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Learn Hardcore Catalan: Aquest cafè té massa sucre. - This coffee has too much sugar.

Hardcore Catalan
/Lesson 20
/Aquest cafè té massa sucre.

Aquest cafè té massa sucre.

Word

Aquest cafè té massa sucre.

Meaning

This coffee has too much sugar.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Catalan

Lesson

Breakdown of Aquest cafè té massa sucre.

Questions & Answers about Aquest cafè té massa sucre.

What does aquest mean, and why is it used here?

Aquest means this for a masculine singular noun.

In Aquest cafè té massa sucre, cafè is a masculine singular noun, so aquest is the correct form.

Useful forms:

aquest = this (masculine singular)
aquesta = this (feminine singular)
aquests = these (masculine plural)
aquestes = these (feminine plural)

So:

aquest cafè = this coffee
aquesta tassa = this cup

Why is there an accent in cafè?

The accent in cafè shows where the stress falls: ca-FÈ.

Catalan uses written accents more regularly than English to indicate pronunciation and sometimes to distinguish words. In this case, the grave accent (è) tells you the vowel is an open e sound and that the stress is on the last syllable.

So cafè is pronounced roughly like kah-FEH.

Why does té have an accent?

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Té is the he/she/it form of the verb tenir (to have), and the accent is part of its correct spelling.

Here:

té = has
Aquest cafè té... = This coffee has...

The accent also helps distinguish it from other forms or words in writing. When learning Catalan, it is important to keep these accents because they are not optional.

What is the infinitive of té?

The infinitive is tenir, which means to have.

Some present-tense forms are:

jo tinc = I have
tu tens = you have
ell/ella té = he/she has
nosaltres tenim = we have
vosaltres teniu = you all have
ells/elles tenen = they have

In your sentence, cafè is the subject, so Catalan uses the ell/ella form:

Aquest cafè té massa sucre.

Why is it massa sucre and not something like molt sucre?

Massa means too much / too many, while molt means a lot of / much / many.

So:

massa sucre = too much sugar
molt sucre = a lot of sugar

The sentence says the coffee has excessive sugar, not just a large amount, so massa is the right word.

Compare:

Aquest cafè té molt sucre. = This coffee has a lot of sugar.
Aquest cafè té massa sucre. = This coffee has too much sugar.

Can massa ever mean very?

Yes. This is something learners often notice.

Massa can mean:

too much / too many
too before an adjective or adverb

Examples:

massa sucre = too much sugar
massa dolç = too sweet
massa ràpid = too fast

In your sentence, massa comes before the noun sucre, so it means too much.

Why is there no word for of in massa sucre?

In Catalan, quantities often go directly before the noun without an equivalent of English of.

So:

massa sucre = too much sugar
molt cafè = a lot of coffee
poca llet = little milk

English often uses of in some structures, but Catalan usually does not here.

Why is there no article before sucre?

Because Catalan often leaves out the article with uncountable nouns when speaking generally about a substance.

So:

massa sucre = too much sugar
massa sal = too much salt
massa aigua = too much water

This is similar to English, where you also say too much sugar, not too much the sugar.

What kind of noun is sucre?

Sucre means sugar, and it is usually treated as an uncountable noun when talking about the substance in general.

That is why the sentence uses:

massa sucre = too much sugar

If you were counting packets or spoonfuls, Catalan would use a countable expression instead, such as:

dos sobres de sucre = two packets of sugar
tres cullerades de sucre = three spoonfuls of sugar

Why is the word order Aquest cafè té massa sucre?

This is the normal Catalan order:

subject + verb + object/complement

So:

Aquest cafè = subject
té = verb
massa sucre = what it has

This is very similar to English:

This coffee has too much sugar.

Catalan word order is often close to English in simple statements, which makes sentences like this relatively easy for English speakers.

Could I also say Aquest cafè és massa dolç?

Yes, but it means something slightly different.

Aquest cafè té massa sucre. = This coffee has too much sugar.
- Focus: the amount of sugar
Aquest cafè és massa dolç. = This coffee is too sweet.
- Focus: the taste/result

Both are natural, but they are not exactly identical.

How is the whole sentence pronounced?

A rough pronunciation guide is:

ah-KWEST kuh-FEH teh MAH-suh SOO-cruh

A more careful breakdown:

Aquest ≈ uh-KWEST / ah-KWEST
cafè ≈ kah-FEH
té ≈ teh
massa ≈ MAH-suh
sucre ≈ SOO-cruh

Pronunciation varies somewhat by dialect, but the stress is important:

aQUEST
caFÈ
TÉ
MASsa
SUcre

Is this sentence specific to one dialect of Catalan?

No. Aquest cafè té massa sucre is standard and natural across Catalan varieties.

Pronunciation may differ somewhat between regions, but the grammar and vocabulary are straightforward and widely understood.

For a learner, this is a very standard sentence to remember.

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