Body Parts And Clothes In Basque: Learn Useful Vocabulary To Build Your Language Skills
You can’t become fluent in Basque if you don’t know the common words and phrases that are often used. That’s why most beginners start with basic, everyday vocabulary; these will be some of the easiest to remember because they’re most relevant to you!
Learning about the body (gorputz) is essential for any language learner. Not just the different parts of it but also the clothes (arropa) that we wear on them. After all, how else will you be able to communicate if something hurts, or describe an item of clothing you’re wearing?
When it comes to Basque vocabulary, you’re probably already aware that most, if not all of it will be completely foreign, not resembling words you already know in English or any other language. This is because Basque is a language isolate; meaning it doesn’t share any linguistic roots with any other known language (read more about the origins of the Basque language).
Alas, this makes vocabulary learning a little more difficult at first, but don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. This article will introduce you to some of the most common words related to the body and clothing in Basque. We’ve split them into sections so that they’re easier to parse.
Head in Basque
The head, with all of its many features, is a good place to start. None of them will look familiar, no matter how many languages you know, but we think you’ll have fun learning them all the same.
| English | Basque |
|---|---|
| Head | Buru |
| Face | Aurpegi |
| Hair | Ile |
| Ear | Belarri |
| Nose | Sudur |
| Eyes | Begiak |
| Forehead | Bekoki |
| Mouth | Aho |
| Chin | Kokots |
| Jaw | Baraila |
| Teeth | Hortzak |
| Lips | Ezpainak |
| Eyebrow | Bekain |
| Eyelashes | Betileak |
| Tongue | Mihi |
| Cheek | Masail |
Upper body in Basque
Next, we’ll take a look at the upper body. This section contains all of the parts from the neck right down to the torso and everything in between.
| English | Basque |
|---|---|
| Neck | Lepo |
| Chest | Bular |
| Arm | Beso |
| Back | Bizkar |
| Hand | Esku |
| Fingers | Hatzak |
| Shoulder | Sorbalda |
| Stomach | Urdail |
| Throat | Eztarri |
| Fingernail | Azazkal |
| Elbow | Ukondo |
| Wrist | Eskumutur |
Lower body in Basque
This section deals with many of the body parts located in the lower half of the human body.
| English | Basque |
|---|---|
| Leg | Zanko |
| Knee | Belaun |
| Ankle | Orkatila |
| Foot | Oin |
| Toes | Behatzak |
| Thigh | Izter |
| Heel | Orpo |
Inner body and organs in Basque
This list would not be complete without some words related to the inner body and its organs. After all, these are just as important (if not more so) than the parts of the body that we can see from the outside!
| English | Basque |
|---|---|
| Skin | Larruazal |
| Kidney | Giltzurrun |
| Liver | Gibel |
| Heart | Bihotz |
| Brain | Garun |
| Lung | Birika |
| Blood | Odol |
| Bones | Hezurrak |
| Muscle | Gihar |
Clothes in Basque
Finally, we’ll take a look at some of the most common items of clothing we wear on our bodies, including accessories.
| English | Basque |
|---|---|
| Hat | Kapela |
| Gloves | Eskularruak |
| Shirt | Alkandora |
| Dress | Soineko |
| Skirt | Gona |
| Sweater/Jumper | Jertse |
| Trousers/Pants | Galtzak |
| Underwear | Azpiko jantzi/arropa |
| Shorts | Galtzamotzak |
| Shoes | Oinetakoak |
| Boots | Botak |
| Socks | Galtzerdiak |
| Scarf | Bufanda |
| Tie | Gorbata |
| Earrings | Belarritakoak |
| Coat | Beroki |
| Jacket | Jaka |
| Ring | Eraztun |
| Necklace | Lepoko |
| Bracelet | Eskumuturreko |
| Glasses | Betaurrekoak |
| Handbag/purse | Poltsa |
We did warn you that this list would be entirely foreign! But we hope that you’ve enjoyed learning some of the unique, beautiful words Basque is known for.
You’ll likely need to practice these words several times before you start to feel confident using them in conversation. A great way to do this is with flashcards, which you can make yourself, either physically or digitally.
And now that you know the basics of Basque body parts and clothes, test yourself with our free downloadable Basque worksheet, where you match the correct item of clothing to the correct body part.
If you want to learn some more useful, everyday Basque vocabulary, check out our posts Numbers and Counting in Basque, and Greetings and Salutations in Basque.
