When we think about verbs, we almost always think of those that describe actions, such as ‘sing’, ‘dance’, and ‘run’; processes, like ‘grow’ and ‘fall in love’, or states, like ‘know’ or ‘understand’. However, there are others that do not carry any implicit meaning, such as the verb ‘to be’. Let’s say we are with friends and decide to play the classic game of charades. When we read a verb similar to those in the first group on our slip of paper, we all breathe a sigh of relief: they are easily imitable verbs because a meaning can be extracted from them. Now, what happens when the word we draw is the verb ‘to be’? How can we represent verbs that do not express any action?

The most popular expressions from the Balearic Islands now have a version for WhatsApp. 'Això és mel!', 'Bona nit, caragol!', 'Tanmateix' or 'Més pesat que un sac de martells' are part of the collection of 35 illustrated stickers that the Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics (IEB) has presented and that can be downloaded for free.

A pear is a pear, or at least that's how it seems. The fruit is the same whether you buy it at the market in Inca, order it at a greengrocer's in Valencia, or at a stall in La Boqueria. The word is also spelled the same everywhere. However, it's enough to hear how it's pronounced for something to change. If you buy it in Inca, they will probably ask if you want it very ripe and you'll hear a 'p[ə]ra' (neutral 'e'). If you are in Valencia, it will be a 'p[é]ra' (closed 'e'), and in Barcelona, no one will hesitate to offer you a 'p[è]ra' (open 'e'). Now comes the question you might be asking yourselves in light of this: how is it possible that such a common word sounds in three ways? And, above all, which one is the original?

I never thought it would happen, but this year I've become a Barça fan (and a big one!). I've followed them all season and celebrated the League title like any other culer. At home, everyone had to watch the Super Cup and Champions League matches. I even dragged a friend to Barcelona to watch the last League match. It was the first time – and also the last – that we were able to see Alexia Putellas play for Barça and, even though the League was already more than won, the blaugranes played a very good match. I don't want to detract from Hansi Flick's team in any way, but the ones who, at 24 years old, have made me a Barça follower are Cata, Patri, Mapi, Pina, Kika, and Alexia. For me, and for many others, 'Barça' is the Women's team, without the adjective, by default; it's the unmarked form, even if it goes against the norm.

Those of us who grew up with Indiana Jones films often fantasized as youngsters about treasure chambers, golden idol heads, and endless questions that were never answered. How did he know so many languages? How did he get into that chamber? In which other film was his research on that shown? Indiana Jones was always surrounded by ancient papyri, medieval books, stone inscriptions, which made young people's imaginations soar.

The deputy for MÉS per Mallorca and Més per Menorca in Congress, Vicenç Vidal, has called on RTVE to rectify or eliminate the program La gran aventura de la lengua española, broadcast in collaboration with the Royal Spanish Academy, considering that it disseminates a narrative that is “Spanish ultranationalist” and “contrary to the multilingual reality of the State”.

There are verses that go in one ear and out the other. And there are those that, on any given day, make you stop. The other day, stuck in one of the usual traffic jams on the Mallorcan motorways, I noticed a line from Tobogan, by Zoo: “He had to work it out”. I noticed it because the same group, in Vull, sings: “If someone has to cry, let them cry”. It’s not that the line grated on me, nor was it (obviously!) the first time I had heard it. However, it made me think about the hesitation that still exists today in one of the most emblematic constructions of syntactic grammar.

The Obra Cultural Balear (OCB) has launched, coinciding with the imminent start of the enrollment process for the 2026-2027 academic year, a new information campaign aimed at families and the management teams of educational centers to remind them of the importance of the linguistic model chosen during the educational stage and to raise awareness among families to opt for the Catalan language.

For years we have been returning to the same examples: the neutral ‘lo’’, direct complements with ‘a’, prepositions that appear before ‘que’ when grammars insist they shouldn't be there, etc. The examples are well-known and the arguments too. Sometimes, in fact, it gives the impression that the Catalan linguistic conversation is trapped in a kind of loop in which we always end up discussing the same things.

Catalan continues to be the majority language in the streets of Esporles, where it represents 64.2% of the observed conversations, according to a study by Plataforma per la Llengua presented this week in the municipality. However, the report warns of a loss of presence among the population aged 15 to 44 and in areas related to leisure and hospitality.

Speakers know that words are rarely innocent. We are fully aware that we use them loaded with social values and connotations that we have learned throughout our experience as members of a linguistic community. For many of us, the word ‘estaca’ no longer solely designates a stake driven into the ground and has become, with Lluís Llach's song, a symbol of the collective will to overcome oppression. The social and emotional meaning of the word ‘estaca’ therefore goes far beyond its strictly literal meaning.

If you were asked where Mallorca ends and Menorca begins, you probably wouldn't hesitate much. There is an evident physical separation, with a lot of water in between, a clear geographical border and a certain feeling that one thing is on one side and another on the other. The same would happen if the question were a little smaller and you were asked where Baix Camp ends and Baix Ebre begins. Perhaps the exact limit wouldn't be so present (those from Baix Camp and Baix Ebre certainly would, of course), but somehow we have assumed that territories can be divided: there is a point from which we leave a space behind and enter another.

The Eroski supermarkets in Mallorca will join this Friday, May 29, in the great simultaneous singing of La Balanguera promoted by the Obra Cultural Balear (OCB). The chain will play the anthem of Mallorca over the public address system at 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. in all establishments on the island, with the aim of contributing to the commemoration of the centenary of the musical premiere of Joan Alcover's poem with music by Amadeu Vives.

Biology classifies living beings into kingdoms. This classification is not arbitrary: it describes life forms with different metabolic and structural characteristics. From here, zoology uses terms like 'herbivore', 'carnivore', and 'omnivore' to describe dietary conditions. There is no moral judgment in these words: they only describe physiological adaptations.

A study by Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona has found that not guaranteeing healthcare in patients' language can jeopardize diagnostic accuracy, trust between doctor and patient, and quality of care.

Given the magnitude of the housing crisis, the growing concern it generates, and the feeling that the policies applied so far have not addressed the problem with the necessary ambition, it is essential to start focusing also on possible solutions. It is a matter too serious to resign ourselves to repeating well-known diagnoses. The housing crisis is today a great social crisis, because it directly affects people's right to develop a life project with dignity.

The Balearic Cultural Work of Inca celebrates on Saturday, May 23rd, at 7 PM, in the Cloister of Santo Domingo of Inca, the XXVII edition of the May Awards, an event that annually recognizes the work of individuals, entities, and groups committed to the language and culture of the Balearic Islands. With these awards, the OCB of Inca wishes to highlight the work of people and initiatives that, from different fields, contribute to cultural dynamism, the defense of heritage, linguistic normalization, and the preservation of the identity of Inca.