Questions & Answers about No entenc què he de fer.
Why is no placed before entenc?
In Catalan, basic verbal negation is formed by putting no directly before the conjugated verb:
No entenc = I don’t understand
Unlike English, Catalan does not need a separate auxiliary like do here. So you say No entenc, not something like Entenc no.
What form is entenc?
Entenc is the 1st person singular present tense of entendre (to understand).
So:
- entendre = to understand
- entenc = I understand
That is why the subject jo (I) is not necessary: the verb form already shows who the subject is.
Why is there no jo in the sentence?
Catalan often leaves out subject pronouns when they are clear from the verb ending. This is very normal.
So:
- (Jo) no entenc = I don’t understand
- (Jo) he de fer = I have to do
You can add jo for emphasis or contrast, but it is not required.
What does què mean here, and why does it have an accent?