Quan tinc set, prefereixo aigua, però la meva amiga també vol te.

the water

Breakdown of Quan tinc set, prefereixo aigua, però la meva amiga també vol te.

• l'amic: the friend
• voler: to want
• el te: the tea

Questions & Answers about Quan tinc set, prefereixo aigua, però la meva amiga també vol te.

Why does Catalan say tinc set instead of something like sóc set or estic set?

Because set in Catalan is a noun here, meaning thirst, not an adjective.

So:

• tenir set = to be thirsty
  literally: to have thirst

This works like:

• tinc gana = I’m hungry
• tinc por = I’m afraid
• tinc son = I’m sleepy

So Quan tinc set means When I’m thirsty.

What does quan mean, and does it always trigger the present tense here?

Quan means when.

In this sentence, Quan tinc set uses the present tense because it expresses a general habit or repeated situation:

• Quan tinc set, prefereixo aigua
  = When I’m thirsty, I prefer water

This is similar to English using the present for general truths or routines.

Catalan can also use quan with other tenses depending on context, for example in past or future situations, but here the present is the natural choice because it describes what usually happens.

Why is it tinc and prefereixo without a subject pronoun like jo?