San Sebastián Travel Forum

I would love try out some basque language when i take my trip to donostia next month, but it seems so impenetrable... will the locals mind my bad pronunciation, or should i stick to my (equally bad) spanish?

When i look at restaurant menus (when not eating pintxos) what langauge will they be written in?

Is this holiday going to be difficult for me with my poor language skills?

The menus at the San Sebastian restaurants that we visited, were also in English.

There is a large contingent of retired Brits there. Actually the most handicapped accessable city in Europe. But that is not saying much by American standards.

Instead of service clubs, they have eating societies. If you can manage an ivitation, definately go for it. They sing too!

I love that place!

The locals will love you for trying but don't worry most places will have english menus. if you go to a tapas bar you just point at what you fancy so who needs a menu. Canya means beer, Kalymucho is red wine & coke, Tinto is red wine. Patcheran is a local liqueur, Huevos fritas con patatas fritas is egg and chips. Bacalao is cod and hamon is ham so you can work out what cod & chips or ham egg & chips are. In a more serious vein there are so many local dishes to try just them especially the seafood. San Sebastian's a great place to go and if you hire a car the Baque Country and Asturias further along the coast are beuatiful. It isn't called Green Spain for nothing. Enjoy.

Do not panic, few Basques speak Basque! You will be fine with Spanish, just like you are fine with English in Wales. However, some basic Basque words and expressions here and there will surely be much appreciated. Try the following:

hello = kaixo
good-bye = agur
eskerrik asko = thanks a lot
good morning = egun on
good night = gabon

Also, most young people will be delighted to practice their English with a native speaker. So, enjoy.

Hi!
I recommend you highly to speak in euskera. Don´t be afraid, only your effort to practice euskera will be really estimated here. All basques speak basque, althought you can live in Euskadi without speak basque.
Have a really nice time here!
See you

I am not too sure where Zizu got the idea that everybody in the Basque Country speaks Basque! Only about 25% of the population of the Basque Country speaks Basque as a their mother tongue, mostly in rural areas, although it is true that most Basques have some knowledge of the language, as Basque is taught to children at school. Even well known nationalist and even radical Basque politicians cannot speak the language! I remember when Basque premier Mr Arzallus made it to the news after he had given up the Basque course he was attending simply because he found Basque so difficult to learn! So do not panic.

No Eugene, I haven´t said that everybody in Basque Country speak Euskera, read it again, I have said that every Basque speak Basque, cos the definition of basque is 'who speaks basque'. I´m completely agree with you when you say that only 30% of Euskadi´s citizens speak Euskera.
Arzalluz hasn´t been never premier, and he´s a basque native, speaks Euskera very well.
Salut

Arzallus was the leader of the Basque Nationalist Party for over 25 years. I thought it was him who made it to the news after giving up a course of Basque, but it must have been some other prominent politician.

Asier, I took up German at school, but that does not mean I can speak German. You cannot say everybody speaks Basque in the Basque Country, because this is simply not true. My brother was married to a Basque girl, and neither she nor any of the members of her family I ever met could speak a single word of Basque. Have you ever wondered why even nationalist politicians use Spanish for their speeches? Most of them cannot speak Basque, and even if they do, they know most in their audience do not!

Anyway, no one is discouraging propertyking from learning some basic, everyday expressions in Basque. These will definitely be appreciated, even by those who do not speak the language. But to "highly suggest to speak in euskera" seems a bit too extreme.

Well, it seems that my words are not understood. It is true that every EUSKALDUN (basque speaker) knows EUSKERA (basque language), and it is true too that all basque CITIZENS do not speak or know basque, I think they are easy and simple ideas.
I don´t want to discuss with you, but I think it will be more interesting and culturally profitable for a tourist knowing the local language, like at every place of the world. What do you recommend, speak in english?
All the best
Dena den, zuri ere ondoko hitz hauek ulertzeak on egingo lizuke.

eskerrick asko...