Verbal Periphrases in Catalan

Overview

Verbal periphrases are two-verb constructions where a conjugated verb combines with an infinitive or gerund to express nuances of aspect, obligation, intention, and phase. At the B1 level, these structures let you say things like "I have to go," "I just arrived," "I'm going to study," and "I stopped smoking."

Catalan is particularly rich in verbal periphrases. They are used constantly in everyday speech and cover meanings that English often expresses with separate words or different constructions. Many of these periphrases use common verbs like anar, acabar, haver, tornar, estar, and deixar in specialized ways.

The key to learning periphrases is understanding that the first verb is conjugated (carrying the tense and person) while the second verb stays in the infinitive or gerund. The first verb adds meaning about obligation, phase, or aspect.

How It Works

Common Verbal Periphrases

Periphrasis	Meaning	Example
anar a + inf.	going to (intention)	Vaig a estudiar. (I'm going to study.)
acabar de + inf.	to have just	Acabo d'arribar. (I have just arrived.)
tornar a + inf.	to do again	Torna a ploure. (It's raining again.)
haver de + inf.	to have to (obligation)	Has de venir. (You have to come.)
estar a punt de + inf.	to be about to	Estic a punt de sortir. (I'm about to leave.)
deixar de + inf.	to stop doing	He deixat de fumar. (I've stopped smoking.)
començar a + inf.	to begin to	Comença a ploure. (It's starting to rain.)
continuar + gerund	to continue doing	Continua estudiant. (He/she keeps studying.)
poder + inf.	to be able to	Puc ajudar-te. (I can help you.)
soler + inf.	to usually do	Sol arribar tard. (He/she usually arrives late.)

Phase Periphrases

Phase	Periphrasis	Example
About to start	estar a punt de	Estic a punt de marxar.
Beginning	començar a / posar-se a	Em poso a treballar.
Ongoing	continuar / seguir + gerund	Segueix plovent.
Repetition	tornar a	Torna a trucar.
Stopping	deixar de / parar de	Para de ploure.
Just finished	acabar de	Acabo de dinar.

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Vaig a estudiar.	I am going to study.	Intention
Acabo d'arribar.	I have just arrived.	Recent completion
Has de venir.	You have to come.	Obligation
He deixat de fumar.	I have stopped smoking.	Cessation
Torna a ploure.	It's raining again.	Repetition
Estic a punt de sortir.	I'm about to leave.	Imminent action
Comença a fer fred.	It's starting to get cold.	Beginning
Sol dinar a les dues.	He/she usually has lunch at two.	Habitual
Continua treballant.	He/she continues working.	Ongoing
Em poso a cuinar a les sis.	I start cooking at six.	Beginning (informal)

Common Mistakes

Confusing "vaig a + infinitive" (future) with "vaig + infinitive" (past)

• Future: Vaig a cantar. (I'm going to sing.)
• Past: Vaig cantar. (I sang.)
• Why: The preposition "a" makes all the difference. This is a critical distinction unique to Catalan.

Using wrong preposition in periphrases

• Wrong: Acabo a arribar.
• Right: Acabo d'arribar.
• Why: Each periphrasis has a fixed preposition (or none). Memorize them as units: acabar DE, tornar A, haver DE, començar A.

Overusing "haver de" when "cal" is simpler

• Both correct: Has de venir and Cal que vinguis (You have to come)
• Why: "Cal que" + subjunctive is an elegant alternative to "haver de" for impersonal obligation.

Usage Notes

The periphrastic future (anar a + infinitive) is the most common way to express near-future plans in spoken Catalan, often preferred over the simple future. "Demà vaig a treballar" sounds more casual and immediate than "Demà treballaré." Both are correct, but the periphrastic form dominates everyday conversation.

Practice Tips

1. Describe the phases of an activity: "Estic a punt de cuinar. Començo a preparar els ingredients. Continuo cuinant. Acabo de cuinar."
2. Practice obligation: "He d'estudiar. He de treballar. He d'anar al metge." Then reformulate: "Cal que estudiï. Cal que treballi."
3. Use "acabar de" to talk about recent actions throughout the day: "Acabo d'esmorzar. Acabo de parlar amb la meva mare."

Related Concepts

• Common Irregular Verbs — the verbs used as auxiliaries in periphrases
• Causative Constructions — fer + infinitive at B2