Breakdown of La meva germana toca en una banda, però també vol veure la funció de teatre.
un
a
voler
to want
la germana
the sister
però
but
Questions & Answers about La meva germana toca en una banda, però també vol veure la funció de teatre.
Why does Catalan say la meva germana instead of just meva germana?
In Catalan, possessives are very often used together with the definite article, so la meva germana literally looks like the my sister to an English speaker, but it simply means my sister.
This is normal with family members and many everyday nouns:
- el meu germà = my brother
- la meva mare = my mother
- els meus amics = my friends
In some contexts, especially with close family terms in the singular, you may sometimes hear forms without the article, but for learners, using the article is the safest and most standard pattern.
What does toca mean here? Does it mean touches or plays?
Here, toca means plays, as in playing a musical instrument.
The verb tocar can mean different things depending on context:
- tocar una guitarra / el piano = to play a guitar / the piano
- tocar alguna cosa = to touch something
- em toca a mi = it’s my turn
In this sentence, because we have en una banda (in a band), the meaning is clearly musical: my sister plays in a band.
Why is it toca en una banda? Why use en?