ongi etorri
/onɡi etori/
The English word "welcome" is expressed in Basque as ongi etorri.
ongi etorri is a greeting used when someone arrives. It can also function as an adjective to describe someone whose arrival is a cause of joy.
Meaning: greeting given upon someone's arrival (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ongi, meaning well or good and etorri, meaning come or arrival.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Ongi etorri is the Standard Basque way to say welcome.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone was welcome in the past, you can add the auxiliary verb zen to the phrase, resulting in ongi etorri zen.
Did you know?
- Basque is a language isolate, meaning ongi etorri has no known relationship to any other living language. Unlike Spanish or French, it does not share a common ancestor with any other language family in the world.
- While many European languages use a word related to 'grace' or 'favor' for 'welcome', Basque focuses entirely on the quality of the arrival itself.
- The root -toR- found in etorri is an ancient part of the language that predates almost all other linguistic influences in the region.
Examples in context
- Ongi etorri!Welcome.This example shows the use of ongi etorri as a greeting.Tatoeba #4085697 by eneko, translation #138919 by CM
- Ongi etorri gure etxera.Welcome to our house.
Example conversation
Amaia arrives at Iker's apartment for a visit.
- IkerKaixo Amaia, ongi etorri!Hello Amaia, welcome!
- AmaiaEskerrik asko, Iker.Thank you, Iker.
- IkerPasaduna, sartu baiate!Come in, please!
- AmaiaZer polita dago dena!Everything looks so nice!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome” translations and entries ongi etorri, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries etorri, ongi, ongi etorri, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
