Breakdown of Quan la cantant prova el micròfon, la seva veu sembla més forta que durant l'assaig.
quan
when
més
more
que
than
seu
her
fort
strong
el cantant
the singer
provar
to test
el micròfon
the microphone
la veu
the voice
semblar
to seem
durant
during
l'assaig
the rehearsal
Questions & Answers about Quan la cantant prova el micròfon, la seva veu sembla més forta que durant l'assaig.
Why does the sentence begin with Quan?
Quan means when and introduces a time clause. In Quan la cantant prova el micròfon, it tells you when the action in the main clause happens. This works very much like English when.
Why is there a comma after micròfon?
Because the sentence starts with a subordinate clause introduced by quan. When that time clause comes first, Catalan normally puts a comma before the main clause. English often does the same: When..., ...
What does prova mean here?
Prova is the 3rd person singular present of provar. It can mean tries, tests, or checks, depending on context. With el micròfon, the natural meaning is tests/checks the microphone.
Why is it la cantant?
Cantant is a common-gender noun, so the word itself does not change for masculine or feminine. The article shows the gender: el cantant = the male singer, la cantant = the female singer. That is why la is important here.
Why is there no subject pronoun like ella?
Catalan often leaves out subject pronouns because the subject is already clear from the sentence. Here, la cantant is the subject of prova, and la seva veu is the subject of sembla. Using ella would usually only add emphasis.
Why is it la seva veu instead of just seva veu?
In Catalan, possessives are very often used together with the definite article. So la seva veu is the normal way to say her voice. Also, seva agrees with veu because veu is feminine singular.
Why is it forta and not fort?
Because adjectives in Catalan agree with the noun they describe. Veu is a feminine singular noun, so the adjective must also be feminine singular: forta. If the noun were masculine, you would use fort.
Does forta mean strong or loud here?
It can mean both in different contexts. With a voice or sound, fort/forta usually means loud rather than physically strong. So més forta here is best translated as louder.
How does més forta que work?
This is the normal Catalan comparative pattern: més + adjective + que. It works like more/louder ... than in English. So més forta que means louder than.
Why does the sentence say que durant l'assaig instead of a full clause?
Catalan often leaves out repeated words when the meaning is obvious. So més forta que durant l'assaig means louder than during the rehearsal, without repeating the whole verb phrase. English can do the same kind of ellipsis.
What does durant l'assaig mean, and why is it l'assaig?
Durant means during, and assaig means rehearsal. The full article would be el, but before a vowel Catalan shortens el to l'. So el assaig becomes l'assaig.
Why is the sentence in the present tense?
The present tense in Catalan is often used for general situations, habitual actions, or vivid description. This sentence can describe what usually happens whenever the singer tests the microphone. English also often uses the present this way.
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