Demà la classe començarà a les vuit.

Breakdown of Demà la classe començarà a les vuit.

demà
tomorrow
la classe
the class
començar
to start
a les vuit
at eight

Questions & Answers about Demà la classe començarà a les vuit.

Why does the sentence start with Demà? Can Catalan put the time expression first like English?

Yes. Catalan can put a time expression like demà (tomorrow) at the beginning of the sentence, just like English can.

So:

  • Demà la classe començarà a les vuit.
  • La classe començarà demà a les vuit.

Both are grammatical. Starting with demà gives a slight emphasis to when it happens.

What does demà mean exactly, and why does it have an accent mark?

Demà means tomorrow.

The accent mark on à shows the stressed syllable: de-. In Catalan, written accents often help show pronunciation and stress, and sometimes distinguish words.

Why is it la classe and not just classe?

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

So where English says:

  • Class will start at eight

Catalan commonly says:

  • La classe començarà a les vuit

Here la classe means the class. Even when English might omit the, Catalan frequently keeps it.

Is classe feminine? How can I tell?

Yes, classe is feminine singular, which is why it takes la:

  • la classe = the class

You often learn the gender together with the noun, since it is not always predictable from meaning alone. In this sentence, the article tells you clearly that classe is feminine.

What tense is començarà?

Començarà is the future tense, third person singular, from the verb començar (to begin / to start).

So it means:

  • he/she/it will begin
  • here: the class will begin

Because the subject is la classe (singular), the verb is also singular.

Why is there a ç in començarà, and how is it pronounced?

The ç is called c trencada in Catalan. It is pronounced like an s sound.

So començarà is pronounced roughly like ko-men-sa-RA.

Catalan uses ç to keep the soft s sound before certain vowels. Without getting too technical, it is a normal spelling pattern you will see in many words, such as:

  • començar
  • braç
  • lliçó
Why is it a les vuit? What does a mean here?

When telling the time something happens, Catalan uses a before the hour, like at in English:

  • a les vuit = at eight

So:

  • començarà a les vuit = will start at eight
Why is it a les vuit and not a la vuit?

Catalan uses the feminine article with clock times:

  • a la una = at one
  • a les dues = at two
  • a les vuit = at eight

So one o’clock is singular (la una), but all the other hours use plural (les dues, les tres, les vuit, etc.).

Why is there no word for o’clock in the sentence?

Catalan usually does not need a separate word for o’clock in this kind of sentence.

So:

  • a les vuit naturally means at eight (o’clock)

If needed, you can add more detail:

  • a les vuit del matí = at eight in the morning
  • a les vuit del vespre = at eight in the evening

But on its own, a les vuit is completely normal.

Could this sentence use the present tense instead of the future?

Yes, very often.

Catalan, like English, can use the present tense for scheduled future events. So both of these are possible:

  • Demà la classe començarà a les vuit.
  • Demà la classe comença a les vuit.

The version with començarà sounds explicitly future: will start.
The version with comença can sound a bit like a scheduled fact: starts.

Is començar the same as començar-se?

No. In this sentence, the normal verb is començar:

  • La classe començarà = The class will begin

You may also encounter començar-se, but that is a different structure and is not what is being used here. For a beginner, the key thing to remember is that with a subject like la classe, plain començar is the standard choice.

Can the sentence be rearranged in other ways?

Yes, Catalan word order is fairly flexible, although some orders sound more neutral than others.

These are all possible:

  • Demà la classe començarà a les vuit.
  • La classe començarà demà a les vuit.
  • A les vuit demà començarà la classe. (less neutral, more marked)

The most natural everyday versions are usually the first two.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
What's the best way to learn Catalan grammar?
Catalan grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Catalan

Master Catalan — from Demà la classe començarà a les vuit to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • AI tutor to answer your grammar questions