Els ous que vull són al prestatge del supermercat.

Breakdown of Els ous que vull són al prestatge del supermercat.

ser
to be
voler
to want
a
on
de
of
que
that
el supermercat
the supermarket
l'ou
the egg
el prestatge
the shelf

Questions & Answers about Els ous que vull són al prestatge del supermercat.

Why is que used here, and what does els ous que vull literally mean?

Here que is a relative pronoun. It links els ous to the extra information vull.

So:

  • els ous = the eggs
  • que vull = that I want

Literally, els ous que vull means the eggs that I want.

In Catalan, que is very common for that / which / who in relative clauses, and unlike English, Catalan does not usually drop it here. So English can say:

  • the eggs I want

but Catalan normally says:

  • els ous que vull
What form is vull?

Vull is the 1st person singular present tense of voler, meaning to want.

So:

  • voler = to want
  • vull = I want

Examples:

  • Vull pa. = I want bread.
  • Vull aquests ous. = I want these eggs.

In your sentence, que vull means that I want.

Why is it són and not és?

Because the subject is plural:

  • l’ou = the egg
  • els ous = the eggs

So the verb must agree with that plural subject:

  • és = is for singular
  • són = are for plural

Compare:

  • L’ou que vull és al prestatge. = The egg that I want is on the shelf.
  • Els ous que vull són al prestatge. = The eggs that I want are on the shelf.
Why does the sentence use són instead of estan?

This is a very common learner question because English uses just to be, while Catalan has ser and estar.

In this sentence, són comes from ser. With location, Catalan often uses ser for a neutral statement of where something is, especially in general identification-type statements or straightforward location.

So:

  • Els ous que vull són al prestatge = The eggs I want are on the shelf

In many contexts, especially in everyday speech, you may also hear estan for location, but són is perfectly normal here.

A useful beginner idea is:

  • ser: identification, classification, and often neutral location
  • estar: state, condition, or sometimes a more temporary/placed sense

The exact choice can depend on dialect and nuance, but this sentence is natural with són.

Why is there els before ous? Why not just ous?

Els is the masculine plural definite article, meaning the.

So:

  • els ous = the eggs

Catalan uses articles very regularly. In this sentence, we are talking about specific eggs: the ones the speaker wants.

If you said just ous, it would sound more like eggs in a general sense, not the eggs.

Why is it al and not a el?

Because al is the normal contraction of:

  • a + el = al

So:

  • al prestatge = on/to the shelf

Catalan usually contracts these two words when they come together.

Other common contractions:

  • de + el = del
  • per + el = pel

That is why the sentence has:

  • al prestatge
  • del supermercat

not:

  • a el prestatge
  • de el supermercat
What does del supermercat mean exactly?

Del is a contraction of de + el, so:

  • del supermercat = of the supermarket

The full phrase el prestatge del supermercat literally means:

  • the shelf of the supermarket

In natural English, we would usually say:

  • the shelf in the supermarket
  • or the supermarket shelf

Catalan often uses de + noun where English may prefer a different structure.

Why is the word order Els ous que vull són...?

Catalan word order here is very similar to English:

  • Els ous = The eggs
  • que vull = that I want
  • són al prestatge del supermercat = are on the shelf of the supermarket

So the structure is:

noun + relative clause + verb + location

This is just like English:

  • The eggs that I want are on the shelf.

You do not move que vull to the end. It stays right after the noun it describes: els ous.

What gender is ou, and what happens in the plural?

Ou is masculine singular:

  • l’ou = the egg

Its plural is ous:

  • els ous = the eggs

So the article changes like this:

  • singular masculine: el / l’
  • plural masculine: els

Because ou begins with a vowel, singular el becomes l’:

  • l’ou

But in the plural, you use:

  • els ous
How is Els ous pronounced?

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

  • Els ouselz ows

A few useful notes:

  • els is often pronounced with a z sound at the end before a vowel: elz
  • ous sounds roughly like ows in English, but with a more open vowel

So together, it flows smoothly as elz-ows.

This linking between words is very normal in Catalan pronunciation.

Could I translate prestatge as shelf every time?

Usually, yes. Prestatge normally means shelf.

So:

  • al prestatge = on the shelf

Depending on context, it can also refer to a shelf as part of a shelving unit, but shelf is the standard translation and is exactly right here.

Can que be left out the way English sometimes leaves out that?

Normally, no. In English, both are possible:

  • the eggs that I want
  • the eggs I want

But in Catalan, you normally keep que:

  • els ous que vull

Leaving it out would sound ungrammatical or very unnatural in standard Catalan. So for learners, it is safest to think:

  • English may omit that
  • Catalan usually keeps que
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
What's the best way to learn Catalan grammar?
Catalan grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Catalan

Master Catalan — from Els ous que vull són al prestatge del supermercat to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions