Language/Catalan/Grammar/Regular-Verbs
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Regular verbs are the foundation of the Catalan language. In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate regular verbs in the present, past, and future tenses. This will enable you to discuss actions and events in various contexts.
Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Indefinite Articles in Catalan & Past tense conjugation.
Present Tense
The present tense is the most basic form of a verb. It is used to describe actions that are taking place now, or habits and routines. In Catalan, the present tense of regular verbs is formed as follows:
| Catalan | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| parlar | /pər'lər/ | to speak |
| menjar | /mən'ʒaɾ/ | to eat |
| caminar | /kəmi'nar/ | to walk |
To conjugate a regular verb in the present tense, follow these steps:
1. Identify the verb stem. To do this, take the infinitive form of the verb and remove the suffix "-ar," "-er," or "-ir." For example, the verb stem for "parlar" (to speak) is "parl-."
2. Add the appropriate endings to the stem, depending on the subject of the sentence. The endings for regular verbs in the present tense are as follows:
|- ! Pronouns !! Verb endings |- | jo (I) || -o |- | tu (you, informal) || -es |- | ell/ella/vostè (he/she/you, formal) || -a |- | nosaltres (we) || -em |- | vosaltres (you, plural) || -eu |- | ells/elles/vostès (they/you, plural) || -en |}
Here are some examples of regular verbs in the present tense:
- Jo parlo anglès. (I speak English.)
- Tu menges una poma. (You are eating an apple.)
- Ell camina cap a la platja. (He is walking towards the beach.)
- Nosaltres parl em català. (We speak Catalan.)
- Vosaltres menj eu bé. (You all eat well.)
- Els estudiants estud ien a l'aula. (The students study in the classroom.)
Past Tense
The past tense is used to describe actions that have already happened. In Catalan, there are two main past tenses: the imperfect and the preterite.
The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing, repeated, or habitual actions in the past. It is formed by adding the following endings to the verb stem:
| Pronouns | Verb endings |
|---|---|
| jo (I) | -ava |
| tu (you, informal) | -aves |
| ell/ella/vostè (he/she/you, formal) | -ava |
| nosaltres (we) | -àvem |
| vosaltres (you, plural) | -àveu |
| ells/elles/vostès (they/you, plural) | -aven |
Here are some examples of regular verbs in the imperfect tense:
- Jo parl ava amb la meva mare cada dia. (I used to speak with my mother every day.)
- Tu menja ves una poma quan vas arribar. (You were eating an apple when you arrived.)
- Ell camin ava cap a l'estació. (He was walking towards the station.)
- Nosaltres parl àvem tota la nit. (We were speaking all night long.)
- Vosaltres menj àveu bé cada vegada que veniu aquí. (You all ate well every time you came here.)
- Els estudiants estud iaven durant les classes. (The students used to study during the classes.)
The preterite tense is used to describe actions that have been completed in the past. It is formed by adding the following endings to the verb stem:
| Pronouns | Verb endings |
|---|---|
| jo (I) | -í |
| tu (you, informal) | -ares |
| ell/ella/vostè (he/she/you, formal) | -à |
| nosaltres (we) | àrem |
| vosaltres (you, plural) | -àreu |
| ells/elles/vostès (they/you, plural) | -aren |
Here are some examples of regular verbs in the preterite tense:
- Jo parl í amb ella ahir. (I spoke with her yesterday.)
- Tu menja res una poma fa 10 minuts. (You ate an apple 10 minutes ago.)
- Ell camin à pel parc ahir al vespre. (He walked through the park last evening.)
- Nosaltres parl àrem català a casa. (We spoke Catalan at home.)
- Vosaltres menj àreu tots junts al restaurant. (You all ate together at the restaurant.)
- Els estudiants estud iaren durant tota la setmana abans de l'examen. (The students studied during the whole week before the exam.)
Future Tense
The future tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future. In Catalan, the future tense is formed by adding the following endings to the verb stem:
| Pronouns | Verb endings |
|---|---|
| jo (I) | -é |
| tu (you, informal) | -às |
| ell/ella/vostè (he/she/you, formal) | -à |
| nosaltres (we) | -em |
| vosaltres (you, plural) | -eu |
| ells/elles/vostès (they/you, plural) | -an |
Here are some examples of regular verbs in the future tense:
- Jo parl aré amb tu demà. (I will speak with you tomorrow.)
- Tu menj aràs la paella de marisc. (You will eat the seafood paella.)
- Ell camin arà pel parc a les 3 de la tarda. (He will walk through the park at 3 in the afternoon.)
- Nosaltres parl arem de la situació a la reunió. (We will talk about the situation at the meeting.)
- Vosaltres menj areu en el restaurant més propp de l'hotel. (You all will eat at the nearest restaurant from the hotel.)
- Els estudiants estud ian per al següent examen. (The students will study for the next exam.)
Conclusion
In this lesson, you learned how to conjugate regular verbs in the present, past, and future tenses. This will allow you to communicate in Catalan in various situations, such as discussing your daily routine or describing past events. With practice and dedication, you will be able to master regular verbs and move on to learning irregular verbs in the next lesson.
Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: How to use can in Catalan & Accusative Case in Catalan.
Other Lessons
- Introduction to pronouns
- Past tense conjugation
- Indefinite Articles in Catalan
- Cardinal Numbers in Catalan
- Personal Pronouns
- Negation
- Questions
- Common Prepositions
- Dative Case in Catalan
- Adjectives
Sources
- Catalan verbs - Wikipedia
- Appendix:Catalan verbs - Wiktionary
- View of Velar Verbs and Verbal Classes in Catalan
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