Spoken and Written Occitan
Spoken and written Occitan share one grammar, and a few choices set the tone.
How It Works
| Feature | More relaxed | More formal |
|---|---|---|
| you | Cossí vas? | Cossí anatz? |
| negative | Sabi pas. | Non sabi. |
With tu you speak to a friend, and with vos you are polite to one person or speak to several. Non before the verb is a literary choice, and the plain pas after the verb is correct everywhere.
Short forms with an apostrophe, such as aquò's and qu'es, are not only spoken. Writers use aquò's at least as often as aquò es, so they do not mark a register.
The two past tenses are a matter of use, not of register. The compound past (ai manjat) is the usual tense for recent events, and the simple past (mangèri) is the tense of a story. Both are alive in speech and in writing.
Neither register is wrong. When you write, use vos in a letter to someone you do not know and tu in a message to a friend.
Examples (5)
- Cossí vas?
How are you?
With tu, between friends.
- Cossí anatz?
How are you?
With vos, to be polite.
- Sabi pas.
I do not know.
Pas after the verb is the everyday negative.
- Non sabi.
I do not know.
Non before the verb is a literary choice.
- Aquò's bon.
That is good.
A short form that writers use as well as speakers.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Spoken and written Occitan differ in contractions, in non before the verb and in the choice of simple or compound past, so those come first.
- Spoken Contractions
Know the spoken contractions, because they mark speech: Aquò's bon.
Level 5 - Literary non Before the Verb
Know non before the verb, because it marks formal writing: Non sabi.
Level 6 - Simple Past or Compound Past
Know the simple and compound past, because the choice marks written or spoken style: Ièr ai manjat amb Joan.
Level 4
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice Spoken and Written Occitan in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Occitan lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
