Breakdown of La cinta de córrer i la bicicleta estàtica estan lliures.
estar
to be
i
and
lliure
free
la cinta de córrer
the treadmill
Questions & Answers about La cinta de córrer i la bicicleta estàtica estan lliures.
Why is it estan and not està?
Because the subject is plural: la cinta de córrer i la bicicleta estàtica = the treadmill and the exercise bike.
Even though each noun is singular on its own, they are joined by i (and), so together they make a plural subject. That is why the verb is plural:
- la cinta... està lliure = the treadmill is free
- la bicicleta... està lliure = the exercise bike is free
- la cinta... i la bicicleta... estan lliures = the treadmill and the exercise bike are free
Why is lliures plural?
For the same reason: it agrees with the plural subject.
In Catalan, adjectives usually agree with the noun in number, and often in gender too. Here, lliures is the plural form of lliure:
- lliure = free / available
- lliures = free / available (plural)
So:
- La cinta està lliure.
- La cinta i la bicicleta estan lliures.
Also, in the plural, lliures looks the same for masculine and feminine.
Why does Catalan use estar here instead of ser?