Editing Catalan language (section)

== Grammar ==
{{Main|Catalan grammar}}

The grammar of Catalan is similar to other [[Romance languages]]. Features include:{{sfn|Swan|2001|pp=97–98}}
* Use of [[definite article|definite]] and [[indefinite article]]s.{{sfn|Swan|2001|pp=97–98}}
* [[Noun]]s, [[adjective]]s, [[pronoun]]s, and [[article (grammar)|articles]] are [[inflection|inflected]] for [[grammatical gender|gender]] (masculine and feminine), and [[grammatical number|number]] (singular and plural). There is no [[case (grammar)|case]] inflexion, except in pronouns.{{sfn|Swan|2001|pp=97–98}}
* [[Verb]]s are highly inflected for [[person (grammar)|person]], [[number (grammar)|number]], [[tense (grammar)|tense]], [[aspect (grammar)|aspect]], and [[mood (grammar)|mood]] (including a [[subjunctive mood|subjunctive]]).{{sfn|Swan|2001|pp=97–98}}
* There are no [[modal auxiliary|modal auxiliaries]].{{sfn|Swan|2001|pp=97–98}}
* Word order is freer than in English.{{sfn|Swan|2001|pp=97–98}}

=== Gender and number inflection ===
[[File:Flexió of word Gat.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Gender and number inflection of the word {{lang|ca|gat}} ("cat")]]
{|
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Regular noun with definite article: {{lang|ca|el gat}} ("the cat")
|-
! !! masculine !! feminine
|-
! singular
| {{lang|ca|el gat}} || {{lang|ca|la gat'''a'''}}
|-
! plural
| {{lang|ca|els gat'''s'''}} || {{lang|ca|les gat'''es'''}}
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Adjective with 4 forms: <br />{{lang|ca|verd}} ("green")
|-
! !! masculine !! feminine
|-
! singular
| {{lang|ca|verd}} || {{lang|ca|verd'''a'''}}
|-
! plural
| {{lang|ca|verd'''s'''}} || {{lang|ca|verd'''es'''}}
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Adjective with 3 forms: <br />{{lang|ca|feliç}} ("happy")
|-
! !! masculine !! feminine
|-
! singular
| colspan="2" | {{lang|ca|feliç}}
|-
! plural
| {{lang|ca|feliç'''os'''}} || {{lang|ca|felic'''es'''}}
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Adjective with 2 forms: <br />{{lang|ca|{{not a typo|indiferent}}}} ("indifferent")
|-
! !! masculine !! feminine
|-
! singular
| colspan="2" | {{lang|ca|{{not a typo|indiferent}}}}
|-
! plural
| colspan="2" | {{lang|ca|{{not a typo|indiferent}}'''s'''}}
|}
|}

In [[gender inflection]], the most notable feature is (compared to [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]] or [[Italian language|Italian]]), the loss of the typical [[masculine]] [[suffix]] {{lang|ca|-o}}. Thus, the alternance of {{lang|ca|-o}}/{{lang|ca|-a}}, has been replaced by ''ø''/{{lang|ca|-a}}.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=630}} There are only a few exceptions, such as {{lang|ca|minso}}/{{lang|ca|minsa}} ("scarce").{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=630}} Many not completely predictable morphological alternations may occur, such as:{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=630}}
* Affrication: {{lang|ca|bo'''ig'''}}/{{lang|ca|bo'''j'''<u>a</u>}} ("insane") vs. {{lang|ca|lle'''ig'''}}/{{lang|ca|lle'''tj'''<u>a</u>}} ("ugly")
* Loss of {{lang|ca|n}}: {{lang|ca|pla}}/{{lang|ca|pla'''n'''<u>a</u>}} ("flat") vs. {{lang|ca|sego'''n'''}}/{{lang|ca|sego'''n'''<u>a</u>}} ("second")
* [[Final obstruent devoicing]]: {{lang|ca|senti'''t'''}}/{{lang|ca|senti'''d'''<u>a</u>}} ("felt") vs. {{lang|ca|di'''t'''}}/{{lang|ca|di'''t'''<u>a</u>}} ("said")

Catalan has few [[Suppletion|suppletive]] couplets, like Italian and Spanish, and unlike French. Thus, Catalan has {{lang|ca|noi}}/{{lang|ca|noia}} ("boy"/"girl") and {{lang|ca|gall}}/{{lang|ca|gallina}} ("cock"/"hen"), whereas French has {{lang|ca|garçon}}/{{lang|ca|fille}} and {{lang|ca|coq}}/{{lang|ca|poule}}.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=630}}

There is a tendency to abandon traditionally gender-invariable adjectives in favor of marked ones, something prevalent in [[Occitan language|Occitan]] and French. Thus, one can find {{lang|ca|bullent}}/{{lang|ca|bullenta}} ("boiling") in contrast with traditional {{lang|ca|bullent}}/{{lang|ca|bullent}}.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=630}}

As in the other Western Romance languages, the main plural expression is the suffix {{lang|ca|-s}}, which may create morphological alternations similar to the ones found in gender inflection, albeit more rarely.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=630}} The most important one is the addition of {{lang|ca|-o-}} before certain consonant groups, a [[phonetic]] phenomenon that does not affect feminine forms: {{lang|ca|el pols}}/{{lang|ca|els polsos}} ("the pulse"/"the pulses") vs. {{lang|ca|la pols}}/{{lang|ca|les pols}} ("the dust"/"the dusts").{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|pp=630–631}}

=== Determiners ===
{|
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Definite article in Standard Catalan <br />(elided forms in brackets){{sfn|Fabra|1926|pp=29–30}}
|-
! !! masculine !! feminine
|-
! singular
| {{lang|ca|el}} ({{lang|ca|l<nowiki>'</nowiki>}}) || {{lang|ca|la}} ({{lang|ca|l<nowiki>'</nowiki>}})
|-
! plural
| {{lang|ca|els}} || {{lang|ca|les}}
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Contractions of the definite article
|-
! colspan="2"  rowspan="2" |
! colspan="3" | preposition
|-
! ''a'' !! ''de'' !! ''per''
|-
! rowspan="2" | article || ''el''
| {{lang|ca|al}} ({{lang|ca|a l<nowiki>'</nowiki>}}) || {{lang|ca|del}} ({{lang|ca|de l<nowiki>'</nowiki>}}) || {{lang|ca|pel}} ({{lang|ca|per l<nowiki>'</nowiki>}})
|-
! ''els''
| {{lang|ca|als}} || {{lang|ca|dels}} || {{lang|ca|pels}}
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Indefinite article
|-
! !! masculine !! feminine
|-
! singular
| {{lang|ca|un}} || {{lang|ca|una}}
|-
! plural
| {{lang|ca|uns}} || {{lang|ca|unes}}
|}
|}

The inflection of determinatives is complex, specially because of the high number of elisions, but is similar to the neighboring languages.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}} Catalan has more contractions of preposition + article than [[Spanish language|Spanish]], such as {{lang|ca|dels}} ("of + the [plural]"), but not as many as [[Italian language|Italian]] (which has {{lang|it|sul}}, {{lang|it|col}}, {{lang|it|nel}}, etc.).{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}}

Central Catalan has abandoned almost completely unstressed possessives ({{lang|ca|mon}}, etc.) in favor of constructions of article + stressed forms ({{lang|ca|el meu}}, etc.), a feature shared with Italian.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}}

=== Personal pronouns ===
{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center; float:right; margin-left: 1em;"
|+ Catalan stressed pronouns{{sfn|Fabra|1926|p=42}}
! colspan="2" | &nbsp; !! singular !! plural
|-
! colspan="2" | 1st person
| {{lang|ca|jo}}, {{lang|ca|mi}} || {{lang|ca|nosaltres}}
|-
! rowspan="3" | 2nd person !! informal
| {{lang|ca|tu}} || {{lang|ca|vosaltres}}
|-
! formal
| {{lang|ca|vostè}} || {{lang|ca|vostès}}
|-
! respectful
| colspan="2" | ({{lang|ca|vós}})<ref>Archaic in most dialects.</ref>
|-
! rowspan="2" | 3rd person !! masculine
| {{lang|ca|ell}} || {{lang|ca|ells}}
|-
! feminine
| {{lang|ca|ella}} || {{lang|ca|elles}}
|}

The morphology of Catalan personal pronouns is complex, especially in unstressed forms, which are numerous (13 distinct forms, compared to 11 in Spanish or 9 in Italian).{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}} Features include the gender-neutral {{lang|ca|ho}} and the great degree of freedom when combining different unstressed pronouns (65 combinations).{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}}

Catalan pronouns exhibit [[T–V distinction]], like all other Romance languages (and most European languages, but not Modern English). This feature implies the use of a different set of second person pronouns for formality.

This flexibility allows Catalan to use [[extraposition]] extensively, much more than French or Spanish. Thus, Catalan can have {{lang|ca|m'hi recomanaren}} ("they recommended me to him"), whereas in French one must say {{lang|fr|ils m'ont recommandé à lui}}, and Spanish {{lang|es|me recomendaron a él}}.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}} This allows the placement of almost any nominal term as a sentence [[Topic–comment|topic]], without having to use so often the [[passive voice]] (as in French or English), or identifying the [[direct object]] with a [[preposition]] (as in Spanish).{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}}
{{clear}}

=== Verbs ===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:1em"
|+ Simple forms of a regular verb of the first conjugation: {{lang|ca|portar}} ("to bring"){{sfn|Fabra|1926|pp=70–71}}
! style="background:#e0e0ff;"|Non-finite || colspan="6" style="background:#e0e0ff;"|Form
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Infinitive || colspan="6" | {{lang|ca|portar}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Gerund || colspan="6" | {{lang|ca|portant}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Past participle || colspan="6" | {{lang|ca|portat}} ({{lang|ca|portat}}, {{lang|ca|portada}}, {{lang|ca|portats}}, {{lang|ca|portades}})
|- style="text-align: center;"
! style="background:#e0e0ff;"|Indicative || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|jo}} || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|tu}} || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|ell / ella}}<br />[{{lang|ca|vostè}}] || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|nosaltres}} || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|vosaltres}}<br />[{{lang|ca|vós}}] || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|ells / elles}}<br />[{{lang|ca|vostès}}]
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Present || {{lang|ca|porto}} || {{lang|ca|portes}} || {{lang|ca|porta}} || {{lang|ca|portem}} || {{lang|ca|porteu}} || {{lang|ca|porten}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Imperfect || {{lang|ca|portava}} || {{lang|ca|portaves}} || {{lang|ca|portava}} || {{lang|ca|portàvem}} || {{lang|ca|portàveu}} || {{lang|ca|portaven}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Preterite (archaic) || {{lang|ca|portí}} || {{lang|ca|portares}} || {{lang|ca|portà}} || {{lang|ca|portàrem}} || {{lang|ca|portàreu}} || {{lang|ca|portaren}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Future || {{lang|ca|portaré}} || {{lang|ca|portaràs}} || {{lang|ca|portarà}} || {{lang|ca|portarem}} || {{lang|ca|portareu}} || {{lang|ca|portaran}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Conditional || {{lang|ca|portaria}} || {{lang|ca|portaries}} || {{lang|ca|portaria}} || {{lang|ca|portaríem}} || {{lang|ca|portaríeu}} || {{lang|ca|portarien}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
! style="background:#e0e0ff;"|Subjunctive || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|jo}} || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|tu}} || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|ell / ella}}<br />[{{lang|ca|vostè}}] || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|nosaltres}} || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|vosaltres}}<br />[{{lang|ca|vós}}] || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|ells / elles}}<br />[{{lang|ca|vostès}}]
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Present || {{lang|ca|porti}} || {{lang|ca|portis}} || {{lang|ca|porti}} || {{lang|ca|portem}} || {{lang|ca|porteu}} || {{lang|ca|portin}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
| Imperfect || {{lang|ca|portés}} || {{lang|ca|portéssis}} || {{lang|ca|portés}} || {{lang|ca|portéssim}} || {{lang|ca|portéssiu}} || {{lang|ca|portessin}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
! style="background:#e0e0ff;"|Imperative || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|jo}} || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|tu}} || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|ell / ella}}<br />[{{lang|ca|vostè}}] || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|nosaltres}} || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|vosaltres}}<br />[{{lang|ca|vós}}] || style="background:#e0e0ff;"|{{lang|ca|ells / elles}}<br />[{{lang|ca|vostès}}]
|- style="text-align: center;"
| — || — || {{lang|ca|porta}} || {{lang|ca|porti}} || {{lang|ca|portem}} || {{lang|ca|porteu}} || {{lang|ca|portin}}
|}

Like all the Romance languages, Catalan verbal inflection is more complex than the nominal. [[Suffixation]] is omnipresent, whereas morphological alternations play a secondary role.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}} Vowel alternances are active, as well as infixation and suppletion. However, these are not as productive as in Spanish, and are mostly restricted to irregular verbs.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}}

The Catalan verbal system is basically common to all Western Romance, except that most dialects have replaced the synthetic indicative perfect with a periphrastic form of {{lang|ca|anar}} ("to go") + infinitive.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}}

Catalan verbs are traditionally divided into three conjugations, with vowel themes {{lang|ca|-a-}}, {{lang|ca|-e-}}, {{lang|ca|-i-}}, the last two being split into two subtypes. However, this division is mostly theoretical.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}} Only the first conjugation is nowadays productive (with about 3500 common verbs), whereas the third (the subtype of {{lang|ca|servir}}, with about 700 common verbs) is semiproductive. The verbs of the second conjugation are fewer than 100, and it is not possible to create new ones, except by compounding.{{sfn|Enciclopèdia Catalana|p=631}}
{{clear}}

=== Syntax ===
{{Main|Catalan syntax}}

The grammar of Catalan follows the general pattern of Western Romance languages. The primary [[word order]] is [[subject–verb–object]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_ctl |title=Catalan |website=World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS) Online |access-date=14 March 2020 |archive-date=12 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212065626/https://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_ctl |url-status=live}}</ref> However, word order is very flexible. Commonly, verb-subject constructions are used to achieve a semantic effect. The sentence "The train has arrived" could be translated as {{lang|ca|Ha arribat el tren}} or {{lang|ca|El tren ha arribat}}. Both sentences mean "the train has arrived", but the former puts a focus on the train, while the latter puts a focus on the arrival. This subtle distinction is described as "what you might say while waiting in the station" versus "what you might say on the train".{{sfn|Wheeler|Yates|Dols|1999}}