If you're trying to learn Catalan Verbs which is also called Català, check our courses about Verbs in the present past and future tense... to help you with your Catalan grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Catalan. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Catalan Verbs displayed below is vital to the language. Catalan verbs are words that convey action (bring, read, walk, run), or a state of being (exist, stand). In most languages a verb may agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments, such as its subject, or object.
Verbs in Catalan are organised in 3 types of conjugation depending on the ending of the infinitive form:
1st conjugation: -ar (e.g.: cantar, to sing)
2nd conjugation: -er or –re (e.g.: perdre, to lose)
3rd conjugation: ir (e.g.: servir, to serve, and sentir, to hear, to feel)
- Present Tense
In Catalan, verbs take the following endings, with variations according to the conjugation, to form the present tense:
jo -o, tu -s, ell/a ø, nosaltres -m, vosaltres -u, ells/es -en. Example:
|
1st conjugation (jo) canto (tu) cantes (ell/a) canta (nosaltres) cantem (vosaltres) canteu (ells/es) canten |
2nd conjugation (jo) perdo (tu) perds (ell/a) perd (nosaltres) perdem (vosaltres) perdeu (ells/es) perden |
3rd conjugation –a (jo) serveixo (tu) serveixes (ell/a) serveix (nosaltres) servim (vosaltres) serviu (ells/es) serveixen |
3rd conjugation –b (jo) sento (tu) sents (ell/a) sent (nosaltres) sentim (vosaltres) sentiu (ells/es) senten |
As you can see, the verbs in the 3rd conjugation –a, which are the most common type in the 3rd conjugation, add –eix– to their 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 3rd plural persons.
These endings can help you a lot, because, once you know the conjugation of the verb, they will allow you to conjugate most of verbs into the present tense.
- Past Tense
In Catalan as well as in English the past tense is used to describe past events. There are three main kinds of past tense: the imperfect tense, the preterite tense and the present perfect tense. The imperfect tense is used to describe actions that started in the past and might not have finished, descriptions in the past, relatively long actions or habits. The preterite tense is used to describe actions that have already finished. Finally, the present perfect tense is used to describe actions that started in the past and last until the present or that have finished in a period that has not finished yet (today, this week, this month, this year).
Imperfect tense:
|
1st conjugation (jo) cantava (tu) cantaves (ell/a) cantava (nosaltres) cantàvem (vosaltres) cantàveu (ells/es) cantaven |
2nd conjugation (jo) perdia (tu) perdies (ell/a) perdia (nosaltres) perdíem (vosaltres) perdíeu (ells/es) perdien |
3rd conjugation –a and -b (jo) servia (tu) servies (ell/a) servia (nosaltres) servíem (vosaltres) servíeu (ells/es) servien |
Example: Quan era petit, cantava en una coral (As a little boy, I used to sing in a choir).
Preterite tense:
Although there are two kinds of preterite tense in Catalan, the simple and the periphrastic tense, the simple tense is mainly only used in highly formal or literary texts. The periphrastic tense, which is considered standard, is built with an auxiliary form of the present of the verb anar (to go) and the infinitive of the verb. In this case, there is no difference in the conjugations. E.g.:
(jo) vaig cantar
(tu) vas/vares cantar
(ell/a) va cantar
(nosaltres) vam/vàrem cantar
(vosaltres) vau/vàreu cantar
(ells/es) van/varen cantar
Example: Fa tres dies, el Barça va perdre contra el Madrid (Three days ago, FC Barcelona lost against Real Madrid).
Present perfect:
The present perfect is built with a specific form of the present of the auxiliary verb haver and the past participle of the verb. In this case, too, there is no difference in the conjugations. E.g.:
(jo) he cantat
(tu) has cantat
(ell/a) ha cantat
(nosaltres) hem cantat
(vosaltres) heu cantat
(ells/es) han cantat
Example: Avui m’he llevat a les 6 (I got up at 6 today).
- Future Tense
Forming the future in Catalan is very easy, just use the whole infinitive verb plus these following ending: jo -é, tu -às, ell/a -à, nosaltres -em, vosaltres -eu, ells/es –an. E.g.:
(jo) cantaré
(tu) cantaràs
(ell/a) cantarà
(nosaltres) cantarem
(vosaltres) cantareu
(ells/es) cantaran
In the case of verbs from the 2nd conjugation ending in –re, you just need to add the same endings and omit the last vowel. Example:
(jo) perdré
(tu) perdràs
(ell/a) perdrà
(nosaltres) perdrem
(vosaltres) perdreu
(ells/es) perdran
This means that, in general, you don’t have to worry about the stem of a verb, just take it as an infinitive and add the future endings to it.
Here are some examples:
| English Verbs | Catalan Verbs |
|---|---|
| Verbs | Verbs |
| Past | Passat |
| I spoke | jo parlava |
| I wrote | jo escrivia |
| I drove | jo conduïa |
| I loved | jo estimava |
| I gave | jo donava |
| I smiled | jo somreia |
| I took | jo prenia |
| he spoke | ell parlava |
| he wrote | ell escrivia |
| he drove | ell conduïa |
| he loved | ell estimava |
| he gave | ell donava |
| he smiled | ell somreia |
| he took | ell prenia |
| we spoke | nosaltres parlavem |
| we wrote | nosaltres escrivíem |
| we drove | nosaltres conduíem |
| we loved | nosaltres estimavem |
| we gave | nosaltres donavem |
| we smiled | nosaltres somrèiem |
| we took | nosaltres preníem |
| Future | Futur |
| I will speak | jo parlaré |
| I will write | jo escriuré |
| I will drive | jo conduiré |
| I will love | Estimaré |
| I will give | Donaré |
| I will smile | jo somriuré |
| I will take | Prendré |
| he will speak | ell parlarà |
| he will write | ell escriurà |
| he will drive | ell conduirà |
| he will love | ell estimarà |
| he will give | ell donarà |
| he will smile | ell somriurà |
| he will take | ell prendrà |
| we will speak | nosaltres parlarem |
| we will write | nosaltres escriurem |
| we will drive | nosaltres conduirem |
| we will love | nosaltres estimarem |
| we will give | nosaltres donarem |
| we will smile | nosaltres somriurem |
| we will take | nosaltres prendrem |
| Present | Present |
| I speak | jo parlo |
| I write | jo escric |
| I drive | jo condueixo |
| I love | jo estimo |
| I give | jo dono |
| I smile | jo somric |
| I take | jo prenc |
| he speaks | ell parla |
| he writes | ell escriu |
| he drives | ell condueix |
| he loves | ell estima |
| he gives | ell dóna |
| he smiles | ell somriu |
| he takes | ell pren |
| we speak | nosaltres parlem |
| we write | nosaltres escrivim |
| we drive | nosaltres conduïm |
| we love | nosaltres estimem |
| we give | nosaltres donem |
| we smile | nosaltres somriem |
| we take | nosaltres prenem |
Notice the structure of the Verbs in Catalan.
Below is a list of the conjugated Verbs in the present past and future in Catalan placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Catalan vocabulary.
| English Verbs | Catalan Verbs |
|---|---|
| I can accept that | (jo) puc acceptar això/puc acceptar-ho |
| she added it | (ella) va afegir-ho |
| we admit it | (nosaltres) ho admetem |
| they advised him | (ells) el van avisar |
| I can agree with that | (jo) puc estar d'acord amb això/estar-hi d'acord |
| she allows it | ella ho permet |
| we announce it | (nosaltres) ho anunciem |
| I can apologize | Jo puc demanar disculpes |
| she appears today | (ella) apareix avui |
| they arranged that | (ells) van (varen) disposar que/disposar-ho/disposar això |
| I can arrive tomorrow | Puc arribar demà |
| she can ask him | ella pot demanar-li |
| she attaches that | (ella) destaca que/això/ho destaca |
| we attack them | (nosaltres) els ataquem |
| they avoid her | (ells) la eviten |
| I can bake it | (jo) ho puc fornejar |
| she is like him | ella és com ell |
| we beat it | (nosaltres) ho batem |
| they became happy | (ells) van (varen) ser feliços |
| I can begin that | (jo) ho puc començar/puc començar-ho/puc començar això |
| we borrowed money | (nosaltres) vam (vàrem) prestar diners |
| they breathe air | (ells) respiren aire |
| I can bring it | (jo) ho puc portar/puc portar-ho |
| I can build that | (jo) ho puc construir/puc construir-ho/construir això |
| she buys food | (ella ) compra aliments |
| we calculate it | (nosaltres) ho calculem |
| they carry it | (ells) ho porten |
| they don't cheat | (ells) no fan trampes |
| she chooses him | (ella) el tria |
| we close it | (nosaltres) ho tanquem |
| he comes here | (ell) ve aquí |
| I can compare that | (jo) puc comparar-ho/això/ho puc comparar |
| she competes with me | (ella) competeix amb mi |
| we complain about it | (nosaltres) ens en queixem |
| they continued reading | (ells) van (varen) continuant llegint |
| he cried about that | (ell) en va plorar |
| I can decide now | Jo puc decidir ara |
| she described it to me | ella m'ho va descriure |
| we disagree about it | no estem d'acord en això |
| they disappeared quickly | van desaparèixer ràpidament |
| I discovered that | Vaig descobrir que |
| she dislikes that | no li agrada que |
| we do it | ho fem |
| they dream about it | (ells) en somien |
| I earned | Vaig obtenir |
| he eats a lot | (ell) menja molt |
| we enjoyed that | (nosaltres) en vam (vàrem) gaudir |
| they entered here | (ells) van (varen) entrar aquí |
| he escaped that | (ell) s'en va escapar |
| I can explain that | (jo) ho puc explicar/explicar-ho/això |
| she feels that too | (ella) també ho sent |
| we fled from there | (nosaltres) vam (vàrem) fugir d'allà |
| they will fly tomorrow | volaran demà |
| I can follow you | (jo) et (el) (us) puc seguir |
| she forgot me | ella em va oblidar |
| we forgive him | el perdonem |
| I can give her that | (jo) li puc donar això/puc donar-li/puc donar-l'hi |
| she goes there | (ella) hi va |
| we greeted them | (nosaltres) els vam (vàrem) saludar/acollir/rebre |
| I hate that | (jo) ho odio/odio això |
| I can hear it | (jo) ho puc escoltar (sentir)/puc escoltar-ho(sentir-ho) |
| she imagine that | (ella) s'imagina això/s'ho imagina |
| we invited them | (nosaltres) els vam (vàrem) convidar |
| I know him | Jo el conec |
| she learned it | (ella) ho va aprendre |
| we leave now | (nosaltres) marxem ara |
| they lied about him | (ells) van (varen) mentir sobre ell |
| I can listen to that | (jo) puc escoltar(sentir)-ho/escoltar(sentir) això |
| she lost that | (ella) ho va perdre/va perdre-ho/va perdre això |
| we made it yesterday | (nosaltres) ho vam fer ahir |
| they met him | es van trobar amb ell |
| I misspell that | (jo) ho lletrejo malament/lletrejo malament això |
| I always pray | Sempre reso |
| she prefers that | (ella) ho prefereix/prefereix això |
| we protected them | (nosaltres) els protegiem |
| they will punish her | (ells) la castigaran |
| I can put it there | (jo) ho puc posar(col·locar) allà/puc posar-ho/col·locar-ho |
| she will read it | (ella) ho llegirà |
| we received that | (nosaltres) ho hem rebut/hem rebut això |
| they refuse to talk | es neguen a parlar |
| I remember that | (jo) ho recordo/recordo això |
| she repeats that | (ella) ho reitera(repeteix)/reitera(repeteix) això |
| we see it | ho veiem |
| they sell it | (ells) ho venen |
| I sent that yesterday | (jo) ho vaig enviar ahir/vaig enviar-ho ahir/vaig enviar això ahir |
| he shaved his beard | es va afaitar la barba |
| it shrunk quickly | es va reduir ràpidament |
| we will sing it | (nosaltres) ho cantarem |
| they sat there | (ells) van (varen) seure allà |
| I can speak it | (jo) puc parlar-ho |
| she spends money | es gasta els diners |
| we suffered from that | (nosaltres) ho hem patit |
| they suggest that | suggereixen que |
| I surprised him | (jo) el vaig sorprendre |
| she took that | (ella) va agafar-ho/ho va agafar/va agagar això |
| we teach it | (nosaltres) ho ensenyem |
| they told us | ens van dir |
| she thanked him | (ella) li va agraïr (a ell) |
| I can think about it | Puc pensar-hi |
| she threw it | (ella) ho va llançar |
| we understand that | (nosaltres) ho entenem |
| they want that | (ells) ho volen/volen això |
| I can wear it | (jo) puc vestir-ho/portar-ho/ho puc vestir/ho puc portar |
| she writes that | (ella) ho escriu/escriu això |
| we talk about it | (nosaltres) en parlem |
| they have it | (ells) ho tenen |
| I watched it | (jo) ho vaig veure |
| I will talk about it | (jo) en parlaré |
| he bought that yesterday | (ell) ho va comprar ahir/va comprar-ho ahir/va comprar això ahir |
| we finished it | (nosaltres) ho vam(vàrem) acabar/vam(vàrem)acabar-ho |
Verbs in the present past and future tense have a very important role in Catalan. Once you're done with the Català Verbs, you might want to check the rest of our Catalan lessons here: Learn Catalan. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
Menu: | |||
The links above are only a small sample of our lessons, please open the left side menu to see all links.