When the doer is not named: es repara, es pot canviar
When the doer does not matter, Catalan puts es before the verb in the third person. Aquí es reparen rentaplats — dishwashers are repaired here. For example: “Aquí es reparen rentaplats i rentadores” — Dishwashers and washing machines are repaired here. A rule from the Catalan course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
When the doer does not matter, Catalan puts es before the verb in the third person. Aquí es reparen rentaplats — dishwashers are repaired here.
One thing takes es repara; many things take es reparen. The verb agrees with the thing.
With a modal the frame widens: es pot and es poden plus the plain verb. La peça es pot canviar a casa — the part can be changed at home.
Notices and instructions live on this: No es permet fumar — no smoking. Es venen peces de recanvi — spare parts for sale. Name the doer and the frame goes: el tècnic el repara.
Table
| form | number | example |
|---|---|---|
| es repara | sing. | es repara el rentaplats |
| es reparen | plur. | es reparen rentaplats |
| es pot + infinitive | sing. | la peça es pot canviar |
| es poden + infinitive | plur. | es poden canviar en una hora |
| no es permet | ban | no es permet fumar |
By example
- Aquí es reparen rentaplats i rentadoresDishwashers and washing machines are repaired here
- La peça es pot canviar a casa, amb el manualThe part can be changed at home, according to the manual
- Es venen peces de recanvi per a tots els modelsSpare parts for all models are sold
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
When the doer is not named: how does it work in Catalan?
When the doer does not matter, Catalan puts es before the verb in the third person. Aquí es reparen rentaplats — dishwashers are repaired here.
What does it look like in an example sentence Catalan?
“Aquí es reparen rentaplats i rentadores” — Dishwashers and washing machines are repaired here. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.