Purpose and consequence: per tal de, així que
Purpose after a verb of action takes per tal de plus the verb — "in order to". Estudia per tal d'aprovar l'examen — he studies to pass the exam. For example: “Estudia per tal d'aprovar l'examen” — He studies to pass the exam. A rule from the Catalan course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Purpose after a verb of action takes per tal de plus the verb — "in order to". Estudia per tal d'aprovar l'examen — he studies to pass the exam.
Before a vowel it contracts to per tal d'. The everyday twin is plain per: Estalvia per viatjar — he saves in order to travel.
A consequence sums the chain up: així que — "so". Estalvia així que podrà viatjar — he saves, so he will be able to travel.
Així que has a second face — "as soon as": Així que vam signar, vam obrir el compte. The tense of the verb tells the two apart.
Table
| link | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| per tal de + infinitive | purpose | per tal d'aprovar |
| per + infinitive | purpose (colloquial) | estalvia per viatjar |
| així que | consequence | així que podrà viatjar |
| així que + past | as soon as | així que vam signar |
By example
- Estudia per tal d'aprovar l'examenHe studies to pass the exam
- Estalvia així que podrà viatjar a l'estiuHe saves, so in summer he will be able to travel
- Així que vam signar, vam obrir el compteAs soon as we signed, we opened the account
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
Purpose and consequence: how does it work in Catalan?
Purpose after a verb of action takes per tal de plus the verb — "in order to". Estudia per tal d'aprovar l'examen — he studies to pass the exam.
What does it look like in an example sentence Catalan?
“Estudia per tal d'aprovar l'examen” — He studies to pass the exam. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.