Reparteix les cartes.

Here, reparteix is the affirmative imperative form of repartir for tu.

So the sentence is giving a command to one person you address as tu:

• repartir = to deal out / to distribute
• reparteix = deal out / distribute! (said to you, singular, informal)

In other words, it is the Catalan equivalent of a command like Deal the cards.

Because commands and statements use different forms.

Compare:

• Tu reparteixes les cartes. = You deal the cards.
• Reparteix les cartes. = Deal the cards.

So reparteixes is the normal present tense form for tu, while reparteix is the imperative form used for an affirmative command.

It comes from the infinitive repartir.

This is a very common Catalan pattern for many verbs in -ir, especially the so-called inchoative ones, where forms often contain -eix-:

• repartir
• jo reparteixo
• tu reparteixes
• ell/ella reparteix

That same reparteix form is also used as the tu imperative in an affirmative command.

It is addressed to one person, informally: tu.

Catalan usually leaves out subject pronouns unless they are needed for emphasis or clarity. So instead of saying:

• Tu, reparteix les cartes.

Catalan normally just says:

• Reparteix les cartes.

That sounds natural and complete on its own.

Yes, in isolation, reparteix can also be the 3rd person singular present:

• Ell/ella reparteix les cartes. = He/she deals the cards.

So without context, the form itself is ambiguous. Usually the situation, tone, or punctuation makes it clear:

• Reparteix les cartes. → usually read as a command
• Ella reparteix les cartes. → clearly a statement

This kind of overlap is normal in Catalan.

Because cartes is a feminine plural noun, and les is the feminine plural definite article.

Compare:

• la carta = the card
• les cartes = the cards

So the article agrees with the noun in gender and number.

In this sentence, les is the normal choice.

• Reparteix les cartes. = Deal the cards.

Without the article, Reparteix cartes sounds less natural in this context. When talking about a specific set of cards in front of you, Catalan normally uses the definite article.

So if you are telling someone to deal the cards in a card game, Reparteix les cartes is the standard way to say it.

You change the imperative form depending on who you are addressing:

• Reparteix les cartes. = to one person, informal (tu)
• Repartiu les cartes. = to more than one person, or to vosaltres
• Reparteixi les cartes. = to one person, polite (vostè)
• Reparteixin les cartes. = to more than one person, polite (vostès)

So reparteix specifically means the command to one person in the familiar form.

For a negative command, Catalan does not use the same affirmative imperative form.

So:

• Reparteix les cartes. = Deal the cards.
• No reparteixis les cartes. = Don’t deal the cards.

Notice the change from reparteix to reparteixis after no. That is a very common Catalan pattern: negative commands use the present subjunctive form.

A simple pronunciation guide would be something like:

reh-par-TEISH les KAR-tes

A few useful points:

• x in reparteix sounds like sh
• the stress falls on -teix
• les is short and unstressed
• cartes has two syllables

If you want a rough English-style approximation:

reh-par-TESH les KAR-tes

The exact vowels vary a bit by dialect, but that will get you close.

With an affirmative imperative, object pronouns usually go after the verb and are joined with a hyphen.

So:

• Reparteix les cartes. = Deal the cards.
• Reparteix-les. = Deal them.

This is different from English and is a very important Catalan pattern.

But in a negative command, the pronoun goes before the verb:

• No les reparteixis. = Don’t deal them.