Language/Catalan/Grammar/Pronouns

Catalan Grammar - Pronouns

Hi Catalan learners! 😊
In today's lesson, we will be discussing one of the most important elements of Catalan grammar: pronouns. Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns in a sentence. They are an essential part of communication and can help make our language more concise and efficient.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: How to say "there is" in Catalan, Indefinite Articles in Catalan, Locative Case in Catalan & Comparatives and Superlatives.

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are used to indicate the subject of a sentence. In Catalan, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb conjugation already indicates the subject. However, they can still be used for emphasis or clarity.

Here is a table of the subject pronouns in Catalan:

Catalan subject pronouns	English equivalent
jo	I
tu	you (singular)
ell/ella	he/she/it
nosaltres	we
vosaltres	you (plural)
ells/elles	they

Notice that the Catalan subject pronouns have different forms for singular and plural subjects.

Object Pronouns

Object pronouns are used to indicate the object of a sentence. In Catalan, object pronouns can come before or after the verb, depending on the sentence structure. Here is a table of the object pronouns in Catalan:

Catalan object pronouns	English equivalent
em	me
et	you (singular, informal)
el/la	him/her/it
ens	us
us	you (plural)
els/les	them

Notice that the object pronouns also have different forms for singular and plural objects, and that they have different forms depending on the gender of the object.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used to indicate possession or ownership. In Catalan, possessive pronouns agree with the gender and number of the noun they are referring to. Here is a table of the possessive pronouns in Catalan:

Catalan possessive pronouns	English equivalent
el meu/la meva	my (singular, masculine/feminine)
el teu/la teva	your (singular, masculine/feminine)
el seu/la seva	his/her/its/your (formal, singular, masculine/feminine)
el nostre/la nostra	our (masculine/feminine)
el vostre/la vostra	your (masculine/feminine)
el seu/la seva	their/your (formal, plural, masculine/feminine)

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to indicate which noun is being referred to. In Catalan, the demonstrative pronouns also agree with the gender and number of the noun. Here is a table of the demonstrative pronouns in Catalan:

Catalan demonstrative pronouns	English equivalent
aquest/aquesta	this (masculine/feminine)
aquell/aquella	that (masculine/feminine)
això	this/that (neuter)
aquests/aquestes	these (masculine/feminine)
aquells/aquelles	those (masculine/feminine)

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are used to indicate that the subject and the object of the sentence are the same. In Catalan, reflexive pronouns are formed by adding "se" to the end of the object pronoun. Here is a table of the reflexive pronouns in Catalan:

Catalan reflexive pronouns	English equivalent
em	myself
et	yourself (singular, informal)
es	himself/herself/itself/yourself (formal, singular)
ens	ourselves
us	yourselves (plural)
es	themselves/yourselves (formal, plural)

Remember that reflexive pronouns are only used when the subject and object are the same.

Examples

ENGLISH	CATALAN
WITH ME	AMB MI
WITH YOU	AMB VOSTÈ
WITH HIM	AMB ELL
WITH HER	AMB ELLA
WITH US	AMB NOSALTRES
WITH YOU (PLUR)	AMB VOSALTRES
WITH THEM	AMB ELLES

ENGLISH	CATALAN
YOU SEE ME	VOSTÈ EM VEU
I SEE YOU	JO ET VEIG
I SEE HIM	JO EL VEIG
I SEE HER	JO LA VEIG
THEY SEE US	ELLS ENS VEIEN
THEY SEE YOU (PLUR)	ELLS US VEIEN
I SEE THEM	JO ELS VEIG

Conclusion

Pronouns are an important part of Catalan grammar, and mastering them will help you communicate more effectively in both spoken and written Catalan. Remember to pay attention to the gender and number of the noun that the pronoun refers to, and practice using them in your own sentences.

Other Lessons

• Indefinite Articles in Catalan
• Questions
• Interrogative Words in Catalan
• Genitive Case in Catalan
• Gender
• Locative Case in Catalan
• Nouns
• Possessive Case in Catalan
• Accusative Case in Catalan
• Conditional Mood