Present Tense: -ar Verbs in Catalan

Overview

The present tense of -ar verbs is the most important verb conjugation pattern to learn at the A1 level. These first-conjugation verbs are by far the largest and most productive group in Catalan — the vast majority of new verbs entering the language follow this pattern.

To conjugate a regular -ar verb, you remove the -ar ending from the infinitive to find the stem, then add the appropriate present tense ending for each person. For example, from parlar (to speak), the stem is parl-, and you add endings like -o, -es, -a, -em, -eu, -en.

Once you master this pattern, you can conjugate hundreds of everyday verbs: treballar (to work), estudiar (to study), cantar (to sing), comprar (to buy), cuinar (to cook), caminar (to walk), and many more. This conjugation pattern is the backbone of Catalan verb usage.

How It Works

Regular -ar Conjugation (parlar — to speak)

Person	Ending	Conjugation
jo	-o	parlo
tu	-es	parles
ell/ella/vostè	-a	parla
nosaltres	-em	parlem
vosaltres	-eu	parleu
ells/elles/vostès	-en	parlen

Other Common -ar Verbs

Infinitive	Meaning	jo form
treballar	to work	treballo
estudiar	to study	estudio
comprar	to buy	compro
cantar	to sing	canto
cuinar	to cook	cuino
caminar	to walk	camino
escoltar	to listen	escolto
arribar	to arrive	arribo

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Jo parlo tres llengües.	I speak three languages.	1st person singular
Tu treballes molt.	You work a lot.	2nd person singular
Ella estudia medicina.	She studies medicine.	3rd person singular
Nosaltres estudiem català.	We study Catalan.	1st person plural
Vosaltres canteu molt bé.	You all sing very well.	2nd person plural
Ells canten bé.	They sing well.	3rd person plural
Compro el pa cada matí.	I buy bread every morning.	Habitual action
Cuines molt bé!	You cook very well!	Compliment
Arriba a les vuit.	He/she arrives at eight.	Routine
Escoltem música catalana.	We listen to Catalan music.	Shared activity

Common Mistakes

Adding the wrong ending for "jo"

• Wrong: Jo parla català.
• Right: Jo parlo català.
• Why: The first person singular ending is -o, not -a. The -a ending belongs to ell/ella/vostè.

Confusing -em (nosaltres) with -en (ells)

• Wrong: Nosaltres parlen català.
• Right: Nosaltres parlem català.
• Why: The 1st person plural ending is -em, the 3rd person plural is -en. They sound similar but are different.

Forgetting to use the present for habitual actions

• Awkward: (trying to use past tense for routines)
• Natural: Cada dia treballo de nou a cinc. (Every day I work from nine to five.)
• Why: The present tense in Catalan covers habitual actions, just like in English.

Practice Tips

1. Pick five -ar verbs you use every day and write out their full conjugation tables. Then use each form in a sentence about your daily life.
2. Describe your daily routine using only -ar verbs in the present tense: "Em llevo, esmorzo, treballo, camino, compro, cuino, sopem..."
3. Practice with a partner by asking and answering questions: "Parles anglès?" "Sí, parlo anglès i estudio català."

Related Concepts

• Subject Pronouns — the pronouns that go with each verb form
• Periphrastic Past — the main past tense, built on infinitives including -ar verbs
• Future Tense — future formed from the infinitive
• Imperative Mood — command forms of these verbs
• Present Subjunctive — subjunctive forms at B1