BrixBloks Grammar Apps

In simple, neutral sentences you can think in the pattern: who + does what + to what. You can leave out the subject pronoun when it is clear from the verb ending, but the basic order of ideas stays Subject–Verb–Object.

Memory tip: If you feel lost, keep the English order in mind: subject, then verb, then the rest. Later you can drop the subject pronoun when you feel more confident.

Nouns ending in a vowel often add -s: casa → cases, amic → amics. Nouns ending in a consonant often add -s or -os. Some words change spelling a little or add -es. At beginner level, learn the most useful nouns as singular + plural pairs.

Memory tip: When you meet a new noun, note it as a pair: casa/cases, amic/amics. You will quickly start to see the main patterns.

Use el (masculine singular) and la (feminine singular) for specific things: el llibre, la casa. The plurals are els and les. For non-specific things use un/una in the singular and uns/unes in the plural: un llibre, una casa. The verb does not change with definite or indefinite nouns.

Memory tip: Ask: is this thing specific in the situation? If yes, use el/la/els/les. If not, use un/una/uns/unes.

You can put a possessive before the noun: el meu llibre, la teva clau, el seu cotxe. With names you often use de: el llibre d'en Pere, la casa de l'Anna. The noun itself does not take a special ending for possession.

Memory tip: Learn the basic set: el meu/la meva (my), el teu/la teva (your), el seu/la seva (his/her), el nostre/la nostra (our), el vostre/la vostra (your, plural).

For many yes/no questions, you can simply use statement word order but say it like a question: Viu aquí? Sometimes you see the little word que at the beginning: Que vius aquí? Wh-questions start with on (where), què (what), quan (when), per què (why), com (how).

Memory tip: Memorise a few wh-question models: On vius?, Què fas?, Quan arribes? Then just swap the verb and vocabulary.

Place no in front of the verb: No bec cafè, No és cansat. With compound tenses, no goes before the auxiliary: No he vist la pel·lícula. Other negative words like mai (never) often appear together with no.

Memory tip: Think: say the sentence in the normal way, then simply drop a no in front of the verb.

Use ser for what something is: Sóc estudiant, Ell és metge, La casa és gran. Use estar for how or where something is right now: Estic cansat, Som a casa. In the present tense, the forms you see a lot are sóc, ets, és, som, sou, són and estic, estàs, està, estem, esteu, estan.

Memory tip: Ask two quick questions: WHAT is it? (often ser) and HOW/WHERE is it now? (often estar). This simple rule works well for many beginner sentences.

Common location words include a (to/at), en (in), sobre (on), sota (under), al costat de (next to). They come before the noun: a l'habitació, sobre la taula. The noun keeps its normal form.

Memory tip: Learn a few fixed chunks: a casa, a l'escola, a la ciutat, sobre la taula, sota el llit. They appear again and again in real life.

In Catalan you often say casa gran, cotxe nou, and the adjective changes ending for feminine and plural: casa gran/cases grans, amic nou/amiga nova. Some common adjectives can also come before the noun, but for beginners it is safe to put them after.

Memory tip: When you learn a new adjective, learn it with a noun: casa gran, cotxe lent, amic simpàtic. This helps with word order and agreement.

This periphrastic past uses the present of anar (vaig, vas, va, vam, vau, van) plus the infinitive: vaig menjar, vam mirar. You will also see he menjat (present perfect) in writing, but many learners start with the vaig + infinitive pattern because it is very frequent in speech.

Memory tip: Memorise the six forms of anar in this pattern (vaig, vas, va, vam, vau, van) with a few common verbs like menjar, anar, veure.

You can use future endings: treballaré demà, sortirem aquesta nit. You can also use the present tense with a future time word: Demà treballo, Aquesta nit sortim. Both are natural; at beginner level you can pick one clear model and then notice how natives mix them.

Memory tip: Add a simple future line to new verbs: Demà estudiaré català / Demà estudio català. This keeps the pattern fresh.

These verbs are conjugated and followed by an infinitive: Puc parlar català, He de treballar, Vull descansar. Together with the infinitive they show ability, necessity or desire.

Memory tip: Practise three sentence starters: Puc…, He de…, Vull…. Then drop different infinitives after them: viatjar, estudiar, descansar.

To compare two things, use més (more) or menys (less) before the adjective plus que: més gran que, menys interessant que. For equality, use tan … com: tan alt com. For 'the most', use el més or la més: el més gran, la més bonica.

Memory tip: Keep three pieces in mind: més … que, tan … com, el/la més …. These cover a lot of everyday comparisons.

For everyday instructions you often use the tu or vosaltres form without the subject: Vine aquí!, Obre la porta!, Espereu un moment! Add si us plau to sound more polite: Seu, si us plau.

Memory tip: Learn a short list of everyday commands: Vine!, Para!, Mira!, Escolta!, Seu!. You will hear and use them a lot.