Si vostè coneix aquesta cançó, podem ballar després de sopar.

you

Breakdown of Si vostè coneix aquesta cançó, podem ballar després de sopar.

• després de: after
• poder: to be able to
• sopar: to have dinner

Questions & Answers about Si vostè coneix aquesta cançó, podem ballar després de sopar.

Why is vostè used instead of tu?

Vostè is the formal way to say you in Catalan. It is used for politeness, distance, or respect, similar to formal you in some other languages.

If you were speaking informally to a friend, you would normally use tu instead:

• Si tu coneixes aquesta cançó...

So this sentence sounds polite or somewhat formal because of vostè.

Why is it vostè coneix and not vostè coneixes?

Because vostè takes a third-person singular verb form, not a second-person one.

So:

• tu coneixes = you know, informal
• vostè coneix = you know, formal

This is one of the most important things to remember about vostè: it means you, but grammatically it behaves like he/she.

Can the pronoun vostè be omitted?

Yes, often it can.

Catalan usually allows subject pronouns to be left out when the verb already makes the meaning clear. So you could say:

• Si coneix aquesta cançó, podem ballar després de sopar.

That would still be understood as formal you from context, especially in a situation where the speaker is addressing someone politely.

However, keeping vostè makes the formality extra clear.

What is the difference between si and ?