Common Irregular Verbs in Catalan

Verbs Irregulars Comuns

This article is part of the Catalan grammar tree on Settemila Lingue.

Overview

Catalan has a set of high-frequency verbs that do not follow the regular conjugation patterns. At the A1 level, you need to learn these verbs because they appear in almost every conversation. The most important ones are anar (to go), fer (to do/make), dir (to say/tell), poder (to be able to), voler (to want), saber (to know), and venir (to come).

These verbs are irregular because their forms do not follow the predictable patterns of regular -ar, -er/-re, or -ir verbs. Their stems change, their endings may differ, and some have entirely unique forms. The good news is that because these verbs are so common, you will hear and use them so frequently that memorization happens naturally through exposure.

Do not try to apply regular verb rules to these verbs. Instead, learn each one as a complete set of forms. Think of them as individual vocabulary items rather than as variations of a pattern.

How It Works

Present Tense Conjugations

Person	anar (go)	fer (do)	dir (say)	venir (come)
jo	vaig	faig	dic	vinc
tu	vas	fas	dius	véns
ell/ella	va	fa	diu	ve
nosaltres	anem	fem	diem	venim
vosaltres	aneu	feu	dieu	veniu
ells/elles	van	fan	diuen	vénen

Person	poder (can)	voler (want)	saber (know)
jo	puc	vull	sé
tu	pots	vols	saps
ell/ella	pot	vol	sap
nosaltres	podem	volem	sabem
vosaltres	podeu	voleu	sabeu
ells/elles	poden	volen	saben

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Vaig a la feina.	I go to work.	anar
Què fas?	What are you doing?	fer
No puc venir.	I can't come.	poder + venir
Vols un cafè?	Do you want a coffee?	voler
Saps on és?	Do you know where it is?	saber
Què dius?	What are you saying?	dir
Ve de Lleida.	He/she comes from Lleida.	venir
Fem una festa!	Let's have a party!	fer
No sé res.	I don't know anything.	saber
Diuen que plourà.	They say it will rain.	dir
On aneu?	Where are you going?	anar
Pots ajudar-me?	Can you help me?	poder

Common Mistakes

Regularizing "anar"

Wrong: Jo ano a casa.
Right: Jo vaig a casa.
Why: "Anar" has completely irregular forms. The jo form is "vaig," not a regular -ar pattern.

Confusing "saber" and "conèixer"

Wrong: Sé el teu germà. (meaning "I know your brother")
Right: Conec el teu germà.
Why: "Saber" is for facts, information, and skills (sé nadar = I know how to swim). "Conèixer" is for knowing people and places.

Using "poder" without an infinitive

Wrong: Puc. (in isolation, incomplete)
Better: Puc fer-ho. (I can do it.) or Sí, puc. (in response to a question)
Why: "Poder" usually requires an infinitive to complete its meaning, unless it is answering a direct question.

Practice Tips

Create a daily diary entry using only irregular verbs: "Vaig a la feina. Faig el dinar. Dic hola als companys. Vull un cafè. Puc sortir d'hora."
Practice question-and-answer pairs with these verbs: "Vols venir?" — "Sí, vull venir." / "Pots ajudar?" — "No, no puc."
Focus on the jo and ell/ella forms first, as these are the ones you will use most frequently in conversation.