Language/Catalan/Grammar/Subjunctive-mood
Welcome to today's lesson on the subjunctive mood in Catalan! Whether you're dreaming of a vacation in beautiful Barcelona or simply wishing to express your thoughts in a more nuanced way, understanding the subjunctive is key to mastering the language.
The subjunctive mood is often seen as one of the more mysterious and challenging aspects of many languages, including Catalan. It's used to express desires, doubts, the unknown, or hypothetical situations. In essence, if you're talking about something that isn't necessarily real but could be, you're likely using the subjunctive.
In this lesson, we will cover:
- What the subjunctive mood is and when to use it
- How to conjugate regular and irregular verbs in the subjunctive
- Common uses of the subjunctive in sentences
- A variety of examples to illustrate these concepts
- Exercises to practice what you’ve learned
By the end of this lesson, you'll feel more comfortable using the subjunctive mood in your conversations and writing. So, let's dive in!
What is the Subjunctive Mood?[edit | edit source]
The subjunctive mood is a grammatical mood used to express various states of unreality such as wishes, emotions, possibilities, and hypothetical situations. In Catalan, as in many languages, the subjunctive is essential for conveying subtleties in meaning.
When do we use the subjunctive mood?
Here are some common scenarios where you would use the subjunctive:
- Expressing wishes or desires
- Stating doubts or uncertainty
- Hypothetical situations
- Recommendations or suggestions
Let's look at some examples to illustrate these uses!
Examples of the Subjunctive Mood[edit | edit source]
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Espero que vinguis | ɛsˈpeɾu ke ˈbiŋɡis | I hope you come |
| Voldria que em truquessis | vulˈdɾiə ke əm truˈke.sis | I would like you to call me |
| És possible que plogui | ɛs puˈsi.ble ke ˈplɔɡi | It’s possible it will rain |
| Si tingués temps, viatjaria | si tiŋˈɡes ˈtemps, βiətʃəˈɾi.ə | If I had time, I would travel |
| M’agradaria que vinguessis | məɡɾəðəˈɾiə ke viŋˈɡes.is | I would like you to come |
| Dubto que ho sàpigues | ˈduβtu ke u ˈsapiɡes | I doubt that you know it |
| Ojalà pugui venir | oʒaˈla ˈpuɡi veˈniɾ | Hopefully, I can come |
| Si pogués, ho faria | si puˈɡes, u faˈɾiə | If I could, I would do it |
| No crec que sigui necessari | nu ˈkɾɛk ke ˈsiɡi nɛsəˈsaɾi | I don’t think it is necessary |
| És millor que no ho facis | ɛs miˈʎɔɾ ke nu u ˈfa.sis | It’s better that you don’t do it |
Conjugation of Regular Verbs in the Subjunctive Mood[edit | edit source]
In Catalan, the subjunctive mood has its own set of conjugations. Regular verbs typically follow a specific pattern. Let's take a look at the endings for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in the present subjunctive.
- For -ar verbs, the endings are:
- -i
- -is
- -i
- -em
- -eu
- -in
- For -er verbs, the endings are:
- -i
- -is
- -i
- -im
- -iu
- -in
- For -ir verbs, the endings are identical to -er verbs.
Let's see some examples of these conjugations:
| Verb | Catalan (Subjunctive) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parlar (to speak) | parli | ˈpaɾli | I speak |
| Parlar (to speak) | parlis | ˈpaɾlis | You speak |
| Parlar (to speak) | parli | ˈpaɾli | He/She speaks |
| Parlar (to speak) | parlem | pəɾˈlɛm | We speak |
| Parlar (to speak) | parleu | pəɾˈleu | You (plural) speak |
| Parlar (to speak) | parlin | ˈpaɾlin | They speak |
| Menjar (to eat) | mengi | ˈmɛŋʒi | I eat |
| Menjar (to eat) | mengis | ˈmɛŋʒis | You eat |
| Menjar (to eat) | mengi | ˈmɛŋʒi | He/She eats |
| Menjar (to eat) | mengem | mɛnˈʒɛm | We eat |
| Menjar (to eat) | mengeu | mɛnˈʒeu | You (plural) eat |
| Menjar (to eat) | mengin | mɛnˈɡin | They eat |
| Escriure (to write) | escrigui | ɛsˈkɾiɡi | I write |
| Escriure (to write) | escriguis | ɛsˈkɾiɡis | You write |
| Escriure (to write) | escrigui | ɛsˈkɾiɡi | He/She writes |
| Escriure (to write) | escriguem | ɛsˈkɾiɡɛm | We write |
| Escriure (to write) | escrigueu | ɛsˈkɾiɡeu | You (plural) write |
| Escriure (to write) | escriguin | ɛsˈkɾiɡin | They write |
Common Irregular Verbs in the Subjunctive Mood[edit | edit source]
While regular verbs follow predictable patterns, some verbs in Catalan are irregular in the subjunctive mood. Here are some of the most common irregular verbs:
| Verb | Catalan (Subjunctive) | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ser (to be) | sigui | ˈsiɡi | I am |
| Ser (to be) | siguis | ˈsiɡis | You are |
| Ser (to be) | sigui | ˈsiɡi | He/She is |
| Ser (to be) | siguem | siˈɡɛm | We are |
| Ser (to be) | sigueu | siˈɡeu | You (plural) are |
| Ser (to be) | siguin | ˈsiɡin | They are |
| Anar (to go) | vagi | ˈβaʒi | I go |
| Anar (to go) | vagis | ˈβaɡis | You go |
| Anar (to go) | vagi | ˈβaʒi | He/She goes |
| Anar (to go) | anem | əˈnɛm | We go |
| Anar (to go) | aneu | əˈne.u | You (plural) go |
| Anar (to go) | vagin | ˈvaɡin | They go |
| Tenir (to have) | tingui | tiŋˈɡi | I have |
| Tenir (to have) | tinguis | tiŋˈɡis | You have |
| Tenir (to have) | tingui | tiŋˈɡi | He/She has |
| Tenir (to have) | tinguem | tiŋˈɡɛm | We have |
| Tenir (to have) | tingueu | tiŋˈɡeu | You (plural) have |
| Tenir (to have) | tinguin | tiŋˈɡin | They have |
| Fer (to do/make) | faci | ˈfasi | I do/make |
| Fer (to do/make) | facis | ˈfasis | You do/make |
| Fer (to do/make) | faci | ˈfasi | He/She does/makes |
| Fer (to do/make) | fem | fɛm | We do/make |
| Fer (to do/make) | feu | fɛu | You (plural) do/make |
| Fer (to do/make) | facin | ˈfɑsin | They do/make |
Common Expressions with the Subjunctive Mood[edit | edit source]
The subjunctive mood is also often triggered by certain expressions and conjunctions. Below are some common expressions that typically require the subjunctive:
- Espero que (I hope that)
- És important que (It is important that)
- M'agradaria que (I would like that)
- Si fos possible (If it were possible)
- Ojalà (Hopefully)
- És millor que (It is better that)
- Dubto que (I doubt that)
Let’s see these in action through examples:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Espero que vinguis | ɛsˈpeɾu ke ˈbiŋɡis | I hope you come |
| És important que estudis | ɛs imˈpoɾtant ke əsˈtuðis | It is important that you study |
| M'agradaria que em truquessis | məɡɾəðəˈɾiə ke əm truˈke.sis | I would like you to call me |
| Si fos possible, vindria | si fos puˈsi.ble, vinˈdɾiə | If it were possible, I would come |
| Ojalà pugui venir | oʒaˈla ˈpuɡi veˈniɾ | Hopefully, I can come |
| És millor que no ho facis | ɛs miˈʎɔɾ ke nu u ˈfa.sis | It’s better that you don’t do it |
| Dubto que ho sàpigues | ˈduβtu ke u ˈsapiɡes | I doubt that you know it |
Practice Exercises[edit | edit source]
Now it's your turn to practice using the subjunctive mood! Below are some exercises designed to help reinforce what you've learned.
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks[edit | edit source]
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in the subjunctive mood.
1. Espero que tú ______ (venir) a la festa.
2. Si yo ______ (tener) tiempo, iría al cine.
3. Es importante que ellos ______ (estudiar) para el examen.
4. Ojalà ella ______ (poder) venir.
5. Dudo que nosotros ______ (saber) la respuesta.
Exercise 2: Translation[edit | edit source]
Translate the following sentences into Catalan using the subjunctive mood.
1. I hope you are happy.
2. If he were here, he would help us.
3. It’s necessary that you call her.
4. I would like you to stay.
5. Hopefully, it doesn’t rain tomorrow.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice[edit | edit source]
Choose the correct form of the verb to complete the sentence.
1. Espero que tú ______ (a) venguis (b) vengueu.
2. Es millor que nosaltres ______ (a) tinguem (b) tingueu.
3. Si jo ______ (a) pogués (b) pugui, te ayudaría.
4. Ojalà ells ______ (a) vinguin (b) vinguin.
5. Dubto que ella ______ (a) sap (b) sàpiga.
Exercise Solutions[edit | edit source]
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
1. Espero que tú vinguis a la festa.
2. Si yo tuviera tiempo, iría al cine.
3. Es importante que ellos estudien para el examen.
4. Ojalà ella pudiera venir.
5. Dudo que nosotros sepamos la respuesta.
Exercise 2: Translation
1. Espero que siguis feliç.
2. Si ell fos aquí, ens ajudaria.
3. És necessari que la truquis.
4. M'agradaria que et quedessis.
5. Ojalà no plogui demà.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
1. Espero que tú (a) venguis.
2. Es millor que nosaltres (a) tinguem.
3. Si jo (a) pogués.
4. Ojalà ells (a) vinguin.
5. Dubto que ella (b) sàpiga.
As you practice these exercises, remember that the subjunctive mood is all about expressing possibilities, wishes, and uncertainties. It adds depth to your conversations and allows you to express yourself more fully in Catalan.
In conclusion, mastering the subjunctive mood is a huge step towards fluency in Catalan. Keep practicing and using it in your daily conversations, and soon it will feel as natural as any other part of the language.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Catalan grammar - Wikipedia
- Catalan | Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Linguistics
- Catalan verbs - Wikipedia
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- How to Use Have
- Cardinal Numbers in Catalan
- Introduction to pronouns
- Negation
- Locative Case in Catalan
- How to say "there is" in Catalan
- How to use "can" in Catalan
- Reflexive verbs
- Give your Opinion