Present Subjunctive in Catalan

In Brief

The Catalan present subjunctive presents an action not simply as a fact, but as something wanted, doubted, felt, required, possible, or intended: Vull que vinguis (“I want you to come”). It commonly appears after que, but que alone does not cause it; the meaning of the main clause does. For regular -ar verbs, the endings are -i, -is, -i, -em, -eu, -in: canti, cantis, canti, cantem, canteu, cantin.

Overview

The subjunctive is a verb mood: a set of verb forms that shows how the speaker frames an action, rather than when it happens. The ordinary indicative presents information as a fact or claim—Sé que ve (“I know that he/she is coming”)—while the subjunctive often presents it through someone’s wish, doubt, emotion, judgment, or purpose—Vull que vingui (“I want him/her to come”).

This is a core B1 topic because it lets you connect two ideas naturally. A typical sentence has a main clause, such as Vull (“I want”), and a subordinate clause (a clause that depends on another clause), such as que vinguis (“you to come”). English often uses an infinitive in the same situation: “I want you to come.” Catalan normally uses que + a conjugated subjunctive when the two clauses have different subjects.

Despite its name, the present subjunctive can point to either the present or the future. In Espero que estiguis bé, the state is current; in Espero que vinguis demà, the visit is in the future. Its central job is not to mark time but to show the speaker’s attitude toward the action.

How It Works

The basic sentence pattern

A large number of uses follow this pattern:

main clause + que + subject + present subjunctive

• Vull que vinguis — I want you to come.
• Dubtem que funcioni — We doubt that it works/will work.
• Cal que estudiem — We need to study.

The subject is often left unspoken because the verb ending identifies it. In Vull que vinguis, the ending -is shows that the understood subject of vinguis is singular informal “you.”

When one person performs both actions, Catalan usually prefers an infinitive rather than que + subjunctive:

• Vull venir. — I want to come.
• Vull que vinguis. — I want you to come.
• Esperem arribar aviat. — We hope to arrive soon.
• Esperem que arribin aviat. — We hope they arrive soon.

Regular forms

For a regular verb, remove the infinitive ending (-ar, -er/-re, or -ir) and add the appropriate endings.

Person	cantar (to sing)	perdre (to lose)	dormir (to sleep)
jo	canti	perdi	dormi
tu	cantis	perdis	dormis
ell / ella / vostè	canti	perdi	dormi
nosaltres	cantem	perdem	dormim
vosaltres	canteu	perdeu	dormiu
ells / elles / vostès	cantin	perdin	dormin

The first- and third-person singular forms are identical, so context tells you who the subject is. With these regular verbs, the nosaltres and vosaltres forms look like the present indicative: cantem, canteu; perdem, perdeu; dormim, dormiu. Their role becomes clear from the surrounding sentence: Cantem cada dimarts is a factual statement, while Vol que cantem is a wish.

Many -ir verbs use the inchoative pattern (a common conjugation pattern containing -eix- in some present forms). In the subjunctive, a verb such as servir has serveixi, serveixis, serveixi, servim, serviu, serveixin.

Spelling changes

Some stems change spelling to preserve the sound of the infinitive. These are spelling adjustments, not new meanings:

Infinitive	Present subjunctive example	Reason
buscar	busqui	c becomes qu before i to keep the hard /k/ sound
pagar	pagui	gu keeps the hard g sound before i
començar	comenci	ç cannot appear before i
menjar	mengi	the spelling changes before i

Common irregular verbs

Irregular subjunctives are frequent because they include many everyday verbs. Learn them as complete six-form patterns, but notice repeated stems such as tingu-, vingu-, and pugu-.

Infinitive	jo	tu	ell/ella/vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres	ells/elles/vostès
ser	sigui	siguis	sigui	siguem	sigueu	siguin
estar	estigui	estiguis	estigui	estiguem	estigueu	estiguin
anar	vagi	vagis	vagi	anem	aneu	vagin
fer	faci	facis	faci	fem	feu	facin
dir	digui	diguis	digui	diguem	digueu	diguin
tenir	tingui	tinguis	tingui	tinguem	tingueu	tinguin
venir	vingui	vinguis	vingui	vinguem	vingueu	vinguin
poder	pugui	puguis	pugui	puguem	pugueu	puguin
voler	vulgui	vulguis	vulgui	vulguem	vulgueu	vulguin
saber	sàpiga	sàpigues	sàpiga	sapiguem	sapigueu	sàpiguen

A useful memory aid is the first-person present indicative of some verbs: tinc points toward tingui, vinc toward vingui, and dic toward digui. This is only a clue, not a universal formation rule.

Meanings that select the subjunctive

Wishes, preferences, requests, and influence

Use the subjunctive when one person wants, asks, permits, prevents, or prefers another action:

• Vull que ho facis avui. — I want you to do it today.
• Prefereixen que esperem aquí. — They prefer us to wait here.
• Et demano que parlis més a poc a poc. — I’m asking you to speak more slowly.

Emotion and evaluation

The subjunctive follows reactions and judgments such as m’alegra que (“I’m glad that”), em sap greu que (“I’m sorry that”), and és important que (“it is important that”):

• M’alegra que siguis aquí. — I’m glad you are here.
• És millor que sortim aviat. — It is better for us to leave early.

The event may be completely real. The subjunctive is used because the clause is being presented as the object of an emotional reaction or evaluation, not because it is necessarily unreal.

Doubt, denial, possibility, and necessity

Common triggers include dubtar que (“to doubt that”), no creure que (“not to believe that”), pot ser que (“it may be that”), cal que (“it is necessary that”), and convé que (“it is advisable that”):

• Dubto que ho sàpiga. — I doubt that he/she knows it.
• Pot ser que arribin tard. — They may arrive late.
• Cal que estudiem més. — We need to study more.

By contrast, affirmative statements of belief or certainty normally take the indicative: Crec que funciona (“I think it works”), És evident que funciona (“It is clear that it works”).

Purpose

Use perquè + subjunctive when perquè means “so that” or “in order that”:

• T’ho escric perquè ho recordis. — I’m writing it down so that you remember it.

When perquè gives a cause and means “because,” it normally takes the indicative:

• T’ho escric perquè no tens el número. — I’m writing it down because you don’t have the number.

This difference is especially important because English uses two different expressions—“because” and “so that”—where Catalan can use perquè for both.

Future and open-ended time clauses

After connectors such as quan (“when”) and fins que (“until”), use the present subjunctive for an event that has not happened yet:

• Quan arribis, truca’m. — Call me when you arrive.
• Esperarem fins que acabi la reunió. — We’ll wait until the meeting ends.

For repeated or factual present events, use the indicative: Quan arriba a casa, sempre truca (“When he/she gets home, he/she always calls”).

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Vull que vinguis.	I want you to come.	Different subjects: jo and tu
Espero que estiguis bé.	I hope you are well.	Hope about a present state
Cal que estudiem més.	We need to study more.	Impersonal necessity
Dubto que ho sàpiga.	I doubt he/she knows it.	Doubt; ho means “it”
M’alegra que sigueu aquí.	I’m glad you are here.	Emotional reaction; plural “you”
No crec que la Júlia conegui l’adreça.	I don’t think Júlia knows the address.	Negated belief
Pot ser que demà faci fred.	It may be cold tomorrow.	Possibility with future reference
Et deixo les claus perquè puguis entrar.	I’m leaving you the keys so that you can get in.	Purpose
Tanqueu la finestra perquè no entri soroll.	Close the window so that noise doesn’t come in.	Purpose after a command
Quan arribis, envia’m un missatge.	Send me a message when you arrive.	Future time clause
No parlis tan de pressa.	Don’t speak so quickly.	Negative informal command
Busquem una persona que parli àrab.	We’re looking for someone who speaks Arabic.	The person is not yet identified
Encara que sigui car, el comprarem.	Even if it is expensive, we’ll buy it.	A hypothetical concession
Que vagi bé!	Hope it goes well!	Independent wish; a common farewell

Common Mistakes

Using the indicative after a clear trigger

• Wrong: Espero que estàs bé.
• Right: Espero que estiguis bé.
• Why: Esperar que introduces a hoped-for situation, so Catalan uses the subjunctive even though English says “I hope you are well.”

Treating every que as a subjunctive trigger

• Wrong: Sé que tingui temps.
• Right: Sé que té temps.
• Why: Que only links the clauses. Saber presents the information as known, so the subordinate verb is indicative.

Using que when both verbs have the same subject

• Wrong: Vull que venir aviat.
• Right: Vull venir aviat.
• Also right with a different subject: Vull que vinguis aviat.
• Why: Use the infinitive when the understood subject of both verbs is the same. With a different subject, use que + conjugated subjunctive.

Using a future form after quan

• Wrong: Quan arribaràs, truca’m.
• Right: Quan arribis, truca’m.
• Why: A future event introduced by quan normally takes the present subjunctive. The main clause can still be an imperative or future form.

Forming a negative command with the indicative

• Wrong: No parles tan fort! when the meaning is “Don’t speak so loudly!”
• Right: No parlis tan fort!
• Why: Negative commands use the present subjunctive. No parles tan fort is instead a statement: “You don’t speak so loudly.”

Ignoring a spelling change

• Wrong: Cal que busci feina.
• Right: Cal que busqui feina.
• Why: In buscar, c changes to qu before the subjunctive i so that the /k/ sound remains unchanged.

Usage Notes

The present subjunctive is common in both conversation and formal writing; it is not an unusually literary form. Everyday phrases such as que vagi bé, espero que, cal que, and no facis make it worth learning as productive language rather than as a list of rare rules.

Catalan often omits subject pronouns, just as it does in the indicative. Use jo, tu, nosaltres, and the others when contrast or clarity requires them: Vull que vinguis tu, no ell (“I want you to come, not him”). Object pronouns remain before a finite subjunctive verb: Vull que ho facis, Espero que m’ajudis.

Forms vary across Catalan-speaking regions. In particular, Valencian and Balearic standards may use present-subjunctive endings different from the -i forms shown in the main tables. These are systematic regional forms, not careless speech. Choose the model used in your course or community, and learn to recognize other standard varieties when you encounter them.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Known and unknown antecedents

A relative clause can describe a noun that is specific and known, or one that is only sought, desired, or possibly nonexistent. An antecedent is the noun that a relative expression such as que refers back to.

• Conec una persona que parla japonès. — I know a person who speaks Japanese. The person is known, so parla is indicative.
• Busco una persona que parli japonès. — I’m looking for someone who speaks Japanese. No particular person has been identified, so parli is subjunctive.
• No hi ha ningú que ho pugui fer. — There is nobody who can do it. The required person does not exist in the stated situation.

Concession and the speaker’s stance

With encara que (“although/even if”), mood can change the interpretation. The indicative tends to present the information as a fact: Encara que plou, sortirem (“Although it is raining, we’ll go out”). The subjunctive presents it as hypothetical, irrelevant to the outcome, or not asserted as fact: Encara que plogui, sortirem (“Even if it rains, we’ll go out”). This contrast is more advanced than the basic trigger lists because the connector itself does not determine the mood on its own.

Commands and independent wishes

The subjunctive also supplies formal commands and all negative commands:

• Passi, sisplau. — Come in, please. (formal singular)
• No passeu encara. — Don’t come in yet. (plural)
• Que descansis! — Sleep well!/Hope you get some rest!

These uses may appear without a conventional main clause. In a wish such as Que tinguis sort! (“Good luck!”), an idea like “I hope” is understood rather than stated.

Sequence of tenses

The present subjunctive normally depends on a main verb oriented toward the present or future: Vull que vinguis. If the main viewpoint moves into the past, Catalan commonly uses the imperfect subjunctive: Volia que vinguessis (“I wanted you to come”). If the subordinate action is already completed, a compound subjunctive form may be needed: Espero que hagi anat bé (“I hope it went well”). These contrasts belong to later study, but they explain why the present subjunctive cannot cover every subordinate situation.

Practice Tips

1. Learn triggers in complete frames. Memorize vull que + subjunctive, dubto que + subjunctive, cal que + subjunctive, and perquè + subjunctive for purpose. A frame is easier to use than an isolated ending.
2. Build two-subject pairs. Start with an infinitive sentence, then change the second subject: Vull sortir → Vull que surtis; Esperem arribar aviat → Esperem que arribin aviat. This trains the choice between the infinitive and the subjunctive.
3. Practice high-frequency irregulars aloud. Make short sentences with sigui, estigui, faci, tingui, vingui, and pugui. Then change the person: Espero que vinguis / vinguem / vinguin.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Tense: -ar Verbs — provides the person system and basic present-tense conjugation patterns.
• Next step: Imperfect Subjunctive — extends the same meanings to past viewpoints and hypothetical conditions.
• Advanced connection: Formal Register — uses the subjunctive in formal recommendations, requirements, and complex subordination.