Administrative and Legal Language in Catalan

Overview

Administrative and legal Catalan is the specialized register used in government, law, public administration, and institutional communication. At the C2 level, understanding this register is important for anyone who works in or interacts with Catalan institutions, reads official documents, or needs to produce formal administrative texts.

This register is characterized by impersonal constructions, nominalization (turning verbs into nouns), formal subjunctive, and specialized terminology related to Catalan governance. Since Catalan is an official language in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia, administrative Catalan has a well-developed vocabulary and style guide.

The Generalitat de Catalunya and the Institut d'Estudis Catalans publish style guides for administrative language, ensuring consistency across government communications. Learning this register means understanding both the linguistic conventions and the institutional context.

How It Works

Key Features of Administrative Catalan

Feature	Example
Nominalization	l'atorgament (the granting), la tramitació (the processing)
Impersonal passive	Es notifica que... (It is hereby notified that...)
Formal subjunctive	...que es procedeixi a... (...that proceedings be initiated...)
Legal formulas	D'acord amb... (In accordance with...)
Gerund clauses	Havent examinat els fets... (Having examined the facts...)
Formal vocabulary	esmentat/ada (mentioned), atorgat/ada (granted)

Common Administrative Expressions

Catalan	English
D'acord amb el que estableix l'article 3...	In accordance with what Article 3 establishes...
Es notifica a la persona interessada que...	The interested party is hereby notified that...
L'atorgament de la llicència resta condicionat a...	The granting of the license is conditional upon...
Per la present es fa constar que...	By this document it is hereby stated that...
Vist l'expedient tramitat...	Having reviewed the processed file...
En virtut de les competències atribuïdes...	By virtue of the attributed competencies...
Es resoldrà en el termini de...	It shall be resolved within the period of...
La persona sol·licitant haurà de...	The applicant shall have to...

Administrative Vocabulary

Administrative	Everyday	English
sol·licitar	demanar	to request
atorgar	donar	to grant
tramitar	gestionar	to process
el termini	el període	the deadline/period
la resolució	la decisió	the resolution
l'expedient	l'arxiu/dossier	the file/dossier
la persona interessada	la persona que ho vol	the interested party
adjuntar	afegir	to attach

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
D'acord amb el que estableix l'article 3...	In accordance with what Article 3 establishes...	Legal reference
Es notifica a la persona interessada que...	The interested party is hereby notified that...	Notification
L'atorgament de la llicència resta condicionat a...	The granting of the license is conditional upon...	Conditional clause
Per la present, certifico que...	By this document, I certify that...	Certification
Havent-se complert els requisits...	The requirements having been met...	Absolute participle
Es procedeix a l'arxivament de l'expedient.	The file is hereby archived.	Administrative action
La resolució serà ferma i executiva.	The resolution shall be final and binding.	Legal finality
Cal adjuntar la documentació requerida.	The required documentation must be attached.	Instructions

Common Mistakes

Using informal vocabulary in administrative texts

• Informal: Li donem el permís.
• Formal: S'atorga la llicència a la persona interessada.
• Why: Administrative texts use specialized vocabulary and impersonal constructions.

Forgetting gender-inclusive language

• Older style: El sol·licitant...
• Current standard: La persona sol·licitant... or El/la sol·licitant...
• Why: Modern Catalan administrative style guidelines promote gender-inclusive language.

Translating literally from Spanish administrative language

• Spanish calque: En base a... (based on)
• Catalan standard: D'acord amb... or Sobre la base de...
• Why: Catalan administrative language has its own conventions that differ from Spanish equivalents.

Usage Notes

Administrative Catalan is a living, evolving register. The Generalitat publishes resources like the Criteris lingüístics and the Manual de documents administratius that provide templates and guidance. The use of Catalan in administration is protected by law (Estatut d'Autonomia, Llei de Política Lingüística) and is a key element of the language normalization process.

Practice Tips

1. Read official documents from the Generalitat de Catalunya website (gencat.cat). Notice the structure, vocabulary, and impersonal style.
2. Practice converting informal descriptions into administrative language: "Li donarem el permís si compleix els requisits" → "S'atorgarà la llicència sempre que es compleixin els requisits establerts."
3. Learn the most common administrative formulas as fixed units: "D'acord amb...", "Es notifica que...", "En virtut de..."

Related Concepts

• Formal Register — the broader formal register
• Passive Voice — impersonal passive constructions used extensively