Learning pronouns in Catalan, a Romance language spoken in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia (where it’s known as Valencian), is vital for mastering both spoken and written forms of the language. Catalan pronouns vary according to number (singular or plural), gender (masculine or feminine), case (subjective, objective, possessive), and formality. This guide covers personal, possessive, demonstrative, reflexive, and interrogative pronouns, providing detailed explanations and examples for each.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Catalan are used to replace nouns that refer to people or things, and they change based on their function in the sentence.

Subject Pronouns:

• Jo (I): “Jo vaig” – I go.
• Tu (You – singular, informal) / Vostè (You – singular, formal): “Tu vas” / “Vostè va” – You go.
• Ell/Ella (He/She): “Ell va” / “Ella va” – He/She goes.
• Nosaltres (We): “Nosaltres anem” – We go.
• Vosaltres (You – plural, informal) / Vostès (You – plural, formal): “Vosaltres aneu” / “Vostès van” – You go.
• Ells/Elles (They – masculine/feminine): “Ells van” / “Elles van” – They go.

Object Pronouns:

Object pronouns are usually placed before the verb or attached to the infinitive, gerund, or imperative form of the verb.

• Me (Me): “Ell me veu” – He sees me.
• Te (You – singular, informal) / El/La (Him/Her): “Jo te crido” / “Jo el crido” – I call you / I call him.
• Ens (Us): “Ell ens veu” – He sees us.
• Us (You – plural, informal): “Jo us crido” – I call you.
• Els/Les (Them – masculine/feminine): “Jo els crido” / “Jo les crido” – I call them.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Catalan indicate ownership and agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.

• El meu/La meva (My – masculine/feminine): “El meu cotxe” / “La meva casa” – My car / My house.
• El teu/La teva (Your – singular, informal): “El teu llibre” / “La teva moto” – Your book / Your motorcycle.
• El seu/La seva (His/Her/Your – formal): “El seu gos” / “La seva feina” – His dog / Her job.
• El nostre/La nostra (Our): “El nostre amic” / “La nostra ciutat” – Our friend / Our city.
• El vostre/La vostra (Your – plural, informal): “El vostre problema” / “La vostra escola” – Your problem / Your school.
• El seu/La seva (Their): “El seu país” / “La seva cultura” – Their country / Their culture.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Catalan point to specific nouns and agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.

• Aquest/Aquesta (This – masculine/feminine): “Aquest és bo” / “Aquesta és bona” – This is good.
• Aquests/Aquestes (These – masculine/feminine): “Aquests són bons” / “Aquestes són bones” – These are good.
• Aquell/Aquella (That – masculine/feminine): “Aquell era millor” / “Aquella era millor” – That was better.
• Aquells/Aquelles (Those – masculine/feminine): “Aquells eren millors” / “Aquelles eren millors” – Those were better.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns in Catalan are used when the subject and object of the verb are the same.

• Em (Myself): “Jo em rento” – I wash myself.
• Et (Yourself – singular, informal): “Tu et rentes” – You wash yourself.
• Es (Himself/Herself): “Ell es renta” – He washes himself.
• Ens (Ourselves): “Nosaltres ens rentem” – We wash ourselves.
• Us (Yourselves): “Vosaltres us renteu” – You wash yourselves.
• Es (Themselves): “Ells es renten” – They wash themselves.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people, places, or things.

• Qui (Who): “Qui és aquest?” – Who is this?
• Què (What): “Què vols?” – What do you want?
• Quin/Quina (Which – masculine/feminine): “Quin prefereixes?” / “Quina és la teva?” – Which do you prefer? / Which is yours?
• On (Where): “On vas?” – Where are you going?

Mastering the use of pronouns in Catalan is crucial for navigating both simple and complex conversations. Practice these pronouns in different contexts, and try to engage in conversations or writing exercises to apply these concepts actively. Remember, the choice of pronoun can significantly affect the formality and meaning of your sentences in Catalan.