prestatu

Prestatu is a Basque verb meaning “to prepare” or “to get ready.” It is used in contexts ranging from cooking to planning and organizing activities. The infinitive form is prestatu. Basque verbs are conjugated for person, number, tense, and mood, and prestatu follows typical Basque verb patterns, forming different finite forms such as present, past, future, and conditional by adding suffixes to the stem. The root prest- is linked to the notion of readiness, and the -atu suffix marks the action of causing or making something ready.

In practice, prestatu can take a direct object when specifying what is being prepared (for example, meals, documents, or plans). It can also be used with adjuncts that indicate the purpose or timing of the preparation, such as preparing for an event. In contemporary Basque, the verb appears in formal and informal language alike and is taught in Basque-language education as a basic lexical item.

See also: Basque language; Basque verbs; Sukaldatu (to cook); Antolatu (to organize).