How to Speak Basic Catalan
Catalan is a romance language spoken in northern Spain, southern France, parts of the Balearic Islands and even parts of Italy. Barcelona, in the Spanish autonomous region of Catalunya, is commonly referred to as the Catalan capitol.Catalans are very proud of their heritage and their language, so learning just a few simple words and phrases will show your respect for their culture and be much appreciated.The first word is in Catalan, with pronunciation hints in parentheses, followed by the English translation (the capitalized letters represent stresses)
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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Basic Catalan
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1
GreetingsHola (OHla) HelloBon Dia (bon DEEya) Good DayBona Nit (bona NEET) Good NightAdeu (adAYoo) Good Bye
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2
FormalitiesSi us plau (seesPLOW) PleaseHo sento (hoSENto) I'm SorryMerce (MAREsee) Thank You
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3
At the CafeQue voldra? (kay volDRA) What would you like?Jo voldre... (juh volDRAY) I would like...Cafe amb llet (cafEY amb yet) Coffee with MilkSuc de taronja (sook day tarONJa) Orange jucePa (pah) bread
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4
IntroductionsEm dic... (em DEEK) I am.../My name is...Com et dius? (com et DEEyoos?) What is your name?Tens foc? (tens fuk) Have you got a light?
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1
Tips & Warnings
Since Catalan is a romance language, if you already speak some Spanish, French or Italian, these words may look and sound familiar. Most travelers won't be needing an extensive lesson in Catalan, but if you're planning on taking up root there for a few months or more, consider enrolling in a course at the Universitat de Barcelona or get a "teach-yourself" program at a bookstore.
