Sol·licita la vacant; si no, contractaran un altre candidat.

Here it is most naturally understood as the imperative: Apply for the vacancy.

Why?

• The sentence is giving advice or a warning.
• The second part, si no, contractaran un altre candidat, means otherwise, they will hire another candidate, which fits a command very well.

Formally, sol·licita can also be the third-person singular present of sol·licitar (he/she requests/applies), but in this sentence the context clearly points to the imperative addressed to tu.

That dot is called the punt volat. It shows that the two l sounds belong to a geminate l rather than the ll sound.

So:

• l·l = two separate l sounds
• ll = the Catalan sound like the lli in some pronunciations of million, though not exactly the same in all dialects

So sol·licita is spelled with l·l because it comes from sol·licitar, not from a word with ll.

This is a very common spelling feature in Catalan:

• col·legi
• il·lusió
• paral·lel

In this context, sol·licitar means to apply for or to request formally.

So Sol·licita la vacant means something like:

• Apply for the vacancy
• Apply for the opening
• Submit an application for the post

It is a more formal verb than casual everyday verbs like demanar in some contexts. It is especially common in administrative, professional, and official language.

Yes, vacant is originally an adjective, but here it is being used as a noun.

So la vacant means:

• the vacancy
• the open position
• the opening

This is similar to how English can sometimes turn adjectives into nouns in certain expressions, though Catalan does this more naturally in some cases.

You can think of la vacant as short for something like:

• la plaça vacant = the vacant post/position

Over time, vacant can stand by itself as a noun in this meaning.

Because the noun is feminine in this usage.

In practice, this is tied to an implied feminine noun such as plaça (position/post), which is feminine:

• la plaça vacant
• shortened to la vacant

So the article la agrees with that feminine idea.

Here si no means if not or more naturally otherwise.

So:

• Sol·licita la vacant; si no, contractaran un altre candidat.
• Apply for the vacancy; otherwise, they will hire another candidate.

It introduces the consequence of not doing the action in the first clause.

This is a very common learner question.

• si no = if not
• sinó = but rather / except

In your sentence, the meaning is clearly if not, so it must be si no.

Compare:

• Afanya’t; si no, arribarem tard.
  Hurry up; otherwise, we’ll arrive late.

But:

• No vull te, sinó cafè.
  I don’t want tea, but rather coffee.

So in your sentence, si no is correct because it expresses a condition: if you don’t apply...

Contractaran is the future simple, third person plural, of contractar (to hire).

So it means:

• they will hire

Breakdown:

• contractar = to hire
• contractaran = they will hire

This tense is used normally here because the sentence is talking about a future result.

The subject is omitted because Catalan often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb ending already makes the person clear.

So contractaran by itself already tells you it means they will hire.

The implied subject could be:

• the company
• the recruiters
• the people in charge
• the employer

Catalan does this very often:

• Vindran demà = They will come tomorrow
• Ho sap = He/She knows it

You only add the pronoun if you want emphasis or contrast.

Un altre candidat means another candidate.

In modern standard Catalan, using un/una altre/a is very common and natural when you mean another:

• un altre dia = another day
• una altra vegada = another time / again
• un altre candidat = another candidate

You may sometimes see altre without un, especially depending on style, dialect, or older usage, but un altre candidat is the safest standard equivalent of English another candidate.

Because this is normal in the imperative.

In commands to tu, Catalan often begins with the verb:

• Vine! = Come!
• Escolta. = Listen.
• Sol·licita la vacant. = Apply for the vacancy.

This is just like English imperatives, which also usually begin with the verb:

• Apply now
• Wait here
• Call them

So the word order is completely normal.

The semicolon links two closely related parts:

1. Sol·licita la vacant
2. si no, contractaran un altre candidat

It shows a strong connection between the command and its consequence.

You could also find similar sentences written with a comma or a full stop in less careful writing, but the semicolon is neat and clear because:

• the second clause depends logically on the first
• si no already contains a pause-like idea
• the writer wants one connected sentence, but stronger than just a comma

So the semicolon is a punctuation choice that helps structure the warning clearly.

No. In this sentence, contractar means to hire.

That is a very important false-friend point for English speakers.

So:

• contractar un candidat = to hire a candidate

It can sometimes also relate to making a contract, but in job-related contexts it commonly means hire/employ.

So don’t translate it mechanically as English contract here.

Yes. Catalan often allows shorter, more compact phrasing, but you could expand it.

For example:

• Sol·licita la plaça; si no ho fas, contractaran un altre candidat.
• Presenta la sol·licitud per a la vacant; si no, contractaran un altre candidat.

These are more explicit because they spell out things that the original leaves understood.

The original sentence is concise and idiomatic, especially in professional or written contexts.