Basque uses these "Nor-Nori" structures instead of the "I do something" structure for many everyday expressions. Mastering is the first step to expressing your preferences, needs, and accidental actions naturally in Euskara.
Thus, zait = “it is to me.” This structure appears constantly: interesatzen zait (it interests me), kostatzen zait (it is difficult for me), urritzen zait (it is running out for me).
The survival of this structure is remarkable. During the Franco dictatorship (1939–1975), Basque was banned from public use. Yet rural native speakers continued to use zait in their kitchens and farmhouses, passing down a verb form that had no equivalent in Spanish. When Basque was standardized in the 1960s and 70s by the Royal Academy of the Basque Language (Euskaltzaindia), zait was preserved as a cornerstone of the unified Batua dialect.
To understand , it helps to see it alongside the other forms for different people: Nor (Subject) Nori (To...) Hura (It) Niri (Me) Zait Gustatzen zait (I like it) Hura (It) Hiri (You - fam.) Zaizkit/Zaio Gustatzen zaik/zaizkin Hura (It) Hari (Him/Her) Zaio Gustatzen zaio (He/She likes it) Hura (It) Guri (Us) Zaigu Gustatzen zaigu (We like it) Hura (It) Zuri (You) Zaizu Gustatzen zaizu (You like it) Hura (It) Haiei (Them) Zaie Gustatzen zaie (They like it) 4. Singular vs. Plural