Vostè sap on és l'estació?

to be

Breakdown of Vostè sap on és l'estació?

• on: where
• vostè: you
• l'estació: the station

Questions & Answers about Vostè sap on és l'estació?

What does Vostè mean, and when would I use it?

Vostè means you in a formal, polite singular way.

You use it when speaking respectfully to:

• a stranger
• an older person
• a customer, official, or someone in a formal situation

It is the Catalan equivalent of formal you, as opposed to informal tu.

So this sentence is polite: Vostè sap on és l'estació?

Why is it sap and not saps?

Because Vostè uses the third-person singular verb form, not the tu form.

With the verb saber (to know):

• tu saps = you know, informal
• vostè sap = you know, formal
• ell/ella sap = he/she knows

So:

• Tu saps on és l'estació? = informal
• Vostè sap on és l'estació? = formal

This is very common in Catalan: formal you takes third-person verb forms.

Can I leave out Vostè?

Yes. Catalan often drops subject pronouns when they are clear from the verb.

So Sap on és l'estació? is also correct and very natural.

Including Vostè can make the sentence sound: