The 1sg. is marked in a variety of ways: by a distinct vowel, such as future -é, preterite -í, or present indicative -o (General variety); by the use, in the present indicative, of a stem variant (no suffix) which is otherwise characteristic of the present subjunctive, thus dic ‘I say’, veig ‘I see’, traduesc ‘I translate’; or the 1sg. may not be distinctly marked at all (see 16.3). The 3sg. rarely has a specific inflection, and is identified by the absence of other person/number inflections.
The 2sg. imperative is generally identical with the 3sg. present indicative; a number of verbs have an irregular 2sg. imperative (often an earlier subjunctive form) which does end in -s, such as sigues ‘be’, vés ‘go’; see 16.5.11.
16.5.5 PRESENT INDICATIVE
The present indicative is not strongly characterized, having little distinctive material other than the stem and person/number endings. However 1pl. and 2pl. always have between the stem and -m, -u a stressed vowel, which is one of the thematic vowels. The 3pl. ends in -en in all conjugations in all dialects. There are important differences between the dialects especially in Conjugation I.
In the present indicative stress falls on the last (or only) vowel of the stem in the singular and the 3pl., but on the suffix in the 1pl. and 2pl.
In the following tables, regional forms which do not differ from the General model are put in ordinary type.
Conjugation I posar ‘put’
General Ν. Catalan Balearic Valencian
1sg. poso posi pos pose
2sg. poses poses poses poses
3sg. posa posa posa posa
1pl. posem posem posam posem
2pl. poseu poseu posau poseu
3pl. posen posen posen posen
The Balearic form has no ending in the 1sg. after a consonant (including consonantal –i- and -u-). This is true even for verbs ending in consonant clusters, so we have for example, jo entr, jo mescl, jo observ, jo localitz, etc. When the stem ends in a vowel, Balearic adds consonantal -i after -e- or -i-, and consonantal -u after -o- or -u-. Thus from crear: crei, crees, crea, etc.; from estudiar: estudii, estudies, estudia, etc.; from lloar: llou, lloes, lloa, etc.; from suar: suu, sues, sua, etc. Verbs with stems ending in /-kw/ or/-gw/ add -o in Balearic as in the General variety (adequo, enaiguo, etc.).
Conjugation II (regular) perdre ‘lose’
General Ν. Catalan Balearic Valencian
1sg. perdo perdi perd perd
2sg. perds perds perds perds
3sg. perd perd perd perd
1pl. perdem perdem perdem perdem
2pl. perdeu perdeu perdeu perdeu
3pl. perden perden perden perden
Note that in regular verbs of Conjugation II in Balearic and Valencian the 1sg. present indicative and the 3sg. present indicative are identical.
Conjugation II (irregular verb with two stem alternants) vendre ‘sell’
General
1sg. venc
2sg. vens
3sg. ven
1pl. venem
2pl. veneu
3pl. venen
These forms are current in all dialects.
Verbs with two or more stem alternants always distinguish 1sg. from 3sg., as in the above example, by selecting different stems, and have no -o in 1sg. Dialect differences do arise, in the case of irregular verbs with more than two stems, as to which stem is chosen for 1pl. and 2pl. Verbs whose stems end in a sibilant (-ix-, -ç-, -s-) have, for phonological reasons, a 2sg. form in -es: thus torces, vences, apareixes, etc. (In Balearic, this is optional after -ix-: coneixs/ coneixes, creixs/creixes.) For similar reasons (16.1.1) córrer has 2sg. corres and 3sg. corre (in Balearic also corrs, corr).
In Balearic, those verbs which as in other dialects have an irregular, stemstressed imperfect, have in addition unusual stem-stressed forms in the 1pl. and 2pl. present indicative:
caure: imperfect queia: Bal. 1pl. queim, 2pl. queis
creure: imperfect creia: Bal. 1pl. creim, 2pl. creis
dir: imperfect deia: Bal. 1pl. deim, 2pl. deis
dur: imperfect duia: Bal. 1pl. duim, 2pl. duis
fer: imperfect feia: Bal. 1pl. feim, 2pl. feis
jeure: imperfect jeia: Bal. 1pl. jeim, 2pl. jeis
riure: imperfect reia: Bal. 1pl. reim, 2pl. reis
seure: imperfect seia: Bal. 1pl. seim, 2pl. seis
treure: imperfect treia: Bal. 1pl. treim, 2pl. treis
veure: imperfect veia: Bal. 1pl. veim, 2pl. veis
Conjugation IIIa (with stem extension) patir ‘suffer’
General NW Cat. N. Cat. Balearic Valencian
1sg. pateixo patixo pateixi patesc patisc
2sg. pateixes patixes pateixes pateixes/pateixs patixes
1pl. patim patim patim patim patim
2pl. patiu patiu patiu patiu patiu
3pl. pateixen patixen pateixen pateixen patixen
In Conjugation IIIa the stem extension (-eix-, -ix-, -esc-, -isc-) is found only when stress would otherwise fall on the verb stem, that is, in the singular and 3pl. of the present (indicative, subjunctive, imperative). The stem extension has -e- in the eastern dialect group (E. Catalonia, N. Catalonia, Balearic) and -i- in the western group (NW Catalan, Valencian). In formal written Valencian the Balearic variants (but not pateixs) are often used, even though spoken Valencian always uses the forms with -i-. In Valencian the Isg. is often spelt -ixc (and present subjunctive -ixca, etc.). The spelling -isc is now recommended by the IEC for Valencian.
Conjugation Illb dormir ‘sleep’
General Ν. Catalan Balearic Valencian
1sg. dormo dormi dorm dorm
2sg. dorms dorms dorms dorms
3sg. dorm dorm dorm dorm
1pl. dormim dormim dormim dormim
2pl. dormiu dormiu dormiu dormiu
3pl. dormen dormen dormen dormen
In Conjugation III, as in II, verbs whose stems end in a sibilant (-ix-, -g-, -ç-, -ss-, -s-, -z-) have, for phonological reasons, a 2sg. form in -es: ixes, fuges, tusses, cuses, brunzes. Balearic optionally does not use this variant after -ix or -ig: pareixes/pareixs, fuges/fuigs. In Conjugation IIIb, as in regular verbs of Conjugation II, 1sg. = 3sg. in Balearic and Valencian.
16.5.6 PAST TENSES
16.5.6.1 (Past) imperfect
There are only two regular models for the imperfect; Conjugations II and III follow exactly the same pattern. Only ten verbs have an irregular imperfect.
Conj. I posar Conj. II (= III) perdre
1sg. posava perdia
2sg. posaves perdies
3sg. posava perdia
1 pl. posàvem perdíem
2pl. posàveu perdíeu
3pl. posaven perdien
The irregular imperfects are found in those ten verbs (of Conjugation II) one of whose alternant stems ends in consonantal -i. Stress falls on the stem throughout the paradigm.
Conjugation II irregular imperfect
caure creure dur
1sg. queia creia duia
2sg. queies creies duies
3sg. queia creia duia
1pl. quèiem crèiem dúiem
2pl. quèieu crèieu dúieu
3pl. queien creien duien
The other verbs with an irregular imperfect are dir (deis, etc.), fer (feia, etc.), jeure/jaure (jeia, etc.), riure (reia, etc.), seure (seia, etc.), treure/traure (treia, etc.), veure (veia, etc.). (As mentioned previously, Valencian prefers -é- to -è- in all verb forms, so Valencian quéiem, créieu, etc.)
16.5.6.2 Preterite (past perfective indicative)
There are two general patterns of preterite formation, a synthetic one, and an analytic or periphrastic one. The periphrastic one uses an auxiliary verb with stem va-, together with the infinitive. An affix -re- is characteristic of the 2sg. and all the plural forms of the synthetic preterite, and this is found attached to the auxiliary va- also, in one of its optional paradigms. The 1sg. inflection of the synthetic preterite in all conjugations is -í; the other inflect
ions display a thematic vowel depending on the conjugation.
Conj. I posar Conj. II perdre Conj. Ili dormir
1sg. posí perdí Dormí
2sg. posares perderes dormires
3sg. posà perdé Dormí
1pl. posàrem perdérem dormírem
2pi. posàreu perdéreu dormíreu
3pl. posaren perderen dormiren
Synthetic preterite
Most irregular verbs of Conjugation II add the regular endings above to one of their stem variants, the one that ends in /g/ or /sk/ if there is one; thus, from creure: creguí, cregueres, cregué, etc.; from viure: visqui, visqueres, visqué, etc.
Three verbs only have strong (i.e. stem-stressed) forms in the synthetic preterite, and then only in the 1sg. and 3sg. They are fer, which has fiu, feres, féu, férem, féreu, feren; ser/ésser/esser, which has fui (Val. fon), fores, fou, fórem, fóreu, foren; and veure, which has viu, veres/veieres, véu (Val. also viu), vérem/veiérem, véreu/veiéreu, veren/veieren. Veure also uses a weak 3sg. veié.
The analytic preterite uses an auxiliary va- element followed by the infinitive of the verb in question. The paradigm of the preterite auxiliary is:
Analytic preterite auxiliary
1sg. vaig
2sg. vas or vares
3sg. va
1pl. vam or vàrem
2pl. vau or vàreu
3pl. van or varen
Of the alternative forms, those in the first column are preferred by normative grammar. (1sg. vàreig, 1pl. vem, 2pl veu are used additionally in speech but are ‘not recommended’.) Thus the analytic alternatives, for example, to the synthetic paradigms above, are: vaig posar, vas/vares posar, va posar, vam/ vàrem posar, vau/vàreu posar, van/varen posar; vaig perdre, etc.; vaig dormir, etc.
Except for the synthetic preterite forms of deure: deguí, degueres, etc., which are generally current, in spontaneous speech the synthetic preterite is current only in central Valencian, and to some extent in the Balearics; the analytic preterite is used in all regions. In written Catalan both synthetic and analytic forms are widely used, with the exception of the synthetic lsg. (posí, perdí, dormí, etc.) which is common only in Valencian and in Ibiza.
16.5.7 FUTURE
The future tense is constructed on the pattern: infinitive (minus final -e if there is one) + the endings -é, -às, -à, -em, -eu, -an, all of which are stressed. Thus:
Conj. I posar Conj. II perdre Conj. III dormir
1sg. posaré perdré dormiré
2sg posaràs perdràs dormiràs
3sg. posarà perdrà dormirà
1pl. posarem perdrem dormirem
2pl posareu perdreu dormireu
3pl posaran perdran dormiran
Conjugation II verbs with an infinitive in stressed -er use a different, more regular, base to construct the future (and conditional) on. Thus from saber: sabré, sabràs, sabrà, etc.; poder: podré; voler: voldré; valer/valdre: valdré; haver: hauré, etc. Tenir and venir, which have alternative infinitive forms tindre and vindre, use only the latter as the base for the future: tindré, vindré, etc. (tendré, vendré, etc. in Majorcan). Anar exceptionally has future aniré, etc.
A few Conjugation II irregular verbs which have -e- in the stem of the infinitive, have -a- in the future/conditional stem. They are firstly fer: future faré, etc., conditional faria, etc.; and also those verbs which more generally have -e- in the stem when it is stressed but -a- when it is not, namely, heure, jeure, treure, néixer, and péixer: future: hauré, jauré, trauré, naixeré, paixeré, etc.; conditional: hauria, jauria, trauria, naixeria, paixeria, etc.
16.5.8 CONDITIONAL
The conditional is always built on exactly the same base as the future, using endings which are the same as those of the imperfect of Conjugations II and III.
Conj. I posar Conj. II perdre Conj. Ill dormir
l s g. posaria perdria dormiria
2 sg. posaries perdries dormiries
3 sg. posaria perdria dormiria
pl. posariem perdriem dormiriem
fa2pi. posarieu perdrieu dormirieu
3pl. posarien perdrien dormirien
The verbs ser/ésser/esser and haver have alternative conditionals to their regular ones, seria, hauria, etc. (The alternative paradigms are in fact those of the -rpast subjunctive which is current in Valencian; see 16.5.10.1.)
Second conditional of ser, haver
ser haver
1sg. fόra haguera
2sg. fores hagueres
3sg. fόra haguera
1pl. fórem haguérem
2pl. fóreu haguéreu
3pl. foren hagueren
See 34.6.1 for the usage of these forms.
16.5.9 PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE
The eastern dialect group (N. Catalonia, E. Catalonia, Balearics) has developed a characteristic subjunctive marker –i- for the unstressed endings (singular and 3pl.) of all conjugations. These forms have entirely replaced the older forms in North Catalonia and the central dialect (E. Catalonia), and very largely in Balearic also; they are increasingly used in the Northwestern area, but not at all in Valencian. A characteristic of Balearic is to employ distinct forms for present indicative and present subjunctive in 1 pl. and 2pl. In other regions the inflectional endings for these are identical, and the distinction is maintained only where there is stem alternation.
Conjugation l posar ‘put’
General/Balearic NW and Valencian
1sg. posi pose
2sg. posis poses
3sg. posi pose
1pl. posem posem
2pl. poseu poseu
3pl posin posen
Note that the NW and Valencian forms differ from the Valencian present indicative only in the 3sg.
Early Catalan had forms of the present subjunctive singular of Conjugation I with no vowel in the ending. A very few of these forms survive as relics in expressions such as: Déu vos guard (a greeting: lit. May God protect you), Déu me’n guard! ‘God forbid!’, Déu ajut quan … ‘God knows when …’ (lit. May God assist when …), Déu n’hi do! ‘What a lot!’ (lit. May God give of it there! (do is an old 3sg. present subjunctive of donar)), Déu t’ho pac ‘May God reward you for it’ (pac = pagui), Llamp te mat ‘May lightning kill you’.
Conjugation II (regular) present indicative perdre ‘lose’
General Balearic NW and Valencian
1sg. perdi perdi perda
2sg. perdis perdis perdes
3sg. perdi perdi perda
1pl. perdem perdiguem/perdem perdem
2pl. perdeu perdigueu/perdeu perdeu
3pl perdin perdin perden
The NW and Valencian forms differ from the present indicative only in the singular. Note Balearic introduces an element –igu- into regular verbs of Conjugation II and all Conjugation III, to distinguish present subjunctive from present indicative in 1–2pl.
Conjugation II (irregular verb with two stem alternants) vendre ‘sell’
General/Balearic NW and Valencian
1sg. vengui venga
2sg. venguis vengues
3sg. vengui venga
1pl. venguem venguem
2pl. vengueu vengueu
3pl. venguin venguen
In the present subjunctive, Conjugation II verbs with two or more stem alternants use the alternant in/-g/, if they have one. Colloquial Valencian varieties make use of some older forms of 1pl. and 2pl. present subjunctive, especially for common verbs, dir: digam, digau; ser: sigam, sigau; venir: vingam, vingau, etc.
The earlier type without inflectional -i-, which is retained in NW and Valencian, is found in the General and Balearic varieties in two verbs only: saber and cabre. In these particular verbs Valencian uses forms without -g-:
Conjugation II (irregular verbs saber, cabre)
General/Balearic Valencian
1sg. sàpiga càpiga sàpia càpia
2sg. sàpigues càpigues sàpies càpies
3sg. sàpiga càpiga sàpia càpia
1pl sapig
uem capiguem sapiem capiem
2pl. sapigueu capigueu sapieu capieu
3pl. sàpiguen càpiguen sàpien càpien
Colloquial (non-standard) speech in Palma (Majorca) displays a strong tendency to extend the special system of endings of saber and cabre to all verbs, regular and irregular, of all conjugations: càntiga etc., rèbiga etc., dòrmiga etc., servèsquiga, etc.
Conjugation Illa patir ‘suffer’
General Balearic Alternative Bal./formal Val. NW and Valencian
1sg. pateixi patesqui patesca patisca
2sg. pateixis patesquis patesques patisques
3sg. pateixi patesqui patesca patisca
1pl. patim patiguem patim patim
2pl. patiu patigueu patiu patiu
3pl. pateixin patesquin patesquen patisquen
The third column contains traditional forms, still used to some in extent in Balearic, and in formal written Valencian. In Valencian the spelling -ixca, -ixques, etc., is often found; the forms above are those recommended by the IEC.
Conjugation lllb dormir ‘sleep’
General Balearic NW and Valencian
1sg. dormi dormi dorma
2sg. dormis dormis dormes
3sg. dormi dormi dorma
1pl. dormim dormiguem dormim
2pl. dormiu dormigueu dormiu
3pl. dormin dormin dormen
The NW and Valencian forms differ from the present indicative only in the singular.
In the General variety and Balearic a few older forms of the present subjunctive of Conjugation II/III are used in certain expressions, such as o sia (or o sigui) ‘that is to say’ (lit. or let it be), adéu-siau ‘good-bye’, vaja ‘well’ (interjection), Vejam ‘Let’s see’, Vinga! ‘Come on!’, Visca! ‘Long live …!’.