caldre + Infinitive / caldre que + Subjunctive

Impersonal Necessity with Caldre

Level 6

Caldre expresses necessity with an infinitive or with que plus subjunctive.

How It Works

Cal presentar la sol·licitud states that submitting the application is necessary without identifying a separate subordinate subject. Cal que presenteu la sol·licitud identifies the required actors through presenteu. A dative can name the person for whom something is necessary: em cal descansar.

With a finite que clause, the necessity construction selects subjunctive. In a past frame, calia que vinguessis commonly takes imperfect subjunctive. The infinitive remains uninflected for person.

When caldre has a nominal subject, ordinary number agreement applies: cal una còpia, calen dues còpies. Do not generalize the singular cal of clausal constructions into a claim that every form of caldre is invariant.

Examples (3)

  1. Cal presentar la sol·licitud avui.

    The application must be submitted today.

  2. Cal que comparegueu demà.

    You must appear tomorrow.

  3. Calen dues còpies del document.

    Two copies of the document are needed.

How It Connects

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caldre + Infinitive / caldre que + SubjunctiveLevel 6Impersonal Necessity with Caldre

Learn This First

Build cal que plus subjunctive before broadening the necessity or evaluation pattern. Choose subordinate tense from its relationship to the main-clause viewpoint.

Words in This Pattern

caldre