Present Tense: -er/-re Verbs in Catalan

Overview

The second conjugation in Catalan includes verbs ending in -er and -re. While smaller than the -ar group, this class contains many high-frequency verbs such as beure (to drink), perdre (to lose), córrer (to run), veure (to see), and escriure (to write). Mastering these verbs at the A1 level significantly expands what you can express.

These verbs are sometimes called the "second conjugation," and their endings differ from -ar verbs. The first person singular ends in a consonant (often -c), and some verbs show stem changes between singular and plural forms. This irregularity means you need to pay closer attention when learning each verb.

The -er and -re endings represent the same conjugation class — the distinction is simply a spelling convention. Verbs like perdre and beure follow the same pattern of endings, even though their infinitives look slightly different.

How It Works

Regular Pattern (perdre — to lose)

Person	Conjugation
jo	perdo
tu	perds
ell/ella/vostè	perd
nosaltres	perdem
vosaltres	perdeu
ells/elles/vostès	perden

Common -er/-re Verbs with Stem Changes

Infinitive	Meaning	jo	tu	ell	nosaltres
beure	to drink	bec	beus	beu	bevem
veure	to see	veig	veus	veu	veiem
escriure	to write	escric	escrius	escriu	escrivim
córrer	to run	corro	corres	corre	correm
viure	to live	visc	vius	viu	vivim

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Jo bec aigua cada matí.	I drink water every morning.	Stem change: beure → bec
Ell perd les claus sovint.	He often loses the keys.	Regular stem
Nosaltres correm cada matí.	We run every morning.	Double r in stem
Tu veus la muntanya?	Do you see the mountain?	Stem change: veure → veus
Visc a Barcelona des de fa tres anys.	I have lived in Barcelona for three years.	Stem change: viure → visc
Escric una carta.	I write a letter.	Stem change: escriure → escric
Beveu vi amb el sopar?	Do you (pl.) drink wine with dinner?	Plural form
No entenc aquesta paraula.	I don't understand this word.	entendre → entenc
Veieu aquell edifici?	Do you (pl.) see that building?	Plural of veure
Corren molt ràpid.	They run very fast.	3rd person plural

Common Mistakes

Regularizing irregular stems

• Wrong: Jo bevo aigua.
• Right: Jo bec aigua.
• Why: Many -er/-re verbs have unpredictable stems in the jo form. You must memorize these.

Confusing -er/-re with -ar endings

• Wrong: Jo perdo with -a in 3rd person: ell perda
• Right: Ell perd (no ending added in 3rd singular)
• Why: Unlike -ar verbs, many -er/-re verbs have a "zero ending" in the 3rd person singular.

Forgetting the stem change in plural

• Wrong: Nosaltres beuem.
• Right: Nosaltres bevem.
• Why: Some verbs change their stem between singular (bec, beus, beu) and plural (bevem, beveu, beuen).

Practice Tips

1. Make flashcards for the ten most common -er/-re verbs. On one side put the infinitive, on the other the full six-form conjugation. Focus especially on the jo and nosaltres forms, where stem changes are most visible.
2. Practice by narrating actions: "Bec cafè, veig el diari, escric un missatge..." This builds fluency with the irregular stems.

Related Concepts

• Subject Pronouns — the pronouns used with these conjugations
• Present Tense: -ar Verbs — the first conjugation pattern for comparison
• Present Tense: -ir Verbs — the third conjugation pattern