Did you know the region of Catalonia in Spain has its own official language? This simple Catalan travel phrase guide includes a free infographic with useful Catalan phrases and a simple pronunciation guide to take with you in your travels.
Catalonia, located in Spain’s northeast corner, might be part of Spain, but that doesn’t mean you should speak Spanish. Catalonia has its own language, called Catalan, which I strongly encourage any traveller aim to converse in, over Spanish. I’ll tell you why and give you a free and easy to use guide full of useful Catalan Phrases.
There is an on-going heated debate happening in Catalonia where some political agencies and certain factions of the population would like to separate Catalonia from Spain and establish an independent country.
The Catalan language plays a part in this discussion and is used to make the point that Catalonia has its own cultural identity.
Even though Spanish is recognised as a second official language spoken in Catalonia, it can be difficult to know with whom you can speak it.
There is also the misconception that Catalan’s do not welcome Spanish speakers at all, which is not true. Many Catalans still identify themselves as being Spanish and feel proud to be both Spanish and Catalan and at the same time, and equally believe that Catalonia is an integral part of the whole country.
With this in mind, and to avoid ruffling a few feathers, the safest option would be to converse in Catalan or English.
Even though Catalan’s speak Spanish, ensure the other person is comfortable in doing so. This can be a tricky one to manage, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
Catalan’s are very warm people. During both of my experiences in the region, I was met with welcoming smiles and kindness wherever I went, so please don’t feel like you’ll have your head bitten off if you slip into Spanish.
After spending some time in Catalonia’s vibrant capital, Barcelona and a further five days exploring the rugged coastline of Costa Brava, I learned the importance of learning and using Catalan in my travels.
To help you in your travels to this incredibly beautiful corner of the world, I’ve pulled together this guide which includes very simple and useful Catalan phrases. Aiming to slip some of these phrases into your daily interactions with the locals will go a long way.
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Let’s take a look at the Catalan language so you’re better informed as to its origin, use, and vocabulary. It’s much simpler than you may think and quite easy to learn.
A brief history of Catalan
Catalan is a Western Romance language which was named after the medieval Principality of Catalonia found in northeastern modern Spain.
Even though Catalan seems like it’s a mixture of French and Spanish, Catalan did not derive from either language. In fact, Catalan evolved directly from Vulgar Latin which explains why it has so many similarities in vocabulary and grammar with French, Spanish and even Italian.
Since all of these branched out from Latin, known as Romance languages, it makes sense that they would share common characteristics.
Where is Catalan spoken?
There are over 9 million people around the world who can speak Catalan. Over 4 million people speak it as a native language or mother-tongue, according to Ethnologue.
Catalan is spoken natively in various parts of Spain including Catalonia, Valencia (where the language is known as Valencian), and the Balearic Islands.
Catalan is spoken in France in the area of the Pyrénées-Orientales.
Catalan is the sole official language of Andorra, a tiny, independent principality located between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains.
Catalan even has semi-official status in the Italian commune of Alghero in Sardinia.
Of those who speak Catalan natively, nearly all are bilingual, speaking either French, Spanish (castellano) or Italian, depending on where they live.
Here’s a fun fact: More people speak Catalan than speak Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Lithuanian, Irish or Albanian. The Catalan regions are greater in area than each of five modern European states – Denmark, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Albania.
Catalan Pronunciation
New learners will be pleased to know that Catalan spelling is very phonetic with only a few exceptions. This means that if you know how to pronounce Catalan letters, you’ll be able to sound out the word itself with ease.
You’ll notice that Catalan has many similarities with Spanish, Italian and French, but what makes it easier to learn is that its pronunciation is significantly less complicated compared to that of French or English.
Catalan has three dialectal areas which affect its pronunciation and vocabulary. These include Western (Lleida province and Ebre river basin), Balearic (Balearic islands), Valencian.
While Catalan varies from region to region, the pronunciation guides I’ve included here are based on the standard pronunciation which is similar to what is spoken in the region of Barcelona.
Catalan Alphabet
The Catalan alphabet is basically the same as the English one, except that:
- k and w are found only in foreign words and their derivatives: kà iser, clown, wagneriÃ
- Except in certain proper names (eg. Nova York, Ruyra) the letter y is found in the combination ny: Catalunya, Espanya, IIuny.
Below is the Catalan alphabet.
| a (a) | j (yo-ta) | s (e-sa) |
| b (be) | k (ca) | t (te) |
| c (se) | l (e-la) | u (u) |
| d (de) | m (e-ma) | v (ve ba-sha) |
| e (e) | n (e-na) | w (vw do-bble) |
| f (e-fa) | o (o) | x (ics o shesh) |
| g (ye) | p (pe) | y (e gre-ga) |
| h (ac) | q (cu) | z (se-ta) |
| i (i Ila-ti-na? | r (e-rra) |
P.S. If you’re reading this on your phone and can’t see the pronunciation column, turn it to landscape mode. For some reason, tables aren’t mobile friendly. Sorry!
Catalan Travel Phrases
Want the infographic to take with you? Scroll to the bottom of the page.
Greetings
Essentials
Questions
Eating Out
Getting Around
Numbers
Days
Emergencies
I hope you enjoyed this Catalan travel phrase guide as much as I enjoyed bringing it together. If you have any requests for other languages, let me know in the comments section! In the meantime, check out my collection of free travel phrase guides.
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Sources Teach Yourself Catalan | Barcelona University | Wikipedia
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Over to you!
Which of these Catalan phrases did you find the most useful? Are you planning a trip to Catalonia or have already been there? Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.
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