Breakdown of No puc venir aviat perquè vull esperar la meva germana.
voler
to want
no
not
la germana
the sister
meu
my
Questions & Answers about No puc venir aviat perquè vull esperar la meva germana.
Why does the sentence start with No?
Because Catalan usually makes a sentence negative by putting no directly before the conjugated verb.
- No puc = I can’t
- No vull = I don’t want
- No sé = I don’t know
So No puc venir aviat literally follows the same pattern as English I can’t come early/soon, but in Catalan the negative particle goes before the verb.
What does puc mean, and where is I?
Puc means I can. It is the 1st person singular form of the verb poder = to be able to / can.
Catalan often leaves out subject pronouns when they are clear from the verb ending.
- puc = I can
- pots = you can
- pot = he/she/it can
So Catalan does not need jo here. You could say Jo no puc venir aviat, but jo is usually only added for emphasis or contrast.
Why is venir used after puc?