Breakdown of Si vols arribar a la plaça, no giris a la dreta després del pont; continua recte.
voler
to want
no
not
a
to
després de
after
Questions & Answers about Si vols arribar a la plaça, no giris a la dreta després del pont; continua recte.
Why is si written without an accent?
Because si without an accent means if.
Catalan also has sí with an accent, which means yes. This is a very common distinction:
- si = if
- sí = yes
So in this sentence, Si vols... means If you want...
Why is it vols and not vol?
Vols is the 2nd person singular form of voler (to want) in the present tense, used for tu:
- jo vull = I want
- tu vols = you want
- ell/ella vol = he/she wants
Since the sentence is addressing one person informally, Catalan uses vols.
Why doesn’t the sentence include tu?
Catalan often leaves out subject pronouns when they are already clear from the verb form.
So:
- Si vols arribar...
means the same as - Si tu vols arribar...
The verb vols already tells us the subject is tu, so adding tu is usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.
Why is it Si vols arribar... and not some subjunctive form after si?