Breakdown of Si tinc mal de cap, no vull mirar la televisió.
tenir
to have
voler
to want
no
not
mirar
to watch
Questions & Answers about Si tinc mal de cap, no vull mirar la televisió.
Why is it si tinc and not si tingui?
Because after si meaning if, Catalan normally uses the indicative, not the subjunctive, for real or likely situations.
So:
- Si tinc mal de cap... = If I have a headache...
Using tingui here would sound wrong in standard Catalan.
A useful rule:
- si + present indicative for normal if clauses
- then another clause with present, future, imperative, etc.
Examples:
- Si plou, em quedo a casa. = If it rains, I stay home.
- Si tinc temps, t’ajudo. = If I have time, I’ll help you.
Why is there no jo before tinc or vull?
Catalan often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already shows the subject.
So:
- tinc already means I have
- vull already means I want
That means Si tinc mal de cap, no vull mirar la televisió is completely natural without jo.
You could say:
- Si jo tinc mal de cap, no vull mirar la televisió
But adding jo usually gives extra emphasis, like If I have a headache... with stress on I.