Conjugation of córrer

Córrer means “to run,” both physically and in extensions such as “to hurry,” “to circulate,” and “to take a risk.” Its everyday present looks simple, but the completed simple past, imperfect subjunctive, and participle use the velar stem corregu-. The useful principal-parts family is therefore corro – corria – correguí – correré – corri – corregut.

Nonfinite forms

The gerund is corrent, not correguent. In compound tenses corregut remains invariable: elles han corregut. Agreeing forms are adjectival, though they are much less frequent than the verbal participle. The written accent in the infinitive córrer is essential; the finite forms do not inherit it automatically. The broader pattern is explained under gerund formation.

Indicative: simple and periphrastic tenses

The simple past is particularly (formal/literary) in much Central usage; ordinary conversation favors vaig córrer. Future correré and conditional correria attach regular endings to the infinitive without its written accent. The apparently identical corre can mean “he/she runs” or the familiar command “run”; intonation and syntax distinguish them.

Indicative: compound tenses

All compound forms use haver. Past anterior hagué corregut now belongs mainly to (formal/literary) sequencing; the pluperfect is the normal conversational form for an earlier run or hurried action.

Subjunctive and restricted periphrastic forms

The IEC accepts both correm/correu and velar correguem/corregueu in the first two plural cells of the present subjunctive. The shorter forms are also present indicative forms, so a licensing expression reveals the mood: Correm cada dimarts versus volen que correm cada dimarts.

For completeness, the periphrastic past anterior is vaig/vas/va/vam/vau/van haver corregut. The periphrastic subjunctive past is vagi/vagis/vagi/vàgim/vàgiu/vagin córrer, and its anterior adds haver corregut. Both subjunctive series are (regional/formal) rather than the general conversational baseline.

Imperative and clitics

Affirmative commands place a weak pronoun after the verb (corre-hi); negative commands place it before (no hi corris). Plain athletic córrer is nonpronominal: say he corregut, not m'he corregut. In hi corro or corre-hi, hi replaces a genuine locative complement; it is not part of the citation form.

Constructions and changes of argument structure

Córrer per + route/area describes where someone runs; córrer cap a + destination gives direction. Córrer a + infinitive means to hurry to do something, often with urgency. The verb can also be transitive with a distance or a risk: córrer deu quilòmetres; córrer un risc. English “run” has many business and machine senses that Catalan usually translates differently: one dirigeix a company and a machine funciona.

The causative fer córrer means “make circulate” and is characteristic with information, rumors, curtains, or a liquid. This is not the same argument structure as a person physically running.

Regional forms

The table gives the Central baseline. (Regional: Valencian) standard usage has first-person córrec and present subjunctive córrega, córregues, córrega, correm/correguem, correu/corregueu, córreguen; an imperfect in -ra (correguera...) is also standard. (Regional: Balearic) admits corr and related variants. Northwestern and Northern standards have their own accepted combinations. These are complete regional patterns, not licenses to insert -eg- into any convenient cell.

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

Organize córrer around corr- and corregu-. Use corrent as the gerund and corregut after haver. Plain physical running is nonpronominal; clitics replace real complements, while córrer-se has separate marked meanings. Finally, learn high-frequency frames such as córrer cap a, córrer a fer, and córrer el risc de as whole constructions.