Past Participle and Gerund in Catalan

Overview

The past participle and the gerund are two non-finite verb forms that are essential at the A2 level. The past participle is used to form compound tenses (with haver) and can also function as an adjective. The gerund expresses an action in progress, similar to English "-ing" forms.

The past participle in Catalan varies by conjugation class: -at for -ar verbs, -ut for -er/-re verbs, and -it for -ir verbs. It also has masculine/feminine and singular/plural forms when used as an adjective. The gerund has three forms: -ant for -ar verbs, -ent for -er/-re verbs, and -int for -ir verbs.

Together, these forms enable you to talk about ongoing actions (gerund) and completed actions with present relevance (past participle in compound tenses).

How It Works

Past Participle Formation

Verb class	Masc. sg.	Fem. sg.	Masc. pl.	Fem. pl.
-ar (cantar)	cantat	cantada	cantats	cantades
-er/-re (beure)	begut	beguda	beguts	begudes
-ir (dormir)	dormit	dormida	dormits	dormides

Irregular Past Participles

Infinitive	Participle	Meaning
fer	fet/feta	done/made
dir	dit/dita	said
veure	vist/vista	seen
escriure	escrit/escrita	written
obrir	obert/oberta	opened
morir	mort/morta	died/dead
posar	posat/posada	put/placed

Gerund Formation

Verb class	Gerund	Example
-ar (parlar)	parlant	speaking
-er/-re (beure)	bevent	drinking
-ir (dormir)	dormint	sleeping

Uses of the Gerund

Use	Example	Meaning
Progressive	Està parlant.	He/she is speaking.
Manner	Va sortir corrent.	He/she went out running.
Simultaneous action	Estudia escoltant música.	He/she studies listening to music.

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
He parlat amb ella.	I have spoken with her.	Participle in compound tense
Està menjant.	He/she is eating.	Gerund progressive
Vaig sortir corrent.	I went out running.	Gerund of manner
El llibre escrit per ella.	The book written by her.	Participle as adjective
La porta està oberta.	The door is open.	Irregular participle as adjective
Estudiant molt, aprovaràs.	By studying hard, you'll pass.	Gerund of means
Hem acabat la feina.	We have finished the work.	Participle in compound tense
Estan dormint.	They are sleeping.	Gerund progressive
Una carta escrita en català.	A letter written in Catalan.	Participle with agreement
Caminant pel parc, vaig veure un gat.	Walking through the park, I saw a cat.	Gerund of circumstance

Common Mistakes

Confusing past participle with gerund in compound tenses

• Wrong: He parlant amb ella.
• Right: He parlat amb ella.
• Why: Compound tenses use the past participle (parlat), not the gerund (parlant).

Forgetting agreement when the participle is an adjective

• Wrong: La porta està obert.
• Right: La porta està oberta.
• Why: When used as an adjective, the participle must agree in gender and number with the noun.

Overusing the gerund progressive

• Awkward: Estic vivint a Barcelona. (literal translation of "I am living in Barcelona")
• Natural: Visc a Barcelona.
• Why: Catalan uses the progressive (estar + gerund) less than English. Use it only for actions genuinely in progress right now.

Practice Tips

1. Create past participle tables for ten common verbs. Practice both the masculine and feminine forms, since you will need both.
2. Describe what people around you are doing right now using "estar + gerund": "Ell està llegint. Ella està parlant per telèfon."
3. Learn the irregular participles as a group: fet, dit, vist, escrit, obert, mort. These are high-frequency and cannot be predicted from rules.

Related Concepts

• Present Perfect — the main compound tense using past participles
• Absolute Participle and Gerund Clauses — advanced uses at B2