Hem de decidir avui si anem al cinema o al restaurant.

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Breakdown of Hem de decidir avui si anem al cinema o al restaurant.

• a: to
• anar: to go
• haver de: to have to

Questions & Answers about Hem de decidir avui si anem al cinema o al restaurant.

Why does Hem de decidir mean we have to decide?

Because Catalan uses haver de + infinitive to express obligation.

• hem = we have
• de = part of the obligation structure
• decidir = to decide

So hem de decidir means we have to decide or we must decide.

Why is it hem de and not something with tenir?

Even though English uses have to, standard Catalan normally uses haver de, not tenir.

So:

• Hem de decidir = correct, standard Catalan
• Tenim de decidir = possible in some varieties, but not the usual standard choice
• Tenim que decidir = generally avoided in standard Catalan

This is one of those places where Catalan and English do not match word-for-word.

Why is there no subject pronoun like nosaltres?

Catalan often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

Here:

• hem already tells you it means we
• anem also already means we go / we are going

So Nosaltres hem de decidir... is possible, but it is only used when you want extra emphasis or contrast.