Impersonal Constructions in Catalan

Overview

Impersonal constructions are sentences without a specific personal subject — they express general truths, rules, or possibilities. At the B1 level, these structures are important for giving instructions, stating rules, and expressing general observations. Catalan has several ways to form impersonal sentences.

The most common impersonal expressions use cal (it is necessary), es pot (one can), es diu que (it is said that), and fa falta (it is needed). The impersonal pronoun hom (one) exists in formal Catalan but is rare in speech, where es constructions dominate.

These constructions allow you to talk about norms and possibilities without pointing to any specific person, which is useful in formal, instructional, and general contexts.

How It Works

Common Impersonal Constructions

Construction	Meaning	Example
cal + infinitive	it is necessary to	Cal estudiar més.
cal que + subjunctive	it is necessary that	Cal que vinguis.
es pot + infinitive	one can	Es pot aparcar aquí?
es diu que	it is said that	Es diu que plourà.
fa falta + noun/infinitive	it is needed	Fa falta més temps.
hi ha + noun	there is/are	Hi ha molta gent.
es + 3rd person verb	one does/people do	Aquí es parla català.
sembla que	it seems that	Sembla que fa fred.

Es + Verb (Impersonal "se")

Catalan	English
Es parla català.	Catalan is spoken. / People speak Catalan.
Es menja bé aquí.	One eats well here.
Es pot entrar?	Can one enter? / Is it possible to enter?
No es pot fumar.	One cannot smoke. / Smoking is not allowed.

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Cal estudiar més.	It is necessary to study more.	Cal + infinitive
Es pot aparcar aquí?	Can one park here?	Permission question
Es diu que plourà demà.	It is said that it will rain tomorrow.	Hearsay
Fa falta més temps.	More time is needed.	Need
Aquí es menja molt bé.	One eats very well here.	General observation
Cal que estudiem més.	We need to study more.	Cal que + subjunctive
No es pot fumar al restaurant.	You can't smoke in the restaurant.	Rule
Sembla que tot va bé.	It seems everything is fine.	Impression
Es veu que estan contents.	It's clear they are happy.	Observation
Hi ha moltes coses per fer.	There are many things to do.	Existential

Common Mistakes

Using "es" with a personal subject

• Wrong: Jo es treballo molt.
• Right: Es treballa molt. (One works a lot / People work a lot.)
• Why: Impersonal "es" constructions do not take a personal subject. The verb stays in the third person.

Forgetting subjunctive after "cal que"

• Wrong: Cal que véns.
• Right: Cal que vinguis.
• Why: "Cal que" triggers the subjunctive in the subordinate clause.

Confusing "cal" and "fa falta"

• Both correct: Cal més temps. and Fa falta més temps. (More time is needed.)
• Why: "Cal" is more concise and formal; "fa falta" is more colloquial. Both express necessity.

Usage Notes

In formal written Catalan, the pronoun hom (one) appears as an alternative to "es" constructions: Hom pot observar que... (One can observe that...). This form is literary and not used in everyday speech. For conversational Catalan, stick with "es" constructions.

Practice Tips

1. Express rules for different places: "Al museu no es pot tocar. Al cinema cal apagar el mòbil. Al restaurant es pot reservar taula."
2. Practice "cal" vs. "cal que": "Cal estudiar" (general) vs. "Cal que estudiïs" (directed at someone).
3. Describe a city or place impersonally: "A Barcelona es menja molt bé. Es parla català i castellà. Hi ha molts museus."

Related Concepts

• Ser and Estar — impersonal expressions using both verbs
• Present Subjunctive — needed after "cal que"