LingoflyValencian grammar
Valencian grammar explained in plain words. No cases, and gender is visible in the ending. What is harder: the weak pronouns en and hi, a past tense built with an auxiliary (vaig anar) and the Valencian verb forms in -e.
Notes
- 📐ser and estar — two verbs "to be"English has one "to be". Valencian has two, and the choice is the first real skill.
- 📐Articles: el, la — and the apostropheEvery noun has a gender, and the article travels with it. Learn a word with its article: not "casa" but la casa.
- 📐The present tense: -ar, -re, -irAll regular verbs fall into three groups by the infinitive ending. Drop the ending and add your own, by person.
- 📐Question wordsThere are no upside-down ¿ marks here. The question opens with the word itself: què (what), com (how), on (where), quan…
- 📐agradar — "to please", not "to like"M'agrada la ciutat literally means "the city pleases me". The main word is la ciutat, not "I", and the verb follows it.
- 📐Negation: simply noThe negation stands before the verb, and nothing else changes. No és lluny — it is not far. No hi ha ningú — there is…
- 📐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 is literally…
- 📐Weather impersonally: fa, plou, hi haValencian "makes" the weather: fa fred, fa calor, fa sol, fa vent, fa bo. The impersonal form changes for nobody.
- The imperative📐The imperativeOn "tu" the command matches the third person of the present: parla! — speak!, menja! — eat! To several people…
- 📐Tomorrow: the future on -é, -às, -àThe future grows out of the verb itself: the ending goes on the whole word. agafar → agafaré — I will take. Then -às…
- 📐Object pronouns: el, la, ho, enA direct object becomes a pronoun BEFORE the verb: el veig — I see him, la compre — I buy it. The forms mirror the…
- 📐Collectives: la roba, el calçat, la gentMany words that are plural in English stay singular here: 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 pena📐Must, can, is worth: cal, haver de, poder, val la penaCal + infinitive — the impersonal "one must": cal pagar abans de sortir — one must pay before leaving. "Cal" has no…
- 📐Demonstratives: aquest, aqueix, aquell — and "ho" for what was saidThree degrees of distance. Aquest/aquesta (in speech more often este/esta) — this, near me: aquest telèfon.…
- 📐Adverbs of manner: ràpidament, bé, malament, 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 with que plus subjuntiu, the form for what is not yet real: Que faça bon temps! — may the weather be…
- 📐"One's own": possessives and propiThe possessive stands before the noun and takes an article: el meu germà (my brother), la meua germana (my sister).…
- Cause: perquè, ja que📐Cause: perquè, ja queA cause is joined by the conjunction perquè — "because": Estudie perquè vull treballar. After "perquè" the verb keeps…
- 📐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, així queTime is joined by the conjunction quan — "when". If the action is still ahead, the clause takes subjuntiu, the form for…
- 📐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, the phrase runs through es + verb in the 3rd person: Ací es parla valencià. Who speaks…
- 📐Purpose: per + infinitive, per tal dePurpose answers "what for?" It is introduced by per plus the plain verb. Vaig allà per veure el mar — I go there to see…
- 📐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 means "although, despite": the fact is admitted, the conclusion does not change. Encara que plus an ordinary…
- 📐Opinion: crec que és — no crec que sigaOpinion 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 by a linking word. The general case — que: el llibre que llig — the book I read. To…
- 📐Comparing whole groups: tant… com, més… del que…Not only qualities can be compared, but whole groups: people, deeds, whole thoughts.
- 📐Feeling + subjuntiu: Em fa ràbia que…, Tinc por que…When the main part carries a feeling — joy, fear, anger, shame — the verb after "que" changes form. You are not…
- 📐Measures and portions: un tros de, una llesca de, mig quilo deFood is measured in pieces, slices and weight. A piece — un tros de: un tros de pa, un tros de pastís. A flat slice…
- 📐How and where from in clauses: com, d'onLinking words join not only things, but manner and origin too. Com — "how": Fes-ho com t'he dit — do it as I told you.
- 📐When the doer is not named: es repara, es pot canviarWhen the doer does not matter, Valencian puts es and the verb in the third person: Ací es reparen rentaplats. One thing…
- 📐Simple future and the anar a trap: parlaré, plouràThe future is one, simple: a tail is added to the verb — -ré, -ràs, -rà, -rem, -reu, -ran — parlaré, plourà, anirem. It…
- 📐The imperative in directions: Gireu, Agafe, Seguiu tot recteDirections in the street and in recipes are given as commands, and the form depends on whom you address.
- 📐Step by step: aprenent, estudiant, Vaig aprenentThe form in -ant / -ent answers "how?" Verbs in "-ar" give "-ant": estudiant — studying. The rest give "-ent" or…
- 📐The past in a biography: he viscut vs vaig viureTwo past tenses work side by side in a life story. The first is he, has, ha plus a form like viscut: experience, and…
- 📐Polite turns: potser, si us plau + condicional (Podria repetir-ho?)Condicional is the future with another ending: the same stems, plus -ia — podria, voldria, agradaria. It is not about…
- 📐Nouns of the deed: cuiner, treball, -dor/-doraA name grows out of a verb here, and there are three paths.
- 📐Purpose and consequence: per tal de, així quePurpose after a verb of action takes per tal de plus the verb — "in order to". Estudia per tal d'aprovar l'examen.
- 📐As if: com si + anés, fosA comparison with what is not so takes com si plus a special form. Es comporta com si tot anés bé. He behaves as if all…
- 📐Without naming the doer: és considerat, ha estat traduïtValencian can speak of a deed without naming the doer: ser plus a form like considerat. És considerat el millor pintor…
- 📐Duration: Porte dos anys correntPorte dos anys corrent — I have been running for two years now. Literally "I carry two years running": the deed began…
- 📐Comparing measures: el doble de, la meitat de, tres vegades mésHow many times more is counted with 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 comes through a causa de plus a noun: Va ingressar a l'hospital a causa d'una infecció.
- 📐Wishes: que + subjuntiu — Que aprofite!The Valencian wish is built like a small prayer: que plus present de subjuntiu, the form for what is not yet real.
- 📐Reported words: Va dir que aniria, Demana que vinguemSomebody's statement is passed on with dir que plus the tense needed. Va dir que aniria al metge — he said he would go…
- 📐Probability and conclusion: pot ser que, segur que, per tant, és a dirDoubt asks for a special form: pot ser que plus subjuntiu, the form for what is not yet real. Pot ser que ploga, porta…
- 📐Degrees of comparison: més ample que, el més estretComparison runs through més plus the quality plus que — "more… than": Aquest passadís és més ample que el de casa.
- 📐Spatial links: des de… fins a, cap aThe pair des de… fins a sets a stretch of path — "from… to". Des de la finestra fins al balcó hi ha dos passos.
- 📐Counting and approximation: una desena de, uns vint, almenysAbout ten is counted with a collective: una desena de — some ten, una dotzena de — some twelve.
- 📐To begin and to finish: posar-se a + inf, acabar de + infThe start of an action — començar a or posar-se a plus the verb: Comença a ploure — it starts to rain.
- 📐saber + infinitive / conèixer; Se'n sap res?Two verbs for "know" divide the work. Saber — to know a fact or to be able. Sé nedar des dels cinc anys — I can swim…
- 📐Duration: fa… que, durant, des de… finsFa + term + que with the present counts how long something has gone on. Fa dos anys que visc ací — two years now I have…
- 📐Consequence: per això, de manera queConsequence is introduced by per això — "therefore": Han plantat arbres i per això ara hi fa ombra.
- 📐The impersonal es: es fabrica, s'elaboraHow things are made is said without a concrete doer: es + verb in the third person. En aquesta fàbrica es fabriquen…
- 📐Another's story: explica que…, segons…, suposadamentSomebody else's words are introduced by explicar que. Anna explica que el tren va arribar tard — Anna says the train…
- 📐Judging an act: estar bé/malament + infinitiveAn act is judged with no person named. Estar bé plus the verb — "it is good to do", estar malament — "it is bad".
- 📐Ordinals beyond third and fractions: quart, la meitat, tres quartsOrdinals up to third are simple: primer, segon, tercer. Then comes quart, and from the fifth the stress moves to the…
- 📐The present for habits: Pague amb targeta, Compren pa cada diaA habitual action is said in the present tense, with no special forms: Pague amb targeta — I pay by card, always.
- 📐Coming and going: anar a + infinitive, acabar de + infinitiveMovement toward a deed takes anar a plus the verb. Ara vaig a comprar pa — now I am off to buy bread.
- 📐Time through prepositions: a les, el dilluns, al generClock time is introduced by a les: a les huit — at eight. One o'clock is singular: a la una.
- 📐Reflexive verbs: em desperte, et rentesThe morning ritual is told in reflexive verbs: the pronoun goes before the verb. em desperte — I wake up, et rentes…
- 📐Verbs of perception: veure, sentir, veure en somnisTo see is an irregular verb: veure takes an inserted "g": veig, veus, veu, veiem, veieu, veuen.
- 📐Questions of measure: quant val? quanta feina?The question "how much" agrees like an adjective: quant and quanta, quants and quantes.
- 📐Prepositions of place: dins de, damunt, sota, davant, darrereWhere a thing stands is said with five prepositions. Dins de — inside, damunt (de) — on, sota (de) — under. Davant (de)…
- 📐Verbs of emotion + infinitive: m'encanta plorarA feeling hooks the verb straight on, with no preposition: m'encanta plorar — I love to cry. Odie matinejar — I hate…
- 📐Weather in forecasts: the impersonal and que + subjuntiuThe weather does without a doer: fa fred, plou, neva.
- 📐Indirect questions: sé on és, no sé què dirA question inside a statement loses the question mark but keeps the question word and the straight order.
- 📐Verbs of motion and direction: conduir, arribar a, cap a, fins aMotion here has three masters. Conduir — to drive a car, conjugated with -isc: conduïsc, conduïxes, conduïx. Conduïxes…
- 📐Clothes on oneself: posar-se, treure's, estar posatClothes are put on oneself: posar-se — Em pose l'abric, I put on the coat. Treure's — Treu-te la samarreta bruta, take…
- 📐Where things stand: al fons, a la dreta, damunt de la taulaA kitchen is described exactly: who stands where. Al fons — "at the back": La sucrera és al fons, al costat de la…
- 📐Phone turns: "Està Pau?" and "Passa-m'ho"To ask whether a person is in, estar helps: Està Pau? — can Pau come to the phone? Està Rosa? — may I have Rosa?
- 📐Kin in pairs: sogre/sogra, gendre/nora — and "els meus"Kin walks in pairs by gender: el sogre — father-in-law, la sogra — mother-in-law, el gendre — son-in-law, la nora…
What works differently from what you know
“I speak” in Valencian is parle, with an “e”, not parlo: the first-person ending is the best-known mark of the norm. The final “-r” is sounded here too: “cantar” is heard in full, to the very end.
Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua, «Gramàtica normativa valenciana», Valencia, 2006
What is hard about Valencian and what comes for free
Hard: the weak pronouns en and hi, a past tense built with an auxiliary (vaig anar) and the Valencian verb forms in -e.
Easy: no cases, and gender is visible in the ending.
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 Valencian complicated?
The weak pronouns en and hi, a past tense built with an auxiliary (vaig anar) and the Valencian verb forms in -e is the main difficulty. In return, no cases, and gender is visible in the ending.
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.