mateix

Mateix is a Catalan adjective and pronoun meaning “the same” or “itself.” It is used to indicate sameness or identity and can also function as an intensifier, roughly equivalent to “very” or “indeed” in certain constructions. In addition to describing a noun, it can appear in pronominal form as in phrases with ell o ella, emphasizing the subject itself.

Etymology and form: Mateix derives from Latin idem and has developed into distinct gender and number forms in Catalan. The standard forms are masculine singular mateix, feminine singular mateixa, masculine plural mateixos, and feminine plural mateixes. In use, the feminine singular form commonly appears as la mateixa (camisa) or la mateixa cosa, depending on regional spelling preferences, but the underlying feminine form is mateixa.

Usage: The word typically comes after the noun in Catalan, as in el mateix dia or la mateixa hora, to express that it is the identical day or hour. It may also appear before the noun for emphasis in some contexts, or in fixed expressions such as ell mateix or ella mateixa to stress that the person did something personally. As an intensifier, it can reinforce adverbial or evaluative meaning, for example, indicating that something is precisely or exactly as stated.

Related terms and distinctions: Mateix contrasts with synonyms such as idèntic (more formal or stronger in sense of literal identity) or similar expressions using altre terms. The choice between mateix and more general equivalents depends on nuance and register.

See also: idem, mateixa, identical expressions in Catalan grammar.