Language/Catalan/Grammar/Adjective-Agreement
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Adjective Agreement in Catalan
Catalan adjectives are used to describe people, places, and things. Like in other romance languages, adjectives in Catalan agree with the noun they modify in gender and number. This means that the ending of the adjective changes to match the gender and number of the noun it is describing.
Gender Agreement
In Catalan, nouns are either masculine or feminine. Adjectives modify nouns differently depending on the gender they have:
- If the noun is masculine, the ending of the adjective is "-o."
- If the noun is feminine, the ending of the adjective is "-a."
Here are some examples of adjectives in Catalan:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| home fort | /ˈɔ.me ˈfɔɾt/ | strong man |
| dona forta | /ˈdɔ.nə ˈfɔɾ.tə/ | strong woman |
| gat negre | /ˈɡat ˈne.ɣɾə/ | black cat (masculine) |
| gata negra | /ˈɡa.tə ˈne.ɣɾə/ | black cat (feminine) |
Note that "fort" (strong) changes to "forta" in the feminine form and that "negre" (black) changes to "negra."
Number Agreement
In addition to gender agreement, adjectives in Catalan also agree in number with the noun they modify. There are two numbers: singular and plural. To make an adjective agree in number with a noun, its ending must change:
- If the noun is singular, the ending of the adjective is the same as in the gender agreement.
- If the noun is plural, the ending of the adjective is "-s" for both masculine and feminine nouns.
Here are some examples of adjectives in both singular and plural form:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| gat negre | /ˈɡat ˈne.ɣɾə/ | black cat (singular masculine) |
| gata negra | /ˈɡa.tə ˈne.ɣɾə/ | black cat (singular feminine) |
| gats negres | /ˈɡats ˈne.ɣɾəs/ | black cats (plural masculine) |
| gates negres | /ˈɡa.təs ˈne.ɣɾəs/ | black cats (plural feminine) |
Note that "negre" (black) changes to "negres" in the plural form for both masculine and feminine nouns.
Exceptions to Adjective Agreement
There are some adjectives in Catalan that do not follow the regular rules of agreement. These adjectives do not change form based on the gender or number of the noun they modify:
- Adjectives ending in "-e" do not change for gender, but they add "-s" to form the plural
- Adjectives ending in "-or" and "-ol" change the final "-r" to "-ra" for feminine nouns.
- Some adjectives have a separate form for masculine and feminine – they use their masculine form with masculine nouns, and their feminine form with feminine nouns. Examples of such adjectives include "gran" and "jove."
Here are some examples of adjectives that have different forms:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| llibrete petit | /ʎi.βɾəˈtɛ pəˈtit/ | small notebook (masculine singular) |
| llibreta petita | /ʎi.βɾəˈta pəˈtitə/ | small notebook (feminine singular) |
| llibretets petits | /ʎi.βɾəˈtɛts pəˈtits/ | small notebooks (masculine plural) |
| llibretes petites | /ʎi.βɾəˈtɛs pəˈtitəs/ | small notebooks (feminine plural) |
| ciutat gran | /si.uˈtat ɡɾan/ | big city (singular masculine) |
| ciutat gran | /si.uˈta ˈɡɾanə/ | big city (singular feminine) |
Agreement of Adjectives with Irregular Nouns
There are some nouns in Catalan that have an irregular gender, meaning they do not follow the standard gender rules. For example, "dia" (day) is a masculine noun even though it ends in "-a." In cases like these, the adjective must still agree with the noun they modify:
- If the irregular noun is masculine, the adjective still has the "-o" ending in the singular.
- If the irregular noun is feminine, the adjective still has the "-a" ending in the singular.
- If the irregular noun is plural, the adjective still has the "-s" ending for both masculine and feminine nouns.
Here are some examples of adjectives with irregular nouns:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| dia calorós | /ˈdi.ə kə.loˈɾos/ | hot day (masculine singular) |
| nit calorosa | /ˈnit kə.loˈɾosə/ | hot night (feminine singular) |
| dies calorosos | /ˈdis kə.loˈɾo.sos/ | hot days (masculine plural) |
| nits caloroses | /ˈnits kə.loˈɾo.ses/ | hot nights (feminine plural) |
Position of Adjectives in a Sentence
In Catalan, adjectives usually come after the noun they modify:
- La camisa blanca (the white shirt)
- El cotxe gran (the big car)
However, if an adjective is used to describe the quantity or size of a noun, it usually comes before the noun:
- Dos persones grans (two big persons)
- Molts cotxes petits (many small cars)
Conclusion
In conclusion, agreement of adjectives in Catalan is based on the gender and number of the noun they modify. Adjectives change their endings to match the gender and number of the noun. Some adjectives have different forms based on the gender of the noun. In cases like these, the masculine form is used with masculine nouns, and the feminine form is used with feminine nouns. Irregular nouns follow the same rules of agreement as regular nouns. Adjectives usually come after the noun they modify, but they can come before the noun if they describe size or quantity.
Well done on mastering this lesson! Don't miss these related pages to expand your knowledge: Instrumental Case in Catalan & How to use can in Catalan.
Other Lessons
- Cardinal Numbers in Catalan
- Give your Opinion
- Gender
- Conditional and future tenses
- Negation
- Alphabet and Pronunciation
- Conditional Mood
- Present Continuous in Catalan
- Pronouns
- Adjectives
Sources
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