A purpose clause names an intended result: it answers for what purpose?, not for what reason? Catalan normally uses an infinitive when the understood subject continues unchanged, but perquè + subjunctive when the purpose has its own finite clause. English to, so that, and in order to do not map word for word onto those two structures.
Decide by clause shape and subject continuity
| Construction | Typical subject relation | Verb form | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| per + infinitive | same understood subject | infinitive | neutral |
| perquè + verb | a finite goal clause, often different subject | subjunctive | neutral |
| per tal de + infinitive | same understood subject | infinitive | careful or formal |
| per tal que + verb | own finite subject | subjunctive | careful or formal |
| a fi de / a fi que | same / own finite subject | infinitive / subjunctive | (formal) |
He sortit abans per trobar aparcament.
I left earlier to find parking. — I leave and I find.
He sortit abans perquè tu poguessis aparcar davant del teatre.
I left earlier so that you could park in front of the theatre. — I leave; you park.
Hem numerat les caixes per tal de localitzar-les de seguida.
We numbered the boxes in order to locate them immediately. — careful/formal.
Us enviarem un recordatori per tal que no perdeu el termini.
We'll send you a reminder so that you don't miss the deadline. — careful/formal.
Per + infinitive: one participant, two actions
With subject continuity, per + infinitive is the everyday construction. Catalan does not normally add an explicit subject pronoun before the infinitive. A clitic attaches after the infinitive with a hyphen or apostrophe as spelling requires: per explicar-ho, per ajudar-te, per endur-se'n.
La Joana ha anat a la biblioteca per tornar-hi els llibres.
Joana went to the library to return the books there.
Hem abaixat la música per no despertar la criatura.
We turned the music down so as not to wake the baby.
Va guardar el rebut per poder reclamar l'import més endavant.
She kept the receipt so she could claim the amount later.
Negation goes directly before the infinitive: per no + infinitive. English can say in order not to; Catalan keeps no with the action it negates.
Perquè + subjunctive: a finite intended outcome
Purpose perquè introduces a goal, not an asserted fact, so its finite verb is subjunctive. Present or future-oriented purposes normally use the present subjunctive; a purpose dependent on a past action normally uses the imperfect subjunctive. This is the logic explored more fully under subjunctive purpose clauses.
T'ho escric perquè ho puguis revisar amb calma.
I'm writing it down for you so that you can review it calmly.
La metgessa va repetir les instruccions perquè tothom les entengués.
The doctor repeated the instructions so that everyone would understand them.
Deixa una mica de sopa perquè l'avi en pugui menjar quan torni.
Leave some soup so that Grandpa can have some when he gets back.
Do not confuse this purpose use with causal perquè. Causal perquè reports a reason and ordinarily takes the indicative; purpose perquè presents a desired outcome and takes the subjunctive.
He apartat la cadira perquè bloqueja el passadís.
I moved the chair because it was blocking the corridor. — cause, indicative.
He apartat la cadira perquè ningú no hi ensopegui.
I moved the chair so that nobody trips over it. — purpose, subjunctive.
That minimal pair shows that mood is not decorative: it tells the listener whether the following clause is offered as the cause or projected as the goal.
Per tal de and per tal que
Per tal de + infinitive and per tal que + subjunctive make the purpose relation explicit. They are common in instructions, reports, public information, and careful speech. They can sound heavier than simple per or perquè in a casual exchange, but they are not archaic.
Cal prémer el botó blau per tal de confirmar la reserva. (formal)
You must press the blue button in order to confirm the booking.
L'Ajuntament ampliarà l'horari per tal que els veïns puguin presentar les al·legacions. (formal)
The council will extend the opening hours so that residents can submit objections.
The form is per tal que, not Spanish-influenced amb tal que. The latter is not the standard purpose connector. With a negative purpose, no stays inside the subordinate clause.
Han separat les dues cites per tal que no se solapin.
They separated the two appointments so that they don't overlap.
A fi de and a fi que
A fi de + infinitive and a fi que + subjunctive are (formal) alternatives frequent in administrative, legal, and academic prose. Before a finite clause, standard Catalan uses a fi que, not the Spanish-influenced a fi de que. In everyday Central Catalan, per and perquè are more natural.
S'han anonimitzat les dades a fi de protegir la identitat dels participants. (formal/academic)
The data have been anonymized in order to protect the participants' identities.
S'estableix un període transitori a fi que les entitats s'adaptin a la nova norma. (formal)
A transitional period is established so that the organizations can adapt to the new rule.
The same structural split remains: de + infinitive packages an action without a separate finite clause; que + subjunctive introduces a finite goal.
When the subjects appear to be the same
The same-subject guideline is powerful, but clause structure matters. Perquè + subjunctive may occur with a subject coreferential with the main-clause subject when the speaker deliberately presents a fully finite goal, especially for emphasis or contrast. At A2, prefer the more economical infinitive whenever no contrast requires a finite clause.
M'he posat una alarma per llevar-me a les sis.
I set an alarm to get up at six. — natural same-subject infinitive.
M'he posat una alarma perquè sigui jo, i no pas el meu company, qui obri la botiga.
I set an alarm so that it will be me, not my colleague, who opens the shop. — finite clause highlights the contrasted subject.
The embedded and reordered sentence below puts the purpose first. Because the clause is long and frames the whole statement, it is followed by a comma:
Per tal que, quan arribi l'auditor, tots els justificants siguin a l'expedient, la Marta els revisarà aquesta tarda.
So that, when the auditor arrives, all the supporting documents are in the file, Marta will review them this afternoon.
A natural dialogue
—Per què has imprès dues còpies? —Una és per deixar-la a recepció i l'altra, perquè la Laia se la pugui endur. —Posa-hi el seu nom per tal que ningú no s'equivoqui.
—Why did you print two copies? —One is to leave at reception, and the other is so Laia can take it with her. —Put her name on it so that nobody gets confused.
Notice the clitics: deixar-la attaches the object to the infinitive; se la pugui endur places the clitic cluster before the finite subjunctive; posa-hi attaches hi to the affirmative imperative. The connector does not alter ordinary clitic placement.
Regional and register guidance
The central pattern is shared across Catalan varieties. Perquè + subjunctive is standard in Central, Valencian, Balearic, Northwestern, Northern, and Alguerese usage. Formal Valencian under AVL norms uses the same connectors and may show Valencian verb forms, such as puga beside general pugui; do not mix paradigms accidentally within one text. Per a + infinitive also appears in purpose expressions, especially in Valencian and in formal usage, while the distribution of per and per a varies geographically and normatively. This page teaches broadly accepted per + infinitive for verbal purpose; consult per versus per a for the full regional question.
Short correction task
Correct each sentence before reading the solution.
- Et deixo les claus perquè pots entrar.
- Va parlar fluix per no que despertés ningú.
- Han creat una bústia amb tal que els usuaris enviïn suggeriments.
Et deixo les claus perquè puguis entrar.
I'm leaving you the keys so that you can get in. — purpose requires the subjunctive.
Va parlar fluix per no despertar ningú.
She spoke quietly so as not to wake anyone. — same subject and infinitive.
Han creat una bústia per tal que els usuaris enviïn suggeriments.
They created a mailbox so that users can submit suggestions. — standard connector.
Common Mistakes
❌ Et deixo una nota perquè no te n'oblides.
Incorrect for purpose — the intended outcome requires the subjunctive.
✅ Et deixo una nota perquè no te n'oblidis.
I'm leaving you a note so that you don't forget.
❌ He vingut per que m'ajudis.
Incorrect — purpose perquè is written as one word.
✅ He vingut perquè m'ajudis.
I've come so that you can help me.
❌ He obert el document perquè revisar-lo.
Incorrect — perquè introduces a finite clause, not a bare infinitive.
✅ He obert el document per revisar-lo.
I opened the document to review it.
❌ Van repetir l'avís perquè ningú no s'equivoca.
Incorrect — a projected outcome takes the subjunctive.
✅ Van repetir l'avís perquè ningú no s'equivoqués.
They repeated the warning so that nobody would make a mistake.
Key Takeaways
- With subject continuity, use per + infinitive: per comprovar-ho, per no arribar tard.
- Use perquè + subjunctive for a finite intended outcome, especially when the purpose has its own subject.
- Per tal de / per tal que makes purpose explicit in careful or formal language; a fi de / a fi que is more distinctly formal.
- Mood separates an asserted cause from a projected goal: indicative looks backward to the reason, while subjunctive looks forward to the intended result.
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Start learning Catalan →Related Topics
- Purpose Clauses with PerquèB1 — Distinguish purpose perquè with the subjunctive from causal perquè with the indicative, and choose finite or infinitival purpose clauses by subject reference.
- 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.
- Infinitive or Que-Clause?B2 — Choose an infinitive when its understood subject is controlled or generic, and a finite que-clause when a separate subject, tense, or assertion must be explicit.
- Perquè, Ja Que, Com Que, and CarA2 — Choose among Catalan causal connectors according to whether the reason is neutral, already shared, placed first, or presented in a literary explanatory register.
- Result and Consequence ConjunctionsA2 — How Catalan presents actual consequences and intended outcomes with així que, de manera que, tan… que, and tant… que.