Catalan/L005

(Prev) Lesson 5: Al bar - At the bar. (Next)

català	English
Avui, el Harry és al bar. əbuj, əl (h)ari ez əl bar.	Today, Harry is at the bar.
Ell1 espera el seu amic. eʎ əsperə əl sew əmic.	He's waiting (he-waits-for) his friend.
Una cervesa, si us plau!2 unə sərbɛzə siwsplaw.	A beer, please!
El seu3 amic arriba. əl sew əmic ərribə	His friend arrives.
Arribes tard!4 Ja són les5 nou! ərribəs tart! ʒa son ləz nɔw!	You're (you-arrive) late! It's already nine o'clock! (already they-are the nine)
Les nou?6 Arribo d'hora! Avui és divendres! ləz nɔw? ərribu dɔrə! əbuj ez dibɛndrəs!	Nine o'clock? I'm early (I-arrive of-hour)! Today is Friday!

NOTES
1: Pay particular attention to the pronunciation of ell, he. The feminine form is ella. Like jo, I and tu, you they are often unexpressed because the verb tells who is doing the action.
2: si us plau, please is literally if to-you it-pleases. It is a fixed expression pronounced as a single word.
3: Notice the final 'd' in tard is pronounced as 't'. This is a common feature of Catalan.
4: el seu amic, (the) his friend. The feminine form is seva. We have seen teu / teva, your and now seu / seva. his/hers/its.
5: les, the is the plural of la. It used before plural feminine words. See note 6.
6: The time is given as les + number, except for one o'clock which is la una. The les / la refers to omitted word hora, hour.

Translation Exercise

1. La seva dona espera al bar.
2. Esperes a casa?
3. El Harry espera la seva cervesa.
4. L'Anna arriba tard.
5. Qui ets? Sóc el teu amic!

Exercise Answers
His wife waits at the bar. Are you waiting at home? Harry waits for his beer. Anna arrives late. Who are you? I'm your friend!