Aquesta regla és fàcil.

Aquesta means this.

It is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative adjective, and it matches regla, which is a feminine singular noun.

The basic pattern is:

• aquest = this (masculine singular)
• aquesta = this (feminine singular)
• aquests = these (masculine plural)
• aquestes = these (feminine plural)

So:

• aquesta regla = this rule

Because Catalan adjectives and determiners often agree in gender and number with the noun.

Regla is a feminine singular noun, so the demonstrative must also be feminine singular:

• aquesta regla = this rule

If the noun were masculine, you would use aquest instead:

• aquest llibre = this book

Not always. Regla can have more than one meaning depending on context.

Common meanings include:

• rule
• ruler (the measuring tool)

In Aquesta regla és fàcil, the meaning is clearly rule, because a ruler would not normally be described as easy in the same way.

So here regla means rule.

És is the verb to be in the third person singular of ser:

• és = is

The accent is important because it distinguishes és from es.

• és = is
• es = a reflexive or object pronoun, like himself/herself/itself or part of certain verb constructions

So the accent helps show that this is the verb:

• Aquesta regla és fàcil = This rule is easy

In Catalan, some adjectives change form for gender, but others do not.

Fàcil is one of the adjectives that usually has the same singular form for masculine and feminine:

• un exercici fàcil = an easy exercise
• una regla fàcil = an easy rule

What does change is the plural:

• fàcil = singular
• fàcils = plural

For example:

• Aquestes regles són fàcils = These rules are easy

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation guide would be:

ah-KES-tuh REH-gluh es FAH-seel

A few helpful notes:

• qu in aquesta sounds like k
• g in regla is a hard g, as in go
• és sounds roughly like ess
• fàcil has the stress on the first syllable because of the accent: FÀ-cil

Pronunciation varies somewhat by dialect, but this is a good starting point.

The accent shows where the stress goes.

So fàcil is stressed on the first syllable:

• FÀ-cil

Without the accent, a learner might not know where to place the stress.

The accent can also help distinguish words and guide pronunciation more generally in Catalan.

Because Catalan, like Spanish, often does not use a dummy subject like English it in this kind of sentence.

Instead, Catalan simply says:

• Aquesta regla és fàcil
  literally: This rule is easy

There is no need for an extra subject pronoun.

The normal and most natural order here is:

• Aquesta regla és fàcil

That is:

• demonstrative + noun + verb + adjective

Catalan can sometimes change word order for emphasis, but for a basic statement this is the standard order.

So if you are learning, this is the safest pattern to use.

You need to make the demonstrative, noun, verb, and adjective plural:

• Aquestes regles són fàcils = These rules are easy

Changes:

• aquesta → aquestes
• regla → regles
• és → són
• fàcil → fàcils

A common way is:

• Aquesta regla és fàcil = This rule is easy
• Aquella regla és fàcil = That rule is easy

Very broadly:

• aquest/aquesta = this
• aquell/aquella = that

Depending on dialect and teaching style, you may also see other demonstrative systems, but aquella regla is a very useful equivalent for that rule.

To make it negative, add no before the verb:

• Aquesta regla no és fàcil = This rule is not easy

To make it a question, Catalan often just uses intonation in speech:

• Aquesta regla és fàcil? = Is this rule easy?

In writing, the word order usually stays the same, unlike English. Catalan does not usually need inversion like is this rule...

Yes, regla is a feminine noun.

That is why you get:

• aquesta regla
• la regla

Its gender affects the form of words that go with it, such as articles and demonstratives.