Basic Word Order
A neutral Galician statement follows subject + verb + object, just like English: Ana le un libro (Ana is reading a book).
How It Works
The neutral order: subject + verb + object, then extra information such as place or time: O neno come pan na cociña (The boy eats bread in the kitchen).
A dropped subject: subject pronouns are usually left out because the verb ending names the person: Vivo en Santiago (I live in Santiago). Say eu, ti or ela only for contrast or emphasis.
Inside the noun phrase: articles, demonstratives, possessives and numbers come before the noun, while most adjectives come after it: unha casa grande (a big house). See adjective position.
Negation: non goes directly before the verb: Ana non le o xornal (Ana does not read the newspaper).
Questions: a yes/no question can keep statement order and rely on intonation: Ana vive en Vigo? After a question word, the verb comes next and the subject follows it: Onde vive o teu irmán? (Where does your brother live?)
Subject after the verb: verbs of arriving and appearing often put the subject after the verb: Chega o autobús (Here comes the bus). Weather verbs have no subject at all: Chove (It is raining).
Unstressed pronouns: object pronouns such as me and o do not follow the subject-verb-object slots. In a plain statement they are joined to the end of the verb, a pattern called enclisis: Chámome Iria (My name is Iria). A sentence never begins with one of these pronouns.
Other orders: Galician can move a word to the front to highlight it, as in Ese libro lino eu (That book, I read it). This emphatic order is taught in marked word order.
Examples (6)
- Ana le un libro.
Ana is reading a book.
Word by Word: Ana reads a book.
Subject (Ana), verb (le), object (un libro): the neutral order.
- O neno come pan.
The boy eats bread.
Word by Word: The boy eats bread.
The subject comes first with its article, O.
- A miña nai traballa nun hospital.
My mother works in a hospital.
Word by Word: The my mother works in-a hospital.
The place phrase nun hospital (en + un) comes after the verb.
- Vivo en Santiago.
I live in Santiago.
Word by Word: Live-I in Santiago.
No subject pronoun: the ending -o already means I.
- Onde vive o teu irmán?
Where does your brother live?
Word by Word: Where lives the your brother?
After the question word onde, the verb comes before the subject.
- Chega o autobús.
Here comes the bus.
Word by Word: Arrives the bus.
With a verb of arriving, the subject often follows the verb.
Common Mistakes
Putting an ordinary descriptive adjective before the noun, as in English.
Teño un vermello coche.Teño un coche vermello.Colour adjectives and most other descriptive adjectives follow the noun in Galician.
Starting a sentence with an unstressed object pronoun.
Me chamo Iria.Chámome Iria.In a plain statement the pronoun is joined to the end of the verb. Me chamo is the Spanish order.
Keeping English subject-before-verb order after a question word.
Onde o teu irmán vive?Onde vive o teu irmán?After a question word, the verb comes next and the subject follows it.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- Dropping Subject Pronouns
Explains why the subject slot is often empty in a neutral sentence.
Level 1 - Adjective Position
Covers the order inside the noun phrase, where most adjectives follow the noun.
Level 1 - que / quen / onde / cando / comoQuestion Words
Question words change the order: the verb comes straight after them.
Level 1 - Yes/No Questions
Yes/no questions can keep statement order and rely on intonation.
Level 1 - Pronouns After the Verb
Unstressed pronouns do not take the object slot; they attach to the end of the verb.
Level 2 - Changing Word Order for Emphasis
Shows how Galician moves words out of the neutral order for emphasis.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Basic Word Order in Bubblegum
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