Questions & Answers about Vols venir amb mi?
A word-for-word breakdown is:
- vols = you want
- venir = to come
- amb = with
- mi = me
So the structure is literally You want to come with me?, which corresponds to natural English Do you want to come with me?
Vols is the 2nd person singular form of the verb voler (to want) in the present tense.
Conjugation of voler in the present:
- jo vull = I want
- tu vols = you want
- ell/ella vol = he/she wants
- nosaltres volem = we want
- vosaltres voleu = you all want
- ells/elles volen = they want
So vols is used because the sentence is talking to one person: you.
In Catalan, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is.
So:
- Vols venir amb mi?
- Tu vols venir amb mi?
Both are correct, but the version without tu is usually more natural in ordinary speech.
Including tu can add emphasis, contrast, or clarity, like:
- Tu vols venir amb mi, però ell no.
You want to come with me, but he doesn’t.
Catalan does not need an extra auxiliary like English do in this kind of question.
English says:
- Do you want to come with me?
Catalan simply uses the normal verb form, often with rising intonation in speech:
- Vols venir amb mi?
So the word order stays the same as in a statement:
- Vols venir amb mi. = You want to come with me.
- Vols venir amb mi? = Do you want to come with me?
The question mark in writing and the intonation in speech show that it is a question.
Because after voler (to want), Catalan normally uses another verb in the infinitive.
So:
- vols venir = you want to come
- vull menjar = I want to eat
- volen sortir = they want to go out
This is very similar to English want + to + verb, except Catalan usually does not need a separate word corresponding to English to here.
After a preposition like amb (with), Catalan uses the stressed pronoun form, not the subject pronoun.
So:
- jo = I
- mi = me (after a preposition)
That is why you say:
- amb mi = with me
- per mi = for me
- sense mi = without me
Similarly:
- amb tu = with you
- amb ell = with him
- amb ella = with her
So amb jo would be incorrect in standard Catalan.
A rough pronunciation guide is:
- Vols ≈ bols / vohls
- venir ≈ buh-NEER or veh-NEER, depending on accent
- amb ≈ am or ahm
- mi = mee
A rough full approximation might be:
bols buh-NEER am MEE?
A few notes:
- In many varieties of Catalan, v is pronounced like b.
- Final consonants can sound softer than an English learner expects.
- Pronunciation varies somewhat between dialects, especially between Central Catalan, Valencian, and Balearic varieties.
Vols venir amb mi? is informal singular: you are speaking to one person you address as tu.
If you want to be more formal with vostè, you would use:
- Vol venir amb mi? = Do you want to come with me? (formal, singular)
For more than one person:
- Voleu venir amb mi? = Do you all / do you want to come with me?
So the verb changes depending on who you are talking to.
Yes. Vens amb mi? is also very common, but it means something slightly different.
- Vols venir amb mi? = Do you want to come with me?
- Vens amb mi? = Are you coming with me?
The first asks about the person’s desire or willingness. The second asks more directly about their actual action or plan.
In many situations, both are natural, but they are not exactly interchangeable.
In this sentence, yes: amb means with.
It is the standard Catalan preposition for accompaniment:
- amb mi = with me
- amb tu = with you
- amb ella = with her
You may sometimes see en instead of amb in some dialects or older/literary usage, but amb is the standard form learners should know first.
Yes, but Vols venir amb mi? is the most straightforward and natural order.
You might also hear:
- Vols venir amb mi o no? = Do you want to come with me or not?
- Amb mi, vols venir? = With me, do you want to come?
This is more marked and usually used for emphasis.
For everyday use, stick with:
- Vols venir amb mi?
Yes, absolutely. It is a very natural, common, everyday way to invite someone or ask whether they want to join you.
You could use it in many situations:
- going to a café
- leaving for class
- going for a walk
- inviting a friend somewhere
It sounds simple, standard, and idiomatic.