LANGUAGE

In Catalunya, locals speak both Spanish and Catalan. As Barcelona is very international, many people also speak English and it is unlikely that you will be in a situation where you won't be able to communicate with someone. 

Hola (oh  lah) - Hello

¿Cómo está? (coh moh es tah) or ¿Que tal? – How are you?

Por favor (por  fah vohr) – Please

Gracias (grah cee ahs) – Thank you

Encantado or Mucho gusto (moo choh goos toh) – Nice to meet you

¿Hablas inglés? (ahblah een glays)? – Do you speak English?

Yo no hablo español (yoh no ahblo espan yohl) – I don’t speak Spanish

Yo quiero, yo no quiero (yoh kee ayr oh,  yoh noh kee ayr oh) – I want, I don’t want

¿Dónde está? (dohn des tah)  – Where is it?

¿Cuánto cuesta? (cwahn toh cways tah)? – How much does it cost?

¿Qué hora es? (kay orah ess)? –  What time is it?

Yo tengo, yo no tengo (yoh  tayn goh, yoh noh tayn goh) – I have, I don’t have

Yo entiendo (yoh  ayn tee ayn doh) – I understand

Yo no entiendo (yoh noh ayn tee ayn doh) – I don’t understand

A la derecha ( a  lah day ray chah) – To the Right

A la izquierda (ah  lah eez kee ayr dah) – To the Left

En la esquina (a lah ays kee nah) – At the corner

We recommend bringing a pocket dictionary and/or phrasebook with you.

Catalan is a Romance language from the Neo-Latin group, appearing between the eighth and tenth centuries in a part of Catalonia, in Northern Catalonia and in Andorra, in the territories of the Carolingian Empire that formed the counties of the Spanish March. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it spread to the rest of Catalonia, most of Valencia, the Balearic Islands, La Franja (Aragon), to the Sardinian town of Alghero and to the Carxe county in the region of Murcia. The linguistic borders were established by the end of the reign of James I. Currently, it extends over an area of about 68,730 km2, inhabited by 13,740,000 people in four countries: Andorra, Spain, France and Italy.

Hola - Hello

Adéu - Bye

Com està? or Què tal?– How are you?

Si us plau – Please

Gràcies – Thank you

Encantat or Molt de gust – Nice to meet you

Parles anglès? – Do you speak English?

Jo no parlo Català – I don’t speak Catalan

Jo vull, jo no vull – I want, I don’t want

On és? – Where is it?

Quant costa? – How much does it cost?

Quina hora és? – What time is it?

Jo tinc, jo no tinc – I have, I don’t have

Jo entenc, jo no entenc – I understand, I don’t understand

A la dreta – To the Right

A l'esquerra – To the Left

Recte – Straight ahead

A la cantonada – At the corner

The Catalans will be very grateful if you use some Catalan words when talking to them.