de (origen, possessió i matèria)
Core Uses of De
De can express origin, possession, material or the subject of a discussion.
How It Works
Soc de Lleida identifies origin. El llibre de la Marta identifies whose book it is, and una taula de fusta names the material. Catalan commonly puts the possessor after the thing possessed with de; it does not use an English-style apostrophe-s.
Compare an origin phrase with a destination: vinc de Girona but vaig a Girona. Possession also uses de after the thing possessed: la bicicleta de l'Anna. The article before a person's name varies regionally, but de still expresses the ownership relationship.
Material follows the same preposition without an article when used generically: una porta de fusta, una tassa de ceràmica. A phrase such as un got d'aigua names contents, whereas un got de vidre names material. The preposition is the same, so context and the following noun tell you the precise relation.
Examples (3)
- Venim de Lleida.
We are coming from Lleida.
- Aquesta és la bicicleta de la Marta.
This is Marta’s bicycle.
- Han comprat una taula de fusta.
They have bought a wooden table.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Identify origin, possession and material relations.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice de (origen, possessió i matèria) in Bubblegum
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