Language/Catalan/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be
Hi Catalan learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on the verb "be" and its various uses in Catalan. Don't worry, we'll explain everything in detail! By the end of this lesson, you will know how to use "be" correctly, and you'll be one step closer to mastering Catalan!
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Before we dive into Catalan's complex grammar, let's take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this language. Catalan is spoken by over 9 million people, primarily in Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands. It is also spoken in the Roussillon region of France and the city of Alghero on the Italian island of Sardinia. The language has an incredibly rich cultural history, and it is known for its literature, art, and music.
Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: How to say "there is" in Catalan, Indefinite Articles in Catalan, Plural & Nominative Case in Catalan.
The Verb "Be"[edit | edit source]
The verb "be" is often used to describe a state of being or to express identity. It is used in many different tenses and moods, so let's take a look at some of the most common uses.
Present Tense[edit | edit source]
In present tense, "be" has two forms: "ser" and "estar". "Ser" is used to express permanent states or characteristics, while "estar" is used to express temporary states or conditions.
Here are some examples:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| sóc | [ˈsɔg] | I am (from "ser") |
| ets | [ˈɛts] | you are (singular informal, from "ser") |
| és | [ˈɛs] | he/she/it is (from "ser") |
| som | [ˈsom] | we are (from "ser") |
| sou | [ˈsɔw] | you are (plural informal, from "ser") |
| són | [ˈsɔn] | they are (from "ser") |
| estic | [əsˈtik] | I am (from "estar") |
| estàs | [əsˈta(z)] | you are (singular informal, from "estar") |
| està | [əsˈta] | he/she/it is (from "estar") |
| estem | [əsˈtɛm] | we are (from "estar") |
| esteu | [əsˈtɛw] | you are (plural informal, from "estar") |
| estan | [əsˈt(an)] | they are (from "estar") |
Here is an example dialogue:
- Person 1: Albert és alt. (Albert is tall.)
- Person 2: Sí, i també és intel·ligent. (Yes, and he is also intelligent.)
- Person 1: Com estàs? (How are you?)
- Person 2: Estic bé, gràcies. (I'm good, thanks.)
Imperfect Tense[edit | edit source]
The imperfect tense is used to describe actions or states in the past that are ongoing or habitual. In this tense, "be" is conjugated differently depending on whether it is "ser" or "estar".
Here are some examples:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| era | [ˈɛɾə] | I/he/she/it was (from "ser") |
| eres | [ˈɛɾəs] | you were (singular informal, from "ser") |
| érem | [ˈɛɾəm] | we were (from "ser") |
| éreu | [ˈɛɾəw] | you were (plural informal, from "ser") |
| eren | [ˈɛɾən] | they were (from "ser") |
| estava | [əsˈta(va)] | I/he/she/it was (from "estar") |
| estaves | [əsˈta(və)s] | you were (singular informal, from "estar") |
| estàvem | [əsˈta(v)əm] | we were (from "estar") |
| estàveu | [əsˈta(v)əw] | you were (plural informal, from "estar") |
| estaven | [əsˈta(v)ən] | they were (from "estar") |
Here is an example dialogue:
- Person 1: Abans, eres estudiant? (Before, were you a student?)
- Person 2: Sí, i sempre era molt ocupat. (Yes, and I was always very busy.)
Future Tense[edit | edit source]
The future tense is used to describe actions or states that will happen in the future. In this tense, "be" is conjugated the same way for both "ser" and "estar".
Here are some examples:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| seré | [səˈɾe] | I/he/she/it will be (from "ser") |
| seràs | [səˈɾas] | you will be (singular informal, from "ser") |
| serà | [səˈɾa] | he/she/it will be (from "ser") |
| serem | [səˈɾɛm] | we will be (from "ser") |
| sereu | [səˈɾew] | you will be (plural informal, from "ser") |
| seran | [səˈɾan] | they will be (from "ser") |
| estaré | [əsˈtaɾe] | I/he/she/it will be (from "estar") |
| estaràs | [əsˈtaɾas] | you will be (singular informal, from "estar") |
| estarà | [əsˈtaɾa] | he/she/it will be (from "estar") |
| estarem | [əsˈtaɾɛm] | we will be (from "estar") |
| estareu | [əsˈtaɾew] | you will be (plural informal, from "estar") |
| estaran | [əsˈtaɾan] | they will be (from "estar") |
Here is an example dialogue:
- Person 1: Què faràs aquest cap de setmana? (What will you do this weekend?)
- Person 2: Estaré a la platja. (I will be at the beach.)
Conditional Tense[edit | edit source]
The conditional tense is used to describe hypothetical or conditional situations. It is conjugated the same way for both "ser" and "estar".
Here are some examples:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| seria | [səˈɾiə] | I/he/she/it would be (from "ser") |
| series | [səˈɾiəs] | you would be (singular informal, from "ser") |
| seria | [səˈɾiə] | he/she/it would be (from "ser") |
| seríem | [səˈɾiəm] | we would be (from "ser") |
| serieu | [səˈɾiəw] | you would be (plural informal, from "ser") |
| serien | [səˈɾiən] | they would be (from "ser") |
| estaria | [əstəˈɾiə] | I/he/she/it would be (from "estar") |
| estaries | you would be (singular informal, from "estar") | |
| estaria | [əstəˈɾiə] | he/she/it would be (from "estar") |
| estaríem | [əstəˈɾiəm] | we would be (from "estar") |
| estariau | [əstəˈɾiəw] | you would be (plural informal, from "estar") |
| estarien | [əstəˈɾiən] | they would be (from "estar") |
Here is an example dialogue:
- Person 1: Si fossis una fruita, quina series? (If you were a fruit, what would you be?)
- Person 2: Estaria un platan. (I would be a banana.)
Subjunctive Tense[edit | edit source]
The subjunctive tense is used to describe a hypothetical or uncertain situation. It is conjugated differently from the other tenses and is often used after conjunctions such as "que".
Here are some examples:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| sigui | [ˈsiʒwi] | I/he/she/it is/was (from "ser") |
| siguis | [ˈsiʒwis] | you are/were (singular informal, from "ser") |
| sigui | [ˈsiʒwi] | he/she/it is/was (from "ser") |
| siguem | [ˈsiʒwəm] | we are/were (from "ser") |
| seguiu | [ˈsiʒwijw] | you are/were (plural informal, from "ser") |
| siguin | [ˈsiʒwin] | they are/were (from "ser") |
| estigui | [əstiˈɣwi] | I/he/she/it is/was (from "estar") |
| estiguis | [əstiˈɣwis] | you are/were (singular informal, from "estar") |
| estigui | [əstiˈɣwi] | he/she/it is/was (from "estar") |
| estiguem | [əstiˈɣwəm] | we are/were (from "estar") |
| esteu | [əsˈtew] | you are/were (plural informal, from "estar") |
| estiguin | [əstiˈɣwin] | they are/were (from "estar") |
Here is an example dialogue:
- Person 1: És important que siguem puntuals. (It's important that we're punctual.)
- Person 2: Sí, espero que estiguis aquí a les 5 en punt. (Yes, I hope you're here at 5 sharp.)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
That's it for this lesson on "be" in Catalan! We hope you found it helpful and informative. Remember, practice makes perfect, so try to use these verb conjugations in context as much as possible. To improve your skills even further, you can also use the Polyglot Club website to find native speakers and ask them any questions you may have! And don't forget to check out our Catalan Grammar page for more helpful lessons.
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Impressive work on finishing this lesson! Explore these additional pages to enhance your understanding: Ordinal Numbers in Catalan, Introduction to adjectives and adverbs in Catalan Grammar, Interrogative Words in Catalan & Introduction to prepositions.