In Barcelona, Catalan (Català) has more or less taken over from Castilian (Castellano) Spanish as the language on street signs and maps. On paper it looks like a cross between French and Spanish and is generally easy to read if you know those two. Few visitors realize how important Catalan is to those who speak it: never commit the error of calling it a dialect. Despite the preponderance of the Catalan language you’ll get by perfectly well in Spanish as long as you’re aware of the use of Catalan in timetables, on menus, and so on. However you’ll generally get a good reception if you at least try communicating in the local language.
Don’t be tempted to use the few rules of Spanish pronunciation you may know – in particular the soft Spanish Z and C don’t apply, so unlike in the rest of Spain, the city is not Barthelona but Barcelona, as in English.
a as in hat if stressed, as in alone when unstressed.
e varies, but usually as in get.
i as in police.
ig sounds like the “tch” in the English scratch; lleig (ugly) is pronounced “yeah-tch”.
o a round, full sound, when stressed, otherwise like a soft U sound.
u somewhere between the U of put and rule.
ç sounds like an English S; plaça is pronounced “plassa”.
c followed by an E or I is soft; otherwise hard.
g followed by E or I is like the “zh” in Zhivago; otherwise hard.
h is always silent.
j as in the French “Jean”.
l.l is best pronounced (for foreigners) as a single L sound; but for Catalan speakers it has two distinct L sounds.
ll sounds like an English Y or LY, like the “yuh” sound in million.
n as in English, though before F or V it sometimes sounds like an M.
ny corresponds to the Castilian Ñ.
qu before E or I sounds like K; before A or O, or if the U has an umlaut (Ü), sounds like KWE, as in quit.
r is rolled, but only at the start of a word; at the end it’s often silent.
t is pronounced as in English, though sometimes it sounds like a D; as in viatge or dotze.
v at the start of a word sounds like B; in all other positions it’s a soft F sound.
w is pronounced like a B/V.
x is like SH or CH in most words, though in some, like exit, it sounds like an X.
z is like the English Z in zoo.
Basics
Yes, No, OK Si, No, Val
Please, Thank you Si us plau, Gràcies
Hello, Goodbye Hola, Adéu
Good morning Bon dia
Good afternoon/night Bona tarde/nit
See you later Fins després
Sorry Ho sento
Excuse me Perdoni
I (don’t) understand (No) Ho entenc
Do you speak English? Parleu anglès?
Where? When? Dónde? Cuando?
What? How much? Què? Quant?
Here, There Aquí, Allí/Allá
This, That Això, Allò
Open, Closed Obert, Tancat
With, Without Amb, Sense
Good, Bad Bo(na), Dolent(a)
Big, Small Gran, Petit(a)
Cheap, Expensive Barat(a), Car(a)
I want Vull (pronounced “vwee”)
I’d like Voldria
Do you know? Vostès saben?
I don’t know No sé
There is (Is there?) Hi ha(?)
What’s that? Què és això?
Do you have…? Té…?
Today, Tomorrow Avui, Demà
Accommodation
Do you have a room? Té alguna habitació?
…with two beds//double bed …amb dos llits/llit per dues persones
…with shower/bath …amb dutxa/bany
It’s for one person (two people) Per a una persona (dues persones)
For one night (one week) Per una nit (unasetmana)
It’s fine, how much is it? Esta bé, quant és?
Don’t you have anything cheaper? En té de més bon preu?
Directions and transport
How do I get to…? Per anar a…?
Left, Right A l’esquerra, A la dreta
Straight on Tot recte
Where is…? On és…?
…the bus station …l’estació de autobuses
…the train station …l’estació
…the nearest bank …el banc més a prop
…the post office …l’oficina de correus
…the toilet …la toaleta
Where does the bus De on surt el
to…leave from? autobús a…?
Is this the train for Aquest tren va a
Barcelona? Barcelona?
I’d like a (return) ticket to… Voldria un bitlet (d’anar i tornar) a…
What time does it leave (arrive in)? A quina hora surt (arriba a)?
Days of the week
Monday dilluns
Tuesday dimarts
Wednesday dimecres
Thursday dijous
Friday divendres
Saturday dissabte
Sunday diumenge
Months of the Year
January Gener
February Febrer
March Març
April Abril
May Maig
June Juny
July Juliol
August Agost
September Setembre
October Octobre
November Novembre
December Desembre
Numbers
1 un(a)
2 dos (dues)
3 tres
4 quatre
5 cinc
6 sis
7 set
8 vuit
9 nou
10 deu
11 onze
12 dotze
13 tretze
14 catorze
15 quinze
16 setze
17 disset
18 divuit
19 dinou
20 vint
21 vint-i-un
30 trenta
40 quaranta
50 cinquanta
60 seixanta
70 setanta
80 vuitanta
90 novanta
100 cent
101 cent un
200 dos-cents (dues-centes)
500 cinc-cents
1000 mil
Basic words
Esmorzar To have breakfast
Dinar To have lunch
Sopar To have dinner
Ganivet Knife
Forquilla Fork
Cullera Spoon
Taula Table
Ampolla Bottle
Got Glass
Carta Menu
Sopa Soup
Amanida Salad
Entremesos Hors d’oeuvres
Truita Omelette
Entrepà Sandwich
Torrades Toast
Tapes Tapas
Mantega Butter
Ous Eggs
Pa Bread
Olives Olives
Oli Oil
Vinagre Vinegar
Sal Salt
Pebre Pepper
Sucre Sugar
El compte The bill
Sóc vegetarià/ I’m a vegetarian
Catalan specialities
Amanida Catalana Salad served with sliced meats (sometimes cheese)
Arròs a banda Rice with seafood, the rice served separately
Arròs a la marinera Paella: rice with seafood and saffron
Arròs negre “Black rice”, cooked in squid ink
Bacallà a la llauna Salt cod baked with garlic, tomato and paprika
Botifarra (amb mongetes) Grilled Catalan pork sausage (with stewed haricot beans)
Calçots Large char-grilled spring onions
Canelons Cannelloni, baked pasta with ground meat and béchamel sauce
Conill all i oli Rabbit with garlic mayonnaise
Crema Catalana Crème caramel, with caramelized sugar topping
Escalivada Grilled aubergine/eggplant, pepper/capsicum and onion
Espinacs a la Catalana Spinach cooked with raisins and pine nuts
Esqueixada Salad of salt cod with peppers/capsicums, tomatoes, onions and olives
Estofat de vedella Veal stew
Faves a la Catalana Stewed broad beans, with bacon and botifarra
Fideuà Short, thin noodles (the width of vermicelli) served with seafood
Fuet Catalan salami
Llenties guisades Stewed lentils
Mel i mató Curd cheese and honey
Pa amb tomàquet Bread (often grilled), rubbed with tomato, garlic and olive oil
Pollastre al cava Chicken with cava sauce
Pollastre amb gambes Chicken with prawns
Postres de músic Cake of dried fruit and nuts
Salsa Romesco Spicy sauce (with chillis, nuts, tomato and wine), often served with grilled fish
Samfaina Ratatouille-like stew (onions, peppers/capsicum, aubergine/eggplant, tomato), served with salt cod or chicken
Sarsuela Fish and shellfish stew
Sípia amb mandonguilles Cuttlefish with meatballs
Suquet de peix Fish and potato casserole
Xató Mixed salad of olives, salt cod, preserved tuna, anchovies and onions
Cooking terms
Assortit Assorted
Al forn Baked
A la brasa Char-grilled
Fresc Fresh
Fregit Fried
A la romana Fried in batter
All i oli Garlic mayonnaise
A la plantxa Grilled
En escabetx Pickled
Rostit Roast
Salsa Sauce
Saltat Sautéed
Remenat Scrambled
Del temps Seasonal
Fumat Smoked
A l’ast Spit-roasted
Al vapor Steamed
Guisat Stewed
Farcit Stuffed
Desserts/Postres
Pastís Cake
Formatge Cheese
Flam Crème caramel
Gelat Ice cream
Arròs amb llet Rice pudding
Tarta Tart
Yogur Yoghurt
Drinks
Cervesa Beer
Vi Wine
Xampan/cava Champagne
Cafè amb llet Large white coffee
Cafè tallat Small white coffee
Descafeinat Decaf
Te Tea
Xocolata Drinking chocolate
Granissat Crushed ice drink
Llet Milk
Orxata Tiger nut drink
Aigua Water
Aigua mineral Mineral water
Zumo Juice
Fish and seafood/Peix i marisc
Anxoves/Seitons Anchovies
Calamarsets Baby squid
Orada Bream
Cloïses Clams
Cranc Crab
Sipia Cuttlefish
Lluç Hake
Llagosta Lobster
Rap Monkfish
Musclos Mussels
Pop Octopus
Gambes Prawns
Navalles Razor clams
Salmó Salmon
Bacallà Salt cod
Sardines Sardines
Llobarro Sea bass
Llenguado Sole
Calamars Squid
Peix espasa Swordfish
Tonyina Tuna
Fruit/Fruita
Poma Apple
Plàtan Banana
Raïm Grapes
Meló Melon
Taronja Orange
Pera Pear
Maduixes Strawberries
Meat and poultry/Carn i aviram
Bou Beef
Embotits Charcuterie
Pollastre Chicken
Xoriço Chorizo sausage
Pernil serrà Cured ham
Llonganissa Cured pork sausage
Costelles Cutlets/chops
Ànec Duck
Pernil dolç Ham
Xai/Be Lamb
Fetge Liver
Llom Loin of pork
Mandonguilles Meatballs
Porc Pork
Conill Rabbit
Salsitxes Sausages
Cargols Snails
Bistec Steak
Llengua Tongue
Vedella Veal
Vegetables/Verdures i llegums
Carxofes Artichokes
Albergínia Aubergine/eggplant
Faves Broad/lima beans
Carbassó Courgette/zucchini
All Garlic
Mongetes Haricot beans
Llenties Lentils
Xampinyons Mushrooms
Cebes Onions
Patates Potatoes
Espinacs Spinach
Tomàquets Tomatoes
Bolets Wild mushrooms