Learn Hardcore Catalan: Quan arribis a l'andana, mira si el tren té retard i truca'm. - When you arrive at the platform, check whether the train is delayed and call me.

Word

Quan arribis a l'andana, mira si el tren té retard i truca'm.

Meaning

When you arrive at the platform, check whether the train is delayed and call me.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Lesson

Breakdown of Quan arribis a l'andana, mira si el tren té retard i truca'm.

Why is it arribis and not arribes?

Because after quan when you are talking about a future action, Catalan normally uses the present subjunctive.

Quan arribes... = when you arrive / when you are arriving (more like a habitual or general situation, depending on context)
Quan arribis... = when you arrive in the future

So in this sentence, Quan arribis a l'andana means When you get to the platform.

This is something English speakers often notice because English does not use a special subjunctive form here.

What form is arribis exactly?

Arribis is the 2nd person singular present subjunctive of arribar (to arrive).

The present subjunctive of arribar is:

Here it matches an understood tu, because the rest of the sentence is also speaking to one person informally: mira and truca'm.

Why is it a l'andana?