haizerik ez den urtean

Basque

FWOTD – 22 July 2025

Etymology

Literally, in a year without wind.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Navarro-Lapurdian) /hai̯s̻eɾik es̻ den urtean/ [hai̯.s̻e.ɾik ez̻ ð̞ẽn ur.t̪e.ãn]
 
  • IPA(key): (Gipuzkoan, Navarrese) /ai̯s̻eɾik es̻ den urtean/ [ai̯.s̻e.ɾik ez̻ ð̞ẽn ur.t̪e.ãn]
  • IPA(key): (Biscayan) /ai̯s̺eɾik es̺ den urtean/ [ai̯.s̺e.ɾik ez̺ ð̞ẽn ur.t̪e.ãn]

  • Hyphenation: hai‧ze‧rik ez den ur‧te‧an

Adverb

haizerik ez den urtean (not comparable)

  1. (idiomatic, often ironic) never, when pigs fly (usually referring to payments or obligations)
    • 1887 January, Victoriano Iraola, “Ostalariya eta erapekoa”, in Euskal-Erria, San Sebastián, page 553:
      ―¿Noiz pagatuko nazu bada?
      ―¿Noiz? Aizerik eztan urtian.
      "When will you pay me?"
      "When? In a year without wind!"

Further reading