by Max Wheeler
Em sorprèn que hagi trobat una persona que el suporta.
There’s a person who puts up with him, and I’m surprised he’s found such a person.
Em sorprèn que hagi trobat una persona que el suporti.
I’m surprised he’s found a person to put up with him.
Note again here the Catalan subjunctive corresponding to a non-finite verb in English.
19.3.1 SUBJUNCTIVE IN OPTATIVE RELATIVE CLAUSES
An important type of subjunctive relative clause is one that expresses the desired or intended qualities of the referent: ‘X such that it might/could …’, ‘X intended to …’. Because of this intentional element, the time reference of the relative clause must be subsequent to that of the main clause. (The phrase una persona que el suporti ‘someone to put up with him’ in the previous example can be interpreted in this way.)
Ens ha semblat oportú de publicar uns quants llibres senzills que ajudin a fer conèixer la vida i el missatge dels monjos.
It seemed a good opportunity to publish a few straightforward books to help make known the life and message of the monks.
Busco una minyona que em netegi la casa.
I am looking for a maid to clean my house.
Em va començar a dir paraules que encara em posessin més calent.
He began to say things to me which would make/such as to make me even more angry.
19.4 THE SUBJUNCTIVE IN ADVERBIAL CLAUSES
In adverbial clauses (cause, concession, condition, purpose, manner, time, etc., see Chapters 33–34) the subjunctive is used when the situation is hypothetical, not yet realized, unspecific within a set, contrary to fact, and so on. But in some cases the selection of indicative or subjunctive is rather more conventional.
19.4.1 SUBJUNCTIVE IN CAUSAL CLAUSES
Generally speaking, real causes are expressed with the indicative; possible causes which the speaker rejects or is suspicious of are expressed with the subjunctive:
Indicative:
No vam anar d’acampada perquè feia molt mal oratge.
We didn’t go camping because it was very windy.
No vau anar d’acampada perquè feia molt mal oratge?
Did you not go camping because it was very windy? (which it was)
Subjunctive:
No ha eixit a passejar perquè li abellís.
He didn’t go out for a walk because he wanted to (but for some other reason).
Ha eixit a passejar perquè li abellís?
Did he go out for a walk because he wanted to? (sc. I expect not for that reason.)
Occasionally, when the ‘cause’ clause precedes the main clause, and especially if the compound conjunction com sigui que is involved, a ‘real’ cause may appear in the subjunctive; compare thematic subjunctive (19.2.1):
A tots cinc els vaig sentir usar el mot; com sigui que em fingís ignorant, me’n donaren més detalls.
I heard all five of them use the word; as I feigned ignorance, they gave me more details.
19.4.2 SUBJUNCTIVE IN CONCESSIVE CLAUSES
The thematic subjunctive (corresponding to a factual situation which is nonetheless backgrounded, 19.2.1) is common in the case of concessive constructions. In fact, one need not assume that a distinction between foreground (assertion) and background (mention) is always intended; that is, the choice of indicative or subjunctive in ‘real’ concession clauses may be arbitrary. The subjunctive is still the norm in hypothetical contexts, of course. Concessive clauses in general are discussed in more detail at 33.3.3.
Indicative:
Encara que feia mal oratge, vam anar d’acampada.
Even though it was very windy, we went camping.
Per més que el renyo no en fa cas.
However much I scold him he takes no notice.
Subjunctive:
Encara que siguis mon pare no tens dret a parlar-me com ho fas.
Even though you are my father you have no right to speak to me like that, (real)
Ni que tronés, no deixarien de venir.
Not even if it thundered would they fail to come. (hypothetical)
Mal que et sàpiga, hi anirem.
Even though you (may) regret it, we’ll go. (future/hypothetical)
Mentre sigui veritat el que diu, no hi ha cap problema.
Provided what she says is true, there is no problem. (hypothetical)
Per més que el renyis no en farà cas.
However much you (might) scold him, he’ll take no notice.
19.4.3 SUBJUNCTIVE IN CONDITIONAL CLAUSES
The use of moods and tenses in conditional clauses with si ‘if’, and so on, is given separate treatment in Chapter 34.
19.4.4 SUBJUNCTIVE IN PURPOSE CLAUSES
As in the case of optative complement clauses (19.2.3) expressing wishes or intentions, the subjunctive is required also in purpose clauses. Note that perquè with the indicative corresponds to ‘because’ (cause, 19.4.1), but with the subjunctive it corresponds to ‘in order that’ (purpose, when the time reference is subsequent to that of the main clause). See 33.3.2 for more general discussion of purpose clauses.
En Joan em telefonà per tal que li expliqués com utilitzar l’ordenador.
Joan phoned me so that I could explain to him how to use the computer.
Hem tancat el conill en una gàbia perquè no se’ns escapi.
We have shut the rabbit up in a cage so that it doesn’t escape.
19.4.5 SUBJUNCTIVE IN RESULT CLAUSES
One might expect that consequences which the speaker admits to be factual would always require the indicative. And this is indeed the case with expressions such as tant … que ‘so much/many … that’, de tal manera que ‘in such a way that’, de manera que ‘so that’. There are a few constructions, though, which deviate from this: d’aquí que ‘hence’ may use a ‘thematic’ subjunctive (19.2.1), and prou … perquè ‘sufficient(ly) … that’ seems normally to take the subjunctive. (See 33.3.4 for result clauses in general.)
D’aquí que don Joan … admirés en la burgesia un ferment de vida exaltada.
Hence Don Joan admired in the bourgeoisie a ferment of intense life.
D’aquí que el nostre objectiu aporti un punt de connexió.
Hence our objective brings in a connecting point.
Provava d’imitar la bella veu de Franklin, i hi reeixia prou perquè llur cosí fes una rialleta.
He tried to imitate the fine voice of Franklin, and succeeded well enough for their cousin to smile.
19.4.6 SUBJUNCTIVE IN MANNER CLAUSES
The use of the indicative and subjunctive moods after conjunctions like com ‘as’, segons (que) ‘according as’ again reflects the general principles mentioned in 19.4. Com si ‘as if’ requires the subjunctive (past or pluperfect), inasmuch as it expresses an unreal hypothesis. (See 33.2.3 for general discussion of manner clauses.)
Hem d’anar tirant com puguem.
We must get along as best we can.
Ara sembla blau, ara gris, segons com te’l miris.
Sometimes it looks blue, sometimes grey, according to how you look at it. (subjunctive because each act of looking is an unspecified one from a set)
Tu, fes com si no en sabessis res.
Just act as if you knew nothing about it.
19.4.7 SUBJUNCTIVE IN TIME CLAUSES
Temporal clauses (with quan ‘when’, així que ‘as soon as’, mentre ‘while’, sempre que ‘whenever’, fins que (no) ‘until’, després que ‘after’, etc.) are generally constructed according to the principles mentioned in 19.4. However, future or unspecified time reference may be expressed with the future or conditional tenses, instead of with the subjunctive. The former pattern is generally regarded as more ‘literary’, but it is also current in some spoken varieties. See 33.2.2 on temporal clauses in general.
Va dubtar de la seva mort fins que va veure’n els certificats. (indicative)
He doubted her death until he saw the death certificates.
Dubtaré
de la seva mort fins que (no) en vegi els certificats. (subjunctive)
I shall doubt her death until I see the death certificates.
Li vaig dir que cada vegada que passés per Lleida aniria a veure’ls.
I told her that whenever I was in Lleida I’d go to see them.
Així que el veuré/veja, pense dir-li’n una de fresca.
As soon as I see him I intend to give him a piece of my mind.
Després que hauràs/hages llegit l’extracte, parlarem de l’assumpte.
After you have read the extract, we’ll talk about the matter.
Abans que ‘before’ is always followed by the subjunctive, even when the clause denotes an admitted fact:
Va apagar el cigarro abans que vingués el professor.
He put out the cigar before the teacher arrived.
Often, as in this example, the subjunctive might be justified in terms of fear (19.2.4) or wish (that not) (19.2.3), but this is not always so:
Tots els líders eren morts abans que s’acabés la guerra.
All the leaders were dead before the war ended.
Perhaps by analogy with this pattern, it is increasingly common for després que ‘after’ to be followed by the subjunctive also, even when an admitted fact is expressed:
Tot just després que abandonés/va abandonar el meu despatx em vaig posar en contacte amb Washington.
Immediately after she left my office I contacted Washington.
19.5 TENSE USAGE IN SUBJUNCTIVE CLAUSES
Because fewer tense distinctions are made in the subjunctive (and because there is no conditional subjunctive) we need to give some attention to how tense usage in subjunctive subordinate clauses corresponds with the tenses in the main clauses they depend on. As there is no future subjunctive the present subjunctive is used corresponding to future time. With that proviso, generally speaking the tense in the subordinate clause is straightforwardly determined by the sense. Observe, though, that as in English, after a past tense main clause, a subordinate clause will normally also have a past tense, unless the speaker specifically intends to shift time perspective. Note that the conditional counts as a past tense in this respect. The examples below illustrate typical patterns and are not meant to be exclusive.
(i) Main clause in present indicative:
M’agrada que xiuli. (present subjunctive)
I like him to whistle./I like it that he whistles. (habitual)
Volen que deixis de fumar. (present subjunctive)
They want you to stop smoking. (future)
Estic contenta que hagis vingut. ((present) perfect subjunctive)
I am glad you have come.
No és possible que ho diguessin (past subjunctive)/ … que ho vagin dir.
(past perfective subjunctive)
It is impossible that they said it/that they should have said it. (present comment on past situation)
Dubto que hi haguessin estat d’acord. (pluperfect subjunctive)
I doubt whether/that they would have agreed.
(ii) Main clause in future:
Bastarà que acabin a finals de mes. (present subjunctive)
It will be enough if they finish by the end of the month.
Insistireu que ja hagin aprobat abans de formalitzar la matrícula? ((present) perfect subjunctive)
Will you insist that they have already passed before completing registration?
(iii) Main clause in (present) perfect:
T’he dit que estiguis quieta. (present subjunctive)
I told you to be still, (present/future)
Li hem demanat que ens deixi 50.000 pessetes. (present subjunctive)
We have asked her to lend us 50,000 pesetas. (future)
Ha estat un miracle que no t’hagin reconegut. ((present) perfect subjunctive)
It is a miracle they didn’t recognize/haven’t recognized you. (in a situation where the speaker might say No t’han reconegut ‘They didn’t recognize/haven’t recognized you’)
Ha estat un miracle que no et reconeguessin. (past subjunctive)
It is/was a miracle they didn’t recognize you. (in a situation where the speaker might say No et van reconèixer or No et reconeixien ‘They didn’t recognize you’)
(iv) Main clause in past tense (imperfect, preterite, or pluperfect):
La idea era que cobressin cada mes. (past subjunctive)
The idea was for them to be paid every month.
Ens va sorprendre que estigués tan gras. (past subjunctive)
We were surprised he was so fat.
Va ser un miracle que no et reconeguessin/vagin reconèixer. (past/past
perfective subjunctive)
It was a miracle they didn’t recognize you.
M’estranyava que no haguessis protestat. (pluperfect subjunctive)
I was surprised you hadn’t objected.
Déu va decretar que les serps no tinguin potes. (present subjunctive)
God decreed that snakes have no legs. (decree for all time, including present and future; deliberate shift of time perspective)
Déu va decretar que les serps no tinguessin potes. (past subjunctive)
God decreed that snakes should have no legs. (neutral about time-scale of decree)
Què vas fer ahir perquè avui estiguis tan baldat? (present subjunctive)
What did you do yesterday to make you so worn out today?
Li havíem demanat que ens deixés 50.000 pessetes. (past subjunctive)
We had asked her to lend us 50,000 pesetas. (future-in-the-past/conditional)
(v) Main clause in conditional or conditional perfect:
En tindríem prou que se’ns en disculpessin. (past subjunctive)
We would be satisfied with their offering us an apology./It would be enough if they offered us an apology.
Li hauríem demanat que ens deixés 50.000 pessetes. (past subjunctive)
We would have asked her to lend us 50,000 pesetas. (future-in-the-past/ conditional)
Hauria preferit que s’hagués enterrat allà on va morir. (pluperfect subjunctive)
She would have preferred him to have been buried where he died./She would have preferred it if he had been buried where he died. (counterfactual conditional)
(vi) Main clause imperative:
Digui’ls que s’afanyin. (present subjunctive) Tell them to hurry up.
19.6 SUBJUNCTIVE IN MAIN CLAUSES
An important use of the subjunctive in main clauses is to express wishes (27.2.4), most often using the present subjunctive after que. Tant de bo ‘I wish’/‘if only’ is followed by present or past subjunctive, and expresses a vaguer hope. Així + subjunctive is restricted to a few expressions; likewise Déu + subjunctive (without que) ‘May God …’.
Que se’n vagi! Let him go away!
Que tinguis sort! Good luck!
Tant de bo me’n parlessin. I hope they talk to me about it.
Tant de bo que hagués guanyat el premi. If only I had won the prize.
Així rebentares, canalla. I hope you burst, swine.
Déu l’hi pagui. May God reward you.
Déu nos en guard de … God forbid that we should …
The past perfect subjunctive (without que, and especially second person) is a way of expressing ‘if only …’ + ‘you should have …’ (see also 34.8):
Haguessis telefonat i ara ho sabries.
You should have phoned/if only you had phoned, now you’d know.
Ho haguessis dit.
You should have said./If only you had said (we could have done something about it).
Que + subjunctive in main clauses may express shock alongside regret:
Però que ara es valguin d’aquestes trampes amb el menjar, i a costa de la salut de tots!
To think that now they should use these tricks with food, at the risk of everyone’s health!
I que això hagi de passar en la nostra família; que siguis tu la meva germana.
To think that this should occur in our family; that you should be my
sister.
Note also the use of main clause subjunctive in expressions like: Costi el que costi ‘Whatever it costs’/‘However much it costs’ (lit. Let it cost what it may cost), Sigui quan sigui ‘Whenever it may be’, Sigui com sigui ‘However it may be’; and to express ‘whether or not’, for example: Plogui ο no, anirem d’excursió ‘Whether or not it rains, we’ll go out’, Sigui perquè es trobava malament, sigui perquè no li abellia … ‘Whether it was because she wasn’t well, or because it didn’t appeal to her …’.
Finally, a main verb following (but not preceding) an expression like potser, tal volta, possiblement ‘perhaps’ is quite often in the subjunctive in normal usage (cf. 19.2.4ii), though this is regarded as non-standard:
Potser hagi/ha vingut i no ens n’hem assabentat.
Perhaps he has arrived and we haven’t realized.
Tal vegada fos/seria millor …
Perhaps it would be better …
20 THE INFINITIVE
20.1 MORPHOLOGY OF THE INFINITIVE
The infinitive suffix basically consists of an -r added to the verb stem, sometimes with a ‘thematic’ vowel intervening: menjar ‘eat’, stem menj-; rebre ‘receive’, stem reb-; córrer ‘run’, stem corr-; dormir ‘sleep’, stem dorm-. The forms are discussed in detail at 16.2, 16.5.1. The compound infinitive is formed with the infinitive of the auxIIIary verb haver and the (past) participle: haver menjat ‘have eaten’, haver rebut ‘have received’, etc.