Appointments and plans (hitzorduak)

A busy schedule is full of appointments and plans. This lesson teaches you how to talk about them: having an appointment, meeting up with someone, saying if you’re free.

Key vocabulary

Basque	English
hitzordua	appointment (an arranged time with someone)
bilera	meeting
errebisioa	check-up (medical, dental)
medikua	the doctor
dentista	dentist
kontsulta	consultation

Having an appointment or meeting

To say “I have X,” you use the verb ukan (dut, du, dugu, ...):

• Bilera dut. — I have a meeting.
• Hitzordua dut medikuarekin. — I have an appointment with the doctor.
• Errebisioa du semearekin. — He/She has a check-up with his/her son.

If you want to specify the time, you just add it at the beginning or the end: Bostetan bilera dut / Bilera dut bostetan.

Meeting up with someone — geratu + -ekin

Geratu means “to meet up” or “to stay,” and it’s combined with the sociative suffix -ekin (with):

Pattern	Example	English
X-ekin geratu naiz	Egoitzekin geratu naiz	I met up with Egoitz
X-ekin geratuko naiz	Egoitzekin geratuko naiz	I will meet up with Egoitz

The suffix -ekin attaches to the noun. If it ends in a consonant, you add -ekin: Mikel + ekin = Mikelekin, Maialenekin. If it ends in a vowel, you add -rekin: Garazirekin, Anerekin.

Arranging the time

Typical phrases to set a time:

• Zer ordutan geratuko gara? — What time shall we meet?
• Bostetan ondo? — Is five o’clock good?
• Sei eta erdietan geratuko gara. — We’ll meet at half past six.
• Bederatziak aldera. — Around nine.
• Hamabietan. — At twelve.

Aldera = “around,” “about.” Very useful when you don’t want to commit to an exact time.

Accepting and declining

Yes	No / excuse
Bai, ondo!	Ezin dut, beste plan bat dut.
Ados!	Ezin dut, lanpetuta nago.
Ederki!	Ezin dut, beste afari bat dudalako.
Konforme!	Beste egun batean, mesedez.

Being free / busy

• Libre nago. — I’m free.
• Ordu hori libre dut. — I have that time free.
• Lanpetuta nago. — I’m busy.
• Gauza asko egin behar ditut. — I have a lot of things to do.

Mini-dialogue

— Aizu, kafe bat hartuko dugu bihar?

— Bai, oso ondo. Zer ordutan geratuko gara?

— Bostak aldera ondo?

— Ezin dut bostetan, dentista dut. Sei eta erdietan?

— Ederki, sei eta erdietan tabernan.

Making excuses with -elako

When you decline something, it’s natural to give the reason using the suffix -elako (because):

• Ezin dut, lan egin behar dudalako. — I can’t, because I have to work.
• Ezin dut, gaixorik nagoelako. — I can’t, because I’m sick.
• Ezin dut, amarekin egon behar dudalako. — I can’t, because I have to be with my mother.

Cultural note: in euskaltegis (Basque language schools) and formal settings, hitzordua is reserved for specific appointments (doctor, hairdresser). Among friends, it’s more natural to use geratu + -ekin, without the word hitzordua unless you want to emphasize that it’s something formal.