Present tense
Complete regular patterns, essential irregular verbs, spelling changes, and future use.
The present covers now, habits, and scheduled future
Use the present for actions happening now, repeated facts, states, and—when a time expression makes the meaning clear—future arrangements. Subject pronouns are optional because the ending identifies the person; include them for contrast or clarity.
Regular present endings
| Person | -ar: parlar | -er: témer | -re: perdre | -ir: dormir | -ir inchoative: servir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jo | parlo | temo | perdo | dormo | serveixo |
| tu | parles | tems | perds | dorms | serveixes |
| ell/ella/vostè | parla | tem | perd | dorm | serveix |
| nosaltres | parlem | temem | perdem | dormim | servim |
| vosaltres | parleu | temeu | perdeu | dormiu | serviu |
| ells/elles/vostès | parlen | temen | perden | dormen | serveixen |
Many -ir verbs add -eix- only in the singular and third-person plural. Learn whether a verb is pure (dormir) or inchoative (servir). Vostè uses the third-person singular; vostès uses the third-person plural.
Essential irregulars: identity and movement
| Person | ser | estar | anar | tenir | fer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jo | sóc | estic | vaig | tinc | faig |
| tu | ets | estàs | vas | tens | fas |
| ell/ella | és | està | va | té | fa |
| nosaltres | som | estem | anem | tenim | fem |
| vosaltres | sou | esteu | aneu | teniu | feu |
| ells/elles | són | estan | van | tenen | fan |
Essential irregulars: speech and ability
| Person | dir | voler | poder | saber | haver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jo | dic | vull | puc | sé | he |
| tu | dius | vols | pots | saps | has |
| ell/ella | diu | vol | pot | sap | ha |
| nosaltres | diem | volem | podem | sabem | hem |
| vosaltres | dieu | voleu | podeu | sabeu | heu |
| ells/elles | diuen | volen | poden | saben | han |
Haver is mainly an auxiliary (he arribat). The impersonal existence form is always hi ha: Hi ha tres places lliures.
Essential irregulars: perception and common spelling changes
| Person | conèixer | veure | beure | menjar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| jo | conec | veig | bec | menjo |
| tu | coneixes | veus | beus | menges |
| ell/ella | coneix | veu | beu | menja |
| nosaltres | coneixem | veiem | bevem | mengem |
| vosaltres | coneixeu | veieu | beveu | mengeu |
| ells/elles | coneixen | veuen | beuen | mengen |
Menjar is not meaningfully irregular: g changes to j before o to preserve the soft sound. Similar spelling protection occurs in pagar → pago/pagues and començar → començo/comences.
Apparent “stem changes”
High-frequency verbs often have a special first person: poder → puc, voler → vull, tenir → tinc, venir → vinc. Unlike Spanish, regular Catalan pensar does not diphthongize: penso, penses, pensa, pensem, penseu, pensen.
Present with future meaning
A fixed plan with an explicit future time commonly uses the present: Demà dinem amb la Marta. Use the future ending when prediction, promise, or uncertainty is more prominent: Ja t’ho explicaré.
Examples in context
Treballo al centre, però visc a Gràcia.
I work in the centre, but I live in Gràcia.
Què fas ara? Preparo el sopar.
What are you doing now? I’m preparing dinner.
No puc venir perquè tinc una reunió.
I can’t come because I have a meeting.
Coneixeu algun restaurant que serveixi menjar vegetarià?
Do you know a restaurant that serves vegetarian food?
Sempre bec cafè després de dinar.
I always drink coffee after lunch.
Hi ha molta gent a la plaça.
There are lots of people in the square.
Demà agafem el tren de les vuit.
Tomorrow we’re taking the eight o’clock train.
Penso que tens raó.
I think you’re right.
La meva germana diu que no ho sap.
My sister says she doesn’t know.
Voleu veure el pis abans de decidir-vos?
Do you want to see the flat before deciding?
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