gyms usually keep club gloves and will lend a pair free on your trial day, but hand wraps ("bendak") are sold rather than rented for hygiene reasons, generally around 10 euros. Kickboxing classes normally have shin guards available

   Grammar Note

   "Eskularru" is a compound of "esku" (hand) and "larru" (leather), literally "hand leather". The auxiliary agrees with both subject and object at once, so "dituzue" encodes "you plural" and "them" together

4. Hasiberria naiz, ez daukat esperientziarik.

   Ha-si-be-rri-a naiz, ez dau-kat es-pe-rien-tzia-rik.

   I am a beginner, I have no experience.

   Usage

   Say this to both the desk and the coach up front and they will keep you on light pad work. Basque gyms post no skill levels and rely on you speaking up; stay quiet and you may end up in a session pitched at experienced fighters

   Grammar Note

   "Hasiberri" combines "hasi" (to begin) and "berri" (new). In a negative sentence the object takes the partitive "-rik", giving the sense of "none at all". Basque has no grammatical gender

5. Suabe, mesedez.

   Su-a-be, me-se-dez.

   Go easy, please.

   Usage

   The shortest way to ask for lower intensity in pad work or sparring. "Suabe" is borrowed from Spanish "suave" and is thoroughly at home in everyday Basque; a more purely Basque option is "poliki" (slowly). To ask for the opposite, say "gogorrago" (harder)

   Grammar Note

   "Mesedez" is "mesede" (favour) with the instrumental "-z", literally "by favour". Basque has borrowed heavily from Spanish and Latin in vocabulary, but its grammar belongs to a completely separate family

6. Belauna mindua daukat, ostikoak saihestuko ditut.

   Be-lau-na min-du-a dau-kat, os-ti-ko-ak sai-hes-tu-ko di-tut.

   My knee is injured, so I will avoid the kicking drills.

   Usage

   Say this before training starts. Small Basque gyms often use no intake form, so speaking up is the only way to flag an injury. Swap "belaun" (knee) for "sorbalda" (shoulder), "bizkarra" (back) or "orkatila" (ankle)

   Grammar Note

   Basque is an ergative language: the subject of a transitive verb takes "-k". Here the pronoun is dropped and the auxiliaries "daukat" and "ditut" carry the "I". The future is formed by adding "-ko" to the verb

7. Zenbat balio du saio batek?

   Zen-bat ba-lio du sa-io ba-tek?

   How much does one session cost?

   Usage

   The standard way to ask the drop-in rate. Basque gyms charge roughly 8-15 euros a session or 35-60 euros a month ("hilean"). If you are staying a week or more the monthly rate is usually cheaper — follow up with "zenbat balio du hilean?"

   Grammar Note

   "Balio izan" (to be worth) counts as transitive, so the subject "saio bat" takes the ergative "-k" and becomes "saio batek". This use of the ergative is one of the most distinctive features of Basque

8. Emakumeentzako talderik baduzue?

   E-ma-ku-me-en-tza-ko tal-de-rik ba-du-zu-e?

   Do you have a group for women?

   Usage

   Many gyms in the Basque Country run women's boxercise or self-defence ("autodefentsa") classes, which are a popular way into combat sports. Some clubs have female coaches, so it is worth asking in advance if that matters to you

   Grammar Note

   The suffix "-entzako" means "for", here attached to the plural of "emakume" (woman). In a question about whether something exists, the object naturally takes the partitive "-rik"

9. Non ikus dezaket ordutegia?

   Non i-kus de-za-ket or-du-te-gi-a?

   Where can I see the timetable?

   Usage

   Basque gyms usually post the timetable on a board by the door or on Instagram, typically bilingual in Basque and Spanish. Many close for part of August, and sessions may be suspended during local festival ("jaiak") weeks, so check for the current week

   Grammar Note

   "Ordutegi" combines "ordu" (hour) with "-tegi", a suffix denoting a place or collection — the same element that gives "liburutegi" (library). It is one of Basque's most productive word-building patterns

10. Zein borroka arte irakasten duzue hemen?

    Zein bo-rro-ka ar-te i-ra-kas-ten du-zu-e he-men?

    Which martial art do you teach here?

    Usage

    What you can actually train in the Basque Country is modern gym disciplines — boxing, kickboxing, MMA, judo. Do not confuse these with "herri kirolak", the Basque rural sports such as stone lifting ("harri-jasotzea") and wood chopping ("aizkolaritza"): those are feats of strength descended from farm labour, not combat sports. Pelota ("pilota") is likewise a ball game, not a martial art

    Grammar Note

    "Borroka" (fight) and "arte" (art) combine to mean martial art. Basque compounds put the modifier first, the same order as in Japanese

11. Teknika hori berriro erakutsiko didazu?

    Tek-ni-ka ho-ri be-rri-ro e-ra-kut-si-ko di-da-zu?

    Would you show me that technique again?

    Usage

    Gyms in the Basque Country run mainly in Spanish, or French on the northern side, and the share of Basque speakers varies sharply by area — it is an everyday language in Gipuzkoa and inland districts, less so in central Bilbao. Even so, a line of Basque is warmly received. Add "poliki" (slowly) and they will break the movement down

    Grammar Note

    The single auxiliary "didazu" encodes all three participants: you, it, and me. Agreement with subject, direct object and indirect object at once is the signature feature of the Basque verb

12. Noiz hasi ahal izango naiz sparringean?

    Noiz ha-si a-hal i-zan-go naiz spa-rrin-ge-an?

    When will I be able to start sparring?

    Usage

    Sparring carries injury risk, so Basque gyms gate it behind the coach's approval. A common answer is after five to ten sessions, once your stance and defence hold up; short-stay visitors usually stay on pads and the bag. Let the coach decide rather than pushing to join

    Grammar Note

    The locative suffix "-an" (in) attaches even to loanwords, giving "sparringean". "Ahal izan" expresses ability, and stacking the future "-ko" on top yields "will become able to"

13. Dutxarik badago hemen?

    Du-txa-rik ba-da-go he-men?

    Are there showers here?

    Usage

    Small Basque gyms may have no shower, or only one. Towels are your own responsibility. The Basque Country is wet and the winters are cold, so bring dry clothes to change into straight after training

    Grammar Note

    The digraph "tx" spells a "ch" sound, so "dutxa" sounds like "doo-cha". Existential questions put the partitive "-rik" on the subject. "Badago" is the affirmative prefix "ba-" plus "dago" (there is)

14. Non egiten dira boxeo borrokak?

    Non e-gi-ten di-ra bo-xe-o bo-rro-kak?

    Where are boxing bouts held?

    Usage

    Boxing cards in the Basque Country are staged irregularly at sports halls ("kiroldegia") in Bilbao and San Sebastian, advertised mainly on gym noticeboards and social media. Tickets are often available at the door, and your gym's coach is the most reliable source of dates

    Grammar Note

    The auxiliary "dira" is the intransitive third-person plural, and "egiten dira" carries a passive sense of "are held". The absolutive plural takes "-ak", so "borroka" becomes "borrokak"

15. Eskuak gora, begiratu aurkariari begietara!

    Es-ku-ak go-ra, be-gi-ra-tu aur-ka-ria-ri be-gie-ta-ra!

    Hands up, look your opponent in the eyes!

    Usage

    Said by the coach. One of the most frequent cues during pad work and sparring. Basque coaches bark instructions in the bare imperative — there is nothing rude about it, and it is often clipped to a single "eskuak!"

    Grammar Note

    The imperative is simply the participle form of the verb ("begiratu" = to look / look!). "Eskuak gora" is a verbless command, with "gora" meaning "upwards" — the same word as in the slogan "Gora Euskadi!"

16. Jo indar guztiarekin, ez eutsi!

    Jo in-dar guz-tia-re-kin, ez eut-si!

    Hit with all your strength, do not hold back!

    Usage

    Said by the coach. The standard call when the coach on the pads wants full power, and also a signal that you may hit at full force. If instead you hear "lasai" (easy, relax), you are tensing up too much

    Grammar Note

    A negative command needs only "ez" before the verb. The comitative suffix "-rekin" (with) attaches to "indar guztia" (all one's strength). The letter "j" is pronounced close to "y" or a breathy "h" depending on the region

17. Bost minutuko atsedena, edan ura.

    Bost mi-nu-tu-ko at-se-de-na, e-dan u-ra.

    Five-minute break, drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. The Basque Country stays fairly cool even in summer, but indoor training still means heavy sweating, so water breaks are called between rounds. Bring your own bottle; tap water is fine to drink

    Grammar Note

    The suffix "-ko" turns a noun phrase into a modifier: "bost minutu" (five minutes) becomes "bost minutuko" (five-minute). "Ur" (water) takes the definite article "-a", giving "ura"

18. Gaurkoz nahikoa da. Oso ondo egin duzu!

    Gaur-koz na-hi-ko-a da. O-so on-do e-gin du-zu!

    That is enough for today. You did very well!

    Usage

    Said by the coach to wrap up the session; a glove touch or a handshake usually follows. Reply with "eskerrik asko" (thank you very much). Basque gyms have no tipping culture, but heading out for pintxos together after training very much is a thing

    Grammar Note

    "Gaurkoz" stacks "-ko" and the instrumental "-z" onto "gaur" (today), giving "as far as today goes". Being able to pile up suffix after suffix is a clear illustration of how agglutinative Basque is

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