The imperative in directions: Gireu, Agafi, Seguiu tot rect
Directions in the street, in recipes and in manuals are given in the imperative, and the form depends on whom you address. To friends — vosaltres: Gireu a la dreta — turn right; Seguiu tot rect — go straight. To a stranger, a tourist, a client — the polite vostè, whose form coincides with the subjunctive: Agafi el carrer Major — take Carrer Major; Segueixi tot rect fins al final. For example: “Gireu a la dreta a…
How it works
Directions in the street, in recipes and in manuals are given in the imperative, and the form depends on whom you address. To friends — vosaltres: Gireu a la dreta — turn right; Seguiu tot rect — go straight. To a stranger, a tourist, a client — the polite vostè, whose form coincides with the subjunctive: Agafi el carrer Major — take Carrer Major; Segueixi tot rect fins al final.
There is no negative imperative in Catalan: the ban is built as no + subjuntiu — No gireu ací — do not turn here; No agafi l'autopista — do not take the motorway. One more mark of directions: the verb often comes at the head of the phrase, and the direction right after it: giri a l'esquerra, seguiu tot rect, creui el pont.
Table
| to whom | form | example |
|---|---|---|
| tu (a friend) | gira, agafa, segueix | gira a la dreta |
| vosaltres (your own) | gireu, agafeu, seguiu | seguiu tot rect |
| vostè (a stranger) | giri, agafi, segueixi | agafi el carrer Major |
| the ban | no + subjuntiu | no gireu ací |
By example
- Gireu a la dreta a l'encreuament i seguiu tot rectTurn right at the crossroads and go straight
- Agafi la segona cantonada: el museu és davantTake the second corner: the museum is opposite
- No agafi l'autopista: hi ha obresDo not take the motorway: there are roadworks there
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
The imperative in directions: how does it work in Valencian?
Directions in the street, in recipes and in manuals are given in the imperative, and the form depends on whom you address. To friends — vosaltres: Gireu a la dreta — turn right; Seguiu tot rect — go straight. To a stranger, a tourist, a client — the polite vostè, whose form coincides with the…
What does it look like in an example sentence Valencian?
“Gireu a la dreta a l'encreuament i seguiu tot rect” — Turn right at the crossroads and go straight. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.