Catalan uses an infinitive when the performer of its action is recoverable from the governing construction: Vull sortir means that the person who wants is also the person who will leave. A finite clause with que becomes natural when its verb needs its own explicit subject, tense, mood, or assertion: Vull que surtis assigns the leaving to “you.”
“Same subject → infinitive; different subject → que” is an excellent first test, but it is not the whole system. Some verbs make an object control the infinitive, impersonal expressions can be generic, and a change from infinitive to que can alter what is asserted rather than merely naming another person.
The decision workflow
Ask these questions in order:
- Who performs the second event? If it is obligatorily the subject of the first verb, prefer an infinitive.
- Does a recipient or object control the second event? Some verbs allow demanar a algú de fer una cosa; the infinitive can therefore have a different performer from the main subject.
- Is the performer generic or irrelevant? An infinitive after an impersonal expression can state a general norm.
- Must the subordinate clause express its own person, tense, mood, or factual status? Use que plus a finite verb.
- Is there a preposition before the complement? Its shape may change before que; never preserve it mechanically from the infinitive construction.
| Meaning | Usual structure | Model |
|---|---|---|
| same actor | finite verb + infinitive | Espero arribar. |
| separate actor | finite verb + que + finite verb | Espero que arribis. |
| generic norm | impersonal + infinitive | Cal reservar. |
| norm for named people | impersonal + que + subjunctive | Cal que reserveu. |
| asserted information | que
| Sé que arribarà. |
Same actor and separate actor: the core contrast
Verbs of intention, decision, preference, hope, and attempt commonly control an infinitive when both events belong to the same participant.
La Sílvia espera tornar a Girona abans de Nadal.
Sílvia hopes to return to Girona before Christmas. (Sílvia hopes; Sílvia returns.)
La Sílvia espera que els seus fills tornin a Girona abans de Nadal.
Sílvia hopes her children return to Girona before Christmas. (Different performers → que + subjunctive.)
That minimal pair changes the actor, not merely the wording. The same contrast appears with preferir and voler.
Preferim revisar el pressupost dilluns amb més calma.
We prefer to review the budget on Monday more calmly. (We review it.)
Preferim que l'assessora revisi el pressupost dilluns amb més calma.
We prefer the adviser to review the budget on Monday more calmly. (The adviser reviews it.)
Voldria quedar-me una nit més a l'illa.
I'd like to stay one more night on the island. (The speaker stays.)
Voldria que us quedéssiu una nit més a l'illa.
I'd like you to stay one more night on the island. (You stay.)
English freely places an object before an infinitive—“I want you to stay.” Standard Catalan does not copy this as vull tu quedar-te or us vull quedar. The subordinate subject is encoded by the finite verb us quedéssiu and may be made explicit as que vosaltres us quedéssiu if contrast requires it.
Control: when a different participant still licenses an infinitive
With directives and recommendations, Catalan can identify the performer as an object or recipient and retain an infinitive. Common (formal and careful) patterns include demanar a algú de + infinitive and recomanar a algú de + infinitive. A que-clause is also natural and often more explicit.
La coordinadora ens va demanar de lliurar les acreditacions a recepció.
The coordinator asked us to hand in the passes at reception. (Ens controls lliurar.)
La coordinadora va demanar que lliuréssim les acreditacions a recepció.
The coordinator asked us to hand in the passes at reception. (Finite clause makes person and past sequence explicit.)
These can describe the same request. The infinitive packages the requested action as the complement of demanar; the finite clause gives it a fully expressed subject and mood. There is no contradiction with the same-subject guideline—the lexical construction assigns control to ens.
With prometre, by contrast, the subject normally controls the infinitive. A recipient does not become its actor.
L'Arnau ens va prometre enviar la factura aquella mateixa tarda.
Arnau promised us that he would send the invoice that same afternoon. (Arnau sends it.)
L'Arnau ens va prometre que la comptable enviaria la factura aquella mateixa tarda.
Arnau promised us that the accountant would send the invoice that same afternoon. (A separate asserted actor requires a finite clause.)
Notice the indicative enviaria: que does not automatically mean subjunctive. The governing meaning decides mood. A promise can assert its content, whereas a wish presents another person's action as desired. Review that separate decision in Indicative or Subjunctive?.
Impersonal expressions: general rule or addressed requirement
An infinitive after cal, convé, és important, or és difícil can make a general statement without selecting one grammatical person. A que-clause identifies the relevant participant and supplies mood and tense.
Per entrar al recinte, cal mostrar el codi a l'entrada.
To enter the venue, it is necessary to show the code at the entrance. (General instruction.)
Per entrar al recinte, cal que mostreu el codi a l'entrada.
To enter the venue, you need to show the code at the entrance. (Requirement addressed to you all.)
És difícil negociar amb presses i sense totes les dades.
It is difficult to negotiate in a rush and without all the data. (Generic activity.)
És difícil que negociïn amb calma en aquestes condicions.
It is unlikely/difficult for them to negotiate calmly under these conditions. (Specific people and situation.)
The last pair also changes interpretation. English “It is difficult to…” can describe an activity's inherent difficulty or assess the likelihood of a specific event. Catalan makes the distinction clearer through clause type.
Prepositions do not simply survive before que
Prepositions naturally introduce infinitives: abans de marxar, sense protestar, insistir a revisar. Before a finite clause, the connector may be a different conjunction, and selected a, de, en, or amb are generally omitted directly before que in standard Catalan. If the relationship needs an overt preposition, a noun such as el fet can provide a grammatical bridge.
Abans de tancar el local, comprovarem l'alarma.
Before closing the premises, we'll check the alarm. (The understood closer is we.)
Abans que el tècnic tanqui el local, comprovarem l'alarma.
Before the technician closes the premises, we'll check the alarm. (Separate subject; abans que.)
La direcció insisteix a revisar els comptes abans de divendres.
Management insists on reviewing the accounts before Friday. (Selected preposition before an infinitive in careful usage.)
La direcció insisteix que revisem els comptes abans de divendres.
Management insists that we review the accounts before Friday. (No en immediately before que.)
Actual usage varies lexically, and conversational Catalan sometimes preserves a preposition under contact pressure. In edited (formal) Catalan, use the established frame or write en el fet que when the prepositional relation itself must remain: Insisteix en el fet que ningú no el va avisar. The full system is covered on preposition drop before que.
A dialogue where the clause changes responsibility
—Has decidit presentar la proposta? —Sí, jo mateixa l'explicaré al consell.
—Have you decided to present the proposal? —Yes, I'll explain it to the board myself. (The decider presents.)
—Has decidit que presentin la proposta? —Sí, la defensaran la Berta i en Pol.
—Have you decided that they should present the proposal? —Yes, Berta and Pol will defend it. (Other people present.)
—És millor esperar? —Sí, qualsevol decisió ara seria precipitada.
—Is it better to wait? —Yes, any decision now would be hasty. (General recommendation.)
—És millor que esperem? —Sí, nosaltres encara no tenim totes les xifres.
—Is it better that we wait? —Yes, we still don't have all the figures. (Recommendation for a specific group.)
Regional and register guidance
The participant logic is shared across the Catalan-speaking area. The exact selected preposition before an infinitive can vary by predicate, register, and region; (regional: Valencian) usage may preserve constructions that differ in frequency from Central Catalan, while both IEC and AVL standards recognize a rich infinitival system. Choose a documented complete frame, not a rule copied from Spanish.
In concise (formal) instructions, the infinitive is frequent because the addressee is generic: No trepitjar la gespa. In conversation, a finite clause is often clearer when several possible actors are present. Neither form is inherently more sophisticated; they organize responsibility differently.
Common Mistakes
❌ Vull tu portar les postres al sopar.
Incorrect English-style object + infinitive; Catalan needs a finite clause for the separate subject.
✅ Vull que tu portis les postres al sopar.
I want you to bring dessert to the dinner.
❌ Hem decidit a marxar abans de les sis.
Incorrect: this mixes decidir + infinitive with pronominal decidir-se a + infinitive.
✅ Hem decidit marxar abans de les sis.
We have decided to leave before six.
❌ És imprescindible que tu signar aquest document.
Incorrect: que introduces a finite clause, so its verb cannot remain an infinitive.
✅ És imprescindible que signis tu aquest document.
It is essential that you sign this document.
❌ Confiem en que el tren arribarà puntual.
In edited standard Catalan, do not keep en directly before que.
✅ Confiem que el tren arribarà puntual.
We trust that the train will arrive on time.
Correction task
The sentence La responsable vol nosaltres comprovar les dades intends different actors. Replace the English-style sequence with a finite clause:
La responsable vol que nosaltres comprovem les dades abans de publicar-les.
The manager wants us to check the data before publishing it.
For each new sentence, state the two event participants aloud. If one participant controls both events, test the infinitive. If responsibility changes, or if person, tense, mood, or assertion must be independent, build a que-clause and then choose its mood.
Key Takeaways
- Prefer an infinitive when its actor is controlled by the governing construction or deliberately generic.
- Use que plus a finite verb when another actor, an independent time reference, or a separately asserted proposition must be visible.
- Object-control constructions such as demanar a algú de fer una cosa are the important exception to the crude “same written subject” slogan.
- Recheck the connector when switching clause type: a preposition before an infinitive does not automatically remain directly before que.
Now practice Catalan
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Catalan →Related Topics
- Infinitives after Modal and Control VerbsA2 — Combine poder, voler, saber, intentar, decidir, and prometre with an infinitive, and identify who performs the infinitive's action.
- Infinitives after PrepositionsA2 — Choose the preposition that expresses or is selected by the relationship, then use an infinitive—not an English-style gerund—when it introduces an event.
- Expressing the Subject of an InfinitiveB1 — Learn how Catalan identifies an infinitive's understood or explicit subject and when a finite que-clause is clearer.
- Raising and ControlB2 — Distinguish raised subjects from understood infinitival subjects with semblar, resultar, voler, prometre, and obligar.
- Preposition Drop before QueB2 — Learn when Catalan drops a governed preposition before a finite que-clause, how formal and informal usage differ, and how to avoid dequeisme and queisme.
- Indicative or Subjunctive?B1 — Choose Catalan indicative or subjunctive by deciding whether a clause is asserted or placed inside desire, evaluation, nonidentification, or another nonassertive frame.