# Negation in Catalan



## Pedro y La Torre

Holà 

I'm reading a beginner's course in Catalan and it says that to put a statement into the negative, one adds _no_.

For example; no tinc por.

However it also says that in some regions, such as Rousillion (Catalogne du nord), they add_ pas_, as in French.

Thus, one can say _no tinc pas por_ (je n'ai pas peur). Can one write (and say) this in standard Catalan too, or is it just a dialectal form?

Gràcies a tots


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## avellanainphilly

Hola!

In Central Catalan, "pas" is a polar particle, that is it is used mainly to contradict what another person had said or to put emphasis in the negation.

For instance:

a: tens molta por, oi?
b: No! No tinc pas por!

(En English, you would put stress on the negation).

I believe in other varieties, they don't use "pas" at all. 
Even within Central Catalan, frequency of use of this particle varies depending on the area. I have the impression that it is used  with greater frequency in northern Catalonia (around Girona). Maybe someone from that area can tell us more about it. 

Hope this helps!



Pedro y La Torre said:


> Holà
> 
> I'm reading a beginner's course in Catalan and it says that to put a statement into the negative, one adds _no_.
> 
> For example; no tinc por.
> 
> However it also says that in some regions, such as Rousillion (Catalogne du nord), they add_ pas_, as in French.
> 
> Thus, one can say _no tinc pas por_ (je n'ai pas peur). Can one write (and say) this in standard Catalan too, or is it just a dialectal form?
> 
> Gràcies a tots


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## Pedro y La Torre

Thanks for the answer avellanainphilly. It makes sense that _pas_ would be used in the North as it's closer to France (thus probably under more French/Occitan influence).

Therefore : Central Catalan/Valencian Catalan = no

Northern dialects = no pas

Is that a fair assumption?


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## Orreaga

Don't forget there are other uses of _pas _besides this one, for instance: _Treballa més que no pas es pensava._  This usage may have broader reach than the simple negation type you're talking about... I hope I'll be corrected if I'm wrong.


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## ampurdan

Here it is used sometimes:

"No ho sé pas"; "no vinguis pas".

Not always, quite far from that actually.

We do use a lot "poc que" the way "pas" is used in French.

"Poc que et crec"; "poc que vindrà" mean "no et crec", "no vindrà".


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## ernest_

Orreaga said:


> Don't forget there are other uses of _pas _besides this one, for instance: _Treballa més que no pas es pensava._  This usage may have broader reach than the simple negation type you're talking about... I hope I'll be corrected if I'm wrong.



In this case, the "pas" is optional as well. I would say that the only difference is that in an ordinary negative sentence the "pas" would typically be at the end: _no es pensava pas (que treballés tant)_, whereas in your sentence it goes before the verb. I can't tell whether this use of "pass" is more frequent than the other though.


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## avellanainphilly

Pedro y La Torre said:


> Northern dialects = no pas
> 
> Is that a fair assumption?



This is too strong. I had the feeling "no pas" was used more often in Girona/Empordà than in the area around Barcelona, but this is just based on my impression, by talking to a couple of people from around that area and I could very well be mistaken.


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## Pedro y La Torre

OK, compris. Gràcies a tots.


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## ryba

Pedro y La Torre said:


> However it also says that in some regions, such as Rousillion (Catalogne du nord), they add_ pas_, as in French.
> 
> Thus, one can say _no tinc pas por_ (je n'ai pas peur).



Hola.

Tinc entés que *el pas s'utilitza pertot arreu*, també a València (l'he sentit diverses vegades mirant la TV Valenciana Internacional), és a dir que és pancatalà.

Ara bé, *a Catalunya Nord la negació no es fa com en francès estàndard* sinó com en occità.

Per tant, no s'hi diu pas "_no tinc pas por_ (francès: _je n'ai pas peur_)" sinó més aviat "_tinc pas por_ (occità: _ai pas paur_)".

Salutacions, 
 if you have problems understanding Catalan feel free to ask for translation.
 correccions benvingudes!


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## UUBiker

I'm confused. Are we saying that ... 

_"Treballa més que no pas es pensava"_ = "_No es pensava pas (que treballés tant)"?_

_... _which I'm presuming (in both cases?) means "They didn't think that you worked so much."

... and that "_No es pensava (que treballés tant)" _likewise means the same thing?

But of course now I'm (even more confused) as to whether what is actually correct is merely to use "pas" or "no ... pas" or "no pas."

Help me Obi-wan Kenbi, you're my only hope.


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## Favara

Literally:_
No es pensava (pas) que treballés tant_ = He/She didn't think that he/she worked so much.
_Treballa més que no (pas) es pensava_ = He/She works more than he/she thought.
So it's just saying the same but with emphasis on different things. And, of course, "pas" is completely optional.

So, about "no", "no pas" and "pas"... It only depends on the dialect, but they're all accepted in standard Catalan (well, "no" and "no pas" are, I'm not so sure about saying only "pas").
_Català septentrional_: pas
_Català central:_ no pas / no (depends on the area)
_Valencià central/apitxat:_ no
_Valencià meridional:_ no
_Alacantí_: no

I don't know about the other dialects, but I think it's also "no" in _Castellonenc_ and _Tortosí_, and I've never heard "pas" in _Mallorquí de la Marina_ (however it might be used in regular _Mallorquí_, the Marina one is somewhat isolated). So that would mean that, in the mainland, everywhere south of the _Català Central_ areas it's just "no".


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## nurifran

Hola!!!
Bé, jo soc nascuda a Barcelona, filla, néta i besnéta (i etc) de Barcelonins, i el "pas" no l'utilitzem, excepte per dir frases amb contingut comparatiu com per exemple:
Treballa més que no pas es pensava (no és comparativa, però té contingut comparatiu entre la realitat i el que s'espera)
Es més ràpid agafar el tren que no pas anar per la Collada

(potser és un error generacional, però aquest és l'unic cas en el qual la meva familia i jo utilitzem el "pas". Després a vegades per emfatitzar una negació, però "de broma")


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## Yukia

Sí, a casa meva també fem servir el "no pas" com de broma, com fem amb altres paraules i expressions catalanes que en un context normal no faríem servir, potser perquè han perdut el seu ús quotidià (o bé no l'han tingut mai).
ryba, ja que dónes la benvinguda a les correccions, l'accent d'*entès* se te n'ha anat cap a l'altra banda (ho dic més que res de cara a qui estigui aprenent la llengua).


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