Negation and Questions in Catalan

Overview

Forming negative sentences and questions in Catalan is straightforward once you learn a few key rules. At the A1 level, you need to know how to say "no," how to ask yes/no questions, and how to use common negative words like res (nothing), mai (never), and ningú (nobody).

Negation in Catalan is formed by placing no directly before the verb. Unlike English, which often needs auxiliary verbs ("do not," "does not"), Catalan simply adds no: "Parlo" (I speak) → "No parlo" (I don't speak). This makes negation simpler in many ways.

Questions in Catalan can be formed simply by changing your intonation — raising your voice at the end of a sentence. There is no need to change word order in most cases. Written questions are marked with a single question mark at the end (unlike Spanish, which uses an inverted mark at the beginning).

How It Works

Basic Negation

Place no before the conjugated verb:

Affirmative	Negative
Parlo català.	No parlo català.
Tinc fam.	No tinc fam.
Està obert.	No està obert.

Double Negatives (Required!)

Catalan requires double negatives — unlike English, where two negatives cancel out:

Catalan	English	Negative word
No tinc res.	I don't have anything.	res = nothing
No ve mai.	He/she never comes.	mai = never
No conec ningú.	I don't know anybody.	ningú = nobody
No hi ha cap problema.	There is no problem.	cap = no/none
No vull ni cafè ni te.	I want neither coffee nor tea.	ni...ni = neither...nor

Forming Questions

Method	Example
Intonation only	Parles català? (Do you speak Catalan?)
Question word + verb	On vius? (Where do you live?)
Inversion (optional)	Tens tu les claus? (Do you have the keys?)

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
No parlo francès.	I don't speak French.	Simple negation
Parles català?	Do you speak Catalan?	Intonation question
No tinc res.	I don't have anything.	Double negative
No ve mai.	He/she never comes.	Double negative with mai
Vols cafè?	Do you want coffee?	Yes/no question
No conec ningú aquí.	I don't know anyone here.	Double negative with ningú
No hi ha cap problema.	There's no problem.	Double negative with cap
Ets de Barcelona?	Are you from Barcelona?	Intonation question
No vull ni sopa ni amanida.	I want neither soup nor salad.	Correlative negation
Encara no he acabat.	I haven't finished yet.	Negation with encara

Common Mistakes

Omitting the first "no" in double negatives

• Wrong: Tinc res. (attempting to say "I have nothing")
• Right: No tinc res.
• Why: Catalan requires the double negative. You must keep "no" before the verb even when using res, mai, ningú, or cap.

Placing "no" in the wrong position

• Wrong: Parlo no català.
• Right: No parlo català.
• Why: "No" must come immediately before the conjugated verb (or before any weak pronouns attached to the verb).

Translating English "any" as "cap" in affirmative sentences

• Wrong: Tens cap amic?
• Right: Tens algun amic? (Do you have any friend?)
• Why: "Cap" is only used in negative contexts. In questions and affirmative contexts, use "algun/alguna."

Practice Tips

1. Take five affirmative sentences you know and convert them to negatives by adding "no" before the verb. Then try adding a double negative word: res, mai, ningú.
2. Practice asking questions by simply reading statements aloud with rising intonation at the end. This is the most natural way to form questions in everyday Catalan.

Related Concepts

• Ser and Estar — verbs frequently used in questions and negations
• Question Words — words like què, qui, on, quan, com, per què