Quan acaba la primera funció, el públic sempre aplaudeix i demana una altra cançó.

When the first performance ends, the audience always applauds and asks for another song.

Breakdown of Quan acaba la primera funció, el públic sempre aplaudeix i demana una altra cançó.

• un: a
• i: and
• sempre: always
• quan: when

Questions & Answers about Quan acaba la primera funció, el públic sempre aplaudeix i demana una altra cançó.

Why does the sentence start with Quan?

Quan means when.

In this sentence, Quan acaba la primera funció means When the first performance ends. It introduces a time clause, telling us when the main action happens.

A useful thing to notice is that Catalan often uses the present tense after quan in sentences like this, even when English might sometimes use a different form depending on context.

What does acaba mean here, and what is its basic form?

Acaba comes from the verb acabar, which means to finish or to end.

Here, acaba is the 3rd person singular present tense:

• acabo = I finish
• acabes = you finish
• acaba = he/she/it finishes

So Quan acaba la primera funció literally means When the first performance finishes/ends.

Why is it la primera funció and not just primera funció?

Catalan usually uses the definite article more often than English does.

So:

• la primera funció = the first performance

Using la is completely normal here. In English, we also say the first performance, so this part matches quite well.

What does funció mean exactly?