Catalan grammar
Catalan grammar explained in plain words. You already read the alphabet, and a third of the vocabulary is transparent through English and French. What is harder: unstressed vowels are not pronounced the way they are spelled, and the apostrophe is compulsory: l'aigua.
Notes
- 📐ser and estar — two verbs "to be"English has one "to be"; Catalan has two, and choosing between them is the first real skill.
- 📐Articles: el, la — and the apostropheEvery noun has a gender, and the article travels with it. Learn words with their article from the start: not "casa" but…
- 📐The present tense: -ar, -re, -irAll regular verbs fall into three groups by their infinitive ending. Drop the ending and add your own — by person.
- 📐Question wordsCatalan has no upside-down ¿ marks — the question opens with the word itself: què — what, com — how, on — where, quan…
- 📐agradar — "to please", not "to like"M'agrada el cafè literally means "the coffee pleases me". The subject here is the coffee, not "I". That is why the verb…
- 📐Negation: simply noThe negation goes before the verb and changes nothing else: No entenc, No hi ha aigua.
- 📐The comparative: més… queComparison is built simply: més + quality + que — "more… than".
- 📐The plural and possessivesThe plural is made with the ending -s: la casa → les cases. After a consonant an -s is added too, but the article…
- 📐"It hurts": em fa malPain is built inside out: the subject is the body part, and the person gets a "to me". Em fa mal el cap literally…
- 📐Weather impersonally: fa, plou, hi haCatalan "makes" the weather: fa fred, fa calor, fa sol, fa vent, fa bo. The impersonal form changes for nobody.
- 📐The imperativeInformal commands copy the third person of the present: parla! — speak!, menja! — eat!. To several people (vosaltres)…
- 📐The future: anar a + infinitiveThe colloquial future is "to go" + infinitive: vaig, vas, va, anem, aneu, van + a + verb.
- 📐Object pronouns: el, la, ho, enA direct object is replaced by a pronoun BEFORE the verb: el veig — I see him/it, la compro — I buy it. The forms…
- 📐Collectives: la roba, el calçat, la gentMany words that are plural in English Catalan keeps singular: la roba — clothes, el calçat — footwear, l'equipatge…
- 📐Three frames for feelings: estar, tinc, em faA feeling can be said three ways. Through estar + adjective: estic trist — I am sad. Through tinc — "I hold" + noun…
- 📐Uncountables: l'oli, la farina, la melOil, flour, honey, sugar — no plural: at the shop they are not counted but measured. One formula: measure + de — un…
- 📐Must, can, is worth: cal, haver de, poder, val la penaFour frames cover all modality up to A2. Cal + infinitive — the impersonal "one must": cal pagar abans de sortir — one…
- 📐Demonstratives: aquest, aqueix, aquell — and "ho" for what was saidThree degrees of distance. Aquest/aquesta — this, near me: aquest telèfon. Aqueix/aqueixa — that, nearer to you the…
- 📐Adverbs of manner: ràpidament, bé, mal, de pressaFrom an adjective the adverb is made with the suffix -ment: ràpid → ràpidament (quickly), lent → lentament (slowly)…
- 📐Wishes and congratulations: que + subjuntiuA wish is built through que + subjuntiu — the subjunctive: Que faci bon temps! — may the weather be good! Que tinguis…
- 📐"One's own": possessives and propiThe possessive stands before the noun and takes an article: el meu germà (my brother), la meva germana (my sister), els…
- 📐Cause: perquè, ja queA cause joins the main clause with the conjunction perquè — "because": Estudio perquè vull treballar — I study because…
- 📐Condition: si + present → futurA real condition is built so: si + present → future in the main clause: Si estalvies, compraràs — if you save, you will…
- 📐Time: quan, en quantTime joins with the conjunction quan — "when". If the action is still ahead (the main clause in the future or a…
- 📐Approximation: gairebé, aproximadament, uns / unesThree ways to say "almost around". Gairebé — "almost": Gairebé tots els pisos tenen ascensor — almost all flats have a…
- 📐Impersonal turns: es + third personWhen the doer does not matter, Catalan builds the phrase through es + verb in the 3rd person: Aquí es parla català…
- 📐Purpose: per + infinitive, per tal dePurpose answers "what for?" and attaches to the verb as per + infinitive: Vaig allà per veure el mar — I go there to…
- 📐Reported speech: diu que…Somebody else's words join with the conjunction que: Diu que demà plourà — he says it will rain tomorrow. The verb of…
- 📐Concession: encara que, malgratConcession is "although, despite": the fact is admitted, and the conclusion does not change. Encara que + a clause with…
- 📐Opinion: crec que és — no crec que siguiOpinion drags the mood along with it. Asserting — indicatiu: Crec que és fàcil — I think it is easy. Denying or…
- 📐Relative clauses: el lloc on…, el dia que…A description of a noun is attached with a linking word. The general case — que: el llibre que llegeixo — the book I…
- 📐Comparing whole groups: tant… com, més… del que…Adjectives were compared long ago: més alt que, tant alt com. But not only qualities can be compared — whole groups…
- 📐Feeling + subjuntiu: Em fa ràbia que…, Tinc por que…When the main part of the phrase is a feeling (joy, fear, anger, shame), the clause with "que" goes into the…
- 📐Measures and portions: un tros de, una llesca de, mig quilo deFood is not sold by the piece — it is measured in pieces, slices and weight. A piece — un tros de: un tros de pa, un…
- 📐How and where from in clauses: com, d'onLinking words join not only things but also manner and place of origin. Com — "how": Fes-ho com t'he dit — do it as I…
- 📐Passive through "es": es repara, es pot canviarWhen the doer does not matter, Catalan builds the passive with the particle es + verb in the third person: Aquí es…
- 📐The future in forecasts: Plourà demà vs anar a + infinitiveThe future in Catalan is double. The simple futur — the ending -ré, -ràs, -rà, -rem, -reu, -ran on the infinitive…
- 📐The imperative in directions: Gireu, Agafi, Seguiu tot rectDirections in the street, in recipes and in manuals are given in the imperative, and the form depends on whom you…
- 📐The gerund and gradualness: aprenent, estudiant, Vaig aprenentThe gerund is the form on -ant / -ent: verbs in "-ar" give "-ant" (estudiant — studying), verbs in "-er", "-re", "-ir"…
- 📐The past in a biography: he viscut vs vaig viureIn a biography two past tenses work in tandem. The perfect (he, has, ha + participle) — experience and result, a period…
- 📐Polite turns: potser, si us plau + condicional (Podria repetir-ho?)The condicional is the future with another ending: the same stems as the futur, plus -ia: podria, voldria, agradaria.…
- 📐Nouns of the deed: cuiner, treball, -dor/-doraCatalan readily builds "nouns of the deed" from verbs, and does it three ways. First, the "doer" word: the verb changes…
- 📐Purpose and consequence: per tal de, així quePurpose after a verb of action is expressed by per tal de + infinitive — "in order to": Estudia per tal d'aprovar…
- 📐As if: com si + imperfectA comparison with what is really not so is built as com si + imperfecte de subjuntiu — "as if": Es comporta com si tot…
- 📐The passive: és considerat, ha estat traduïtThe passive in Catalan is built with ser + participle: És considerat el millor pintor del país — he is considered the…
- 📐Duration: portar + gerund"Portar + gerund" counts the time accumulated by the moment: Porto dos anys corrent — I have been running for two years…
- 📐Comparing measures: el doble de, la meitat de, tres vegades mésHow many times more is counted through "vegades": el doble de — twice as much, tres vegades més — three times more.…
- 📐Cause in health: a causa de, gràcies a, per culpa deA neutral cause is introduced through a causa de + noun — "because of": Va ingressar a l'hospital a causa d'una…
- 📐Wishes: que + subjuntiu — Que aprofiteixis!The Catalan wish is built like a little prayer: que + present de subjuntiu — "may": Que aprofiteixis! — enjoy your meal…
- 📐Reported words: Va dir que aniria, Demana que vinguemPassing on somebody's statement is simple: dir que + the needed tense — Va dir que aniria al metge — he said he would…
- 📐Probability and conclusion: pot ser que, segur que, per tant, o seaDoubt puts the subjunctive: pot ser que + subjuntiu — maybe: Pot ser que plogui, porta el paraigües. Confidence does…
- 📐Degrees of comparison: més ample que, el més estretThe comparative is built through més + adjective + que — "more… than": Aquest passadís és més ample que el de casa…
- 📐Spatial links: des de… fins a, cap aA stretch of path is set by a pair: des de… fins a — "from… to": Des de la finestra fins al balcó hi ha dos passos…
- 📐Counting and approximation: una desena de, uns vint, al menysAbout is counted through collectives: una desena de — about ten, una dotzena de — about twelve: after them an…
- 📐To begin and to finish: posar-se a + inf, acabar de + infThe beginning of an action — començar a / posar-se a + infinitive: Comença a ploure — it starts to rain, El nen es posa…
- 📐saber + infinitive / conèixer; Se'n sap res?Two "knows" split the work: saber — to know a fact or to know how: saber + infinitive — Sé nedar des dels cinc anys — I…
- 📐Duration: fa… que, durant, des de… finsHow long something has been going on, Catalan counts with the construction fa + term + que + present: Fa dos anys que…
- 📐Consequence: per això, de manera queThe consequence in a complex sentence is introduced by per això — "therefore": Han plantat arbres i per això ara hi fa…
- 📐The impersonal es: es fabrica, s'elaboraHow things are made is said without a concrete doer: es + verb in the 3rd person. En aquesta fàbrica es fabriquen…
- 📐Another's story: explica que…, segons…, suposadamentAnother's words are introduced by explicar que + ordinary tense: L'Anna explica que el tren va arribar tard — Anna…
- 📐Judging an act: estar bé/mal + infinitiveAn act is judged impersonally: estar bé + infinitive — "it is good to do", estar mal + infinitive — "it is bad": Està…
- 📐Ordinals beyond third and fractions: quart, la meitat, tres quartsOrdinals up to third you knew: primer, segon, tercer. Further the row changes its face: quart, and from the fifth — the…
- 📐The present for habits: Pago amb targeta, Compren pa cada diaA habitual action Catalan says in the present tense — no special forms: Pago amb targeta — I pay by card (always)…
- 📐Coming and going: anar a + infinitive, venir de + infinitiveMovement toward a deed says anar a + infinitive: Ara vaig a comprar pa — now I am going to buy bread (about to, and off…
- 📐Time through prepositions: a les, el dilluns, al generClock time is introduced by a les: a les vuit — at eight, a la una — at one (singular!): El tren surt a les tres. Half…
- 📐Reflexive verbs: em desperto, et rentesThe morning ritual Catalan says in reflexive verbs: the infinitive with -se, and before the verb — the pronoun: em…
- 📐Verbs of perception: veure, sentir, veure en somnisTo see — an irregular verb: veure conjugates with an inserted "g": veig, veus, veu, veiem, veieu, veuen. In the old…
- 📐Questions of measure: quant val? quanta feina?The question "how much" agrees like an adjective: quant — masculine, quanta — feminine, quants / quantes — plural…
- 📐Prepositions of place: dins de, damunt, sota, davant, darrereWhere things stand, Catalan says with five prepositions: dins de — inside, damunt (de) — on, sota (de) — under, davant…
- 📐Verbs of emotion + infinitive: estimo plorarAn emotion attaches the infinitive directly, without "de": estimo plorar — I love to cry (at films), odio madrugar — I…
- 📐Weather in forecasts: the impersonal and que + subjuntiuThe weather in Catalan is always impersonal: fa fred, plou, neva — there is no subject and none is needed. The past and…
- 📐Indirect questions: sé on és, no sé què dirA question hidden inside a statement loses its question mark but keeps the question word and the straight order: Sé on…
- 📐Verbs of motion and direction: conduir, arribar a, cap a, fins aMotion in Catalan has three masters. conduir — to drive a car: irregular, conduixo, condueixes, condueix — the stress…
- 📐Clothes on oneself: posar-se, treure's, estar posatClothes are put on reflexively: posar-se — "Em poso l'abric" — I put on the coat; treure's — "Treu-te la samarreta…
- 📐Where things stand: al fons, a la dreta, damunt de la taulaThe kitchen is described with military precision: who stands where. al fons — "at the back": the far end of the room…
- 📐Phone turns: "Està en Pau?" and "Passa-m'ho"To ask whether a person is "in" — through estar: "Està en Pau?" — is Pau available? "Està la Rosa?" — may I have Rosa?…
- 📐Kin in pairs: sogre/sogra, gendre/nora — and "els meus"Kin in Catalan walks in pairs by gender: el sogre and la sogra — father-in-law and mother-in-law, el gendre and la nora…
What is hard about Catalan and what comes for free
Hard: unstressed vowels are not pronounced the way they are spelled, and the apostrophe is compulsory: l'aigua.
Easy: you already read the alphabet, and a third of the vocabulary is transparent through English and French.
This is not a verdict on the language but a hint on where to spend effort. The hard parts are best taken a little at a time and often; the easy parts — left alone while they work by themselves.
Frequently asked
Is the grammar of Catalan complicated?
Unstressed vowels are not pronounced the way they are spelled, and the apostrophe is compulsory: l'aigua is the main difficulty. In return, you already read the alphabet, and a third of the vocabulary is transparent through English and French.
Should grammar be learned separately?
Not as a separate course. A rule learned before you need it is forgotten before you meet it. It is more useful to work it out at the moment you stumble over it.