Avui no treballo gaire perquè tinc mal de cap.

Today I am not working much because I have a headache.

Breakdown of Avui no treballo gaire perquè tinc mal de cap.

• no: not
• avui: today
• perquè: because
• treballar: to work

Questions & Answers about Avui no treballo gaire perquè tinc mal de cap.

Why is there no jo in front of treballo or tinc?

Catalan often drops subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• treballo = I work
• tinc = I have

The -o ending tells you it is first person singular. So jo treballo and jo tinc are possible, but usually jo is omitted unless you want emphasis or contrast.

For example:

• Avui no treballo gaire = normal
• Jo avui no treballo gaire = more emphatic, like I’m not working much today

Why does treballo end in -o?

Because it is the present tense, first person singular form of treballar (to work).

The verb pattern is:

• jo treballo = I work
• tu treballes = you work
• ell/ella treballa = he/she works
• nosaltres treballem = we work
• vosaltres treballeu = you all work
• ells/elles treballen = they work

So in this sentence, treballo specifically means I work / I am working.