Convenir means “to suit, be advisable” and also “to agree, settle by agreement.” The alternative infinitive convindre is standard and especially associated with Valencian and Northwestern usage (regional); in formal cross-regional prose, convenir is the more general citation form. Its conjugation follows the irregular architecture of venir: convinc, convingu-, convindr-, convingut. Although it ends in -ir, it is not incoative: conveneixo and conveneixes are not forms of this verb.
The base pattern is set out in the conjugation of venir.
Syntax matters as much as morphology. In Et convé descansar, the person affected is an indirect object and the advisable action is the subject. In Hem convingut una data, the verb is transitive and means “agree on.” In Tots convenim en la necessitat del canvi, en introduces the point on which people agree.
Nonfinite forms
| Form | Catalan | English guide |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | convenir / convindre | to suit; be advisable; agree |
| Perfect infinitive | haver convingut | to have suited/agreed |
| Gerund | convenint | suiting; agreeing |
| Perfect gerund | havent convingut | having agreed |
| Participle | convingut; convinguda, convinguts, convingudes | agreed; suited |
In perfect tenses convingut does not agree: les condicions que hem convingut. In la data convinguda, however, it is an adjective/passive participle and agrees. (Regional: Balearic) also has a standard convengut family; it should be used as part of that regional system, not mixed casually into the Central baseline.
Indicative: simple and periphrastic tenses
| Tense | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | convinc | convens | convé | convenim | conveniu | convenen |
| Imperfect | convenia | convenies | convenia | conveníem | conveníeu | convenien |
| Periphrastic past | vaig convenir | vas convenir | va convenir | vam convenir | vau convenir | van convenir |
| Simple past | convinguí | convingueres | convingué | convinguérem | convinguéreu | convingueren |
| Future | convindré | convindràs | convindrà | convindrem | convindreu | convindran |
| Conditional | convindria | convindries | convindria | convindríem | convindríeu | convindrien |
The accent distinguishes singular convé from unaccented forms such as plural convenen. The ordinary conversational past is periphrastic. Synthetic convinguí... is often (formal/literary) in Central Catalan and more alive in speech in some other regions. Future convindré is contracted; conveniré is not standard.
A la teva esquena li convé una cadira més ferma.
Your back would benefit from a firmer chair.
Abans ens convenia llogar, però ara preferim comprar.
Renting used to suit us, but now we'd rather buy.
Vam convenir el preu abans de signar el contracte d'arres.
We agreed on the price before signing the deposit contract.
Si acceptes aquest càrrec, et convindrà delegar més tasques.
If you accept this position, it will be advisable for you to delegate more tasks.
Indicative compounds and subjunctive
| Indicative tense | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present perfect | he convingut | has convingut | ha convingut | hem convingut | heu convingut | han convingut |
| Pluperfect | havia convingut | havies convingut | havia convingut | havíem convingut | havíeu convingut | havien convingut |
| Past anterior | haguí convingut | hagueres convingut | hagué convingut | haguérem convingut | haguéreu convingut | hagueren convingut |
| Future perfect | hauré convingut | hauràs convingut | haurà convingut | haurem convingut | haureu convingut | hauran convingut |
| Conditional perfect | hauria convingut | hauries convingut | hauria convingut | hauríem convingut | hauríeu convingut | haurien convingut |
| Subjunctive tense | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | convingui | convinguis | convingui | convinguem | convingueu | convinguin |
| Imperfect | convingués | convinguessis | convingués | convinguéssim | convinguéssiu | convinguessin |
| Present perfect | hagi convingut | hagis convingut | hagi convingut | hàgim convingut | hàgiu convingut | hagin convingut |
| Pluperfect | hagués convingut | haguessis convingut | hagués convingut | haguéssim convingut | haguéssiu convingut | haguessin convingut |
An impersonal evaluation with a finite clause takes que plus subjunctive: Convé que descansis. With the same understood subject, an infinitive is concise: Et convé descansar. English “you should” makes the person a subject, so learners often wrongly produce tu convens descansar.
Convé que reserveu taula, perquè el restaurant s'omple de seguida els dissabtes.
You should book a table because the restaurant fills up quickly on Saturdays.
No sembla que les dues versions convinguin en els detalls essencials.
The two accounts do not appear to agree on the essential details.
Ja havíem convingut que ningú no publicaria les dades abans de dilluns.
We had already agreed that no one would publish the data before Monday.
(Regional: Valencian) uses convinga, convingues... and allows imperfect convinguera.... (Regional: Balearic) additionally admits convenc, convengu-, future convendr-, and participle convengut.
The following rows complete the reference. The latter two are (regional/formal).
| Periphrastic tense | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indicative past anterior | vaig haver convingut | vas haver convingut | va haver convingut | vam haver convingut | vau haver convingut | van haver convingut |
| Subjunctive past | vagi convenir | vagis convenir | vagi convenir | vàgim convenir | vàgiu convenir | vagin convenir |
| Subjunctive past anterior | vagi haver convingut | vagis haver convingut | vagi haver convingut | vàgim haver convingut | vàgiu haver convingut | vagin haver convingut |
Imperative and argument patterns
| Addressee | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| tu | convén | no convinguis |
| vostè | convingui | no convingui |
| nosaltres | convinguem | no convinguem |
| vosaltres | conveniu | no convingueu |
| vostès | convinguin | no convinguin |
Imperatives are structurally complete but uncommon because suitability is rarely commanded. The high-frequency patterns are these:
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| convenir a algú | to suit / be good for someone |
| convenir + noun | to agree on something |
| convenir de + infinitive | to agree to do something |
| convenir en + point | to agree on / concur in a point |
| convenir que + clause | to agree that... |
The indirect-object pronoun is central in the suitability sense: em/et/li/ens/us/els convé. In the agreement sense, hi can resume an en-complement: Tots convenim en això → Tots hi convenim.
—Et convé dimarts a la tarda? —No gaire; dijous em convé més.
—Does Tuesday afternoon suit you? —Not really; Thursday suits me better.
Hem convingut de repartir les despeses segons els ingressos de cadascú.
We have agreed to divide the expenses according to each person's income.
Modern ordinary Catalan normally uses plain convenir. A rare pronominal convenir-se meaning “come to an agreement” is not a free equivalent; avenir-se is generally more natural. Conversely, do not confuse convenir with convèncer: convinc “I agree” and convenço “I persuade” belong to different verbs.
Common Mistakes
❌ Tu convens descansar uns dies.
Incorrect—when something is advisable for a person, that person is an indirect object.
✅ Et convé descansar uns dies.
It would be good for you to rest for a few days.
❌ Convé que reserves amb antelació.
Incorrect—the evaluated action takes the present subjunctive.
✅ Convé que reservis amb antelació.
It is advisable to book in advance.
❌ Finalment hem convingut del pressupost.
Incorrect—the noun agreed on is direct, while de introduces an agreed action.
✅ Finalment hem convingut el pressupost.
We have finally agreed on the budget.
❌ Demà convenirem els detalls del contracte.
Incorrect—the future uses the contracted stem convindr-.
✅ Demà convindrem els detalls del contracte.
Tomorrow we'll agree on the details of the contract.
❌ Aquesta explicació no em convenç per als meus horaris.
Incorrect if the intended meaning is ‘doesn't suit me’: convèncer means persuade.
✅ Aquest horari no em convé gens.
This schedule doesn't suit me at all.
Key Takeaways
Retain convinc, convenia, convingué, convindré, convingui, and convingut. In the advice sense, make the affected person an indirect object; in the agreement sense, distinguish a direct noun from de + infinitive and en + point. Keep convenir separate from convèncer.
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