Aprender catalán, 31/10/2024
Are you trying to learn Catalan? If so, deciding where to start can be a bit overwhelming. The first thing to know is that if you speak Spanish or French, learning Catalan will be much easier as all 3 languages share a common root which is Latin.
That said, at BCN Languages we want to help you learn Catalan from the basics so that you can start defending yourself in this language as soon as possible. From how to greet and introduce yourself to the days of the week or some useful questions that will come in handy if you are traveling to Catalonia for your vacations. Take note that this information is essential if you want to have a conversation in Catalan.
1. Greetings and farewells Knowing the greeting formulas is always useful because even if you don’t know the language perfectly you can use them in restaurants and stores as a mere gesture of politeness and you will see that the response is very positive and it is also an easy way to practice Catalan. “Hola” would be the simplest formula and is identical to Spanish. In the morning, you should say “bon dia”, in the afternoon “bona tarda” and in the evening “bona nit”. When saying goodbye you can use “adéu” although you will also hear “a reveure” which reminds us so much of French or “fins demà” if you are going to see those people again the next day.
2. Presentation After the greeting comes the introduction. Knowing how to introduce yourself, talk about yourself and your origins is essential when interacting with other people, which is why it is important that this is the first thing you learn in Catalan so that you can have a natural conversation. To introduce yourself, phrases such as: ‘Bon dia, em dic Alex’, ‘Visc a París’ or ‘Sóc francès’ will be useful. These are phrases with which you will be saying your name, your city and where you are from.
3. Learning numbers To tell our age, to count, to understand the price of any product in the shops, the bus, dates… numbers are everywhere and that’s why they are part of any self-respecting Catalan course. When studying numbers in Catalan you will see that they are very similar to numbers in Spanish, which will make learning them easier, but we recommend that you pay special attention to spelling! To do so, this video will be of great help:
4. Days of the week and months of the year In order to situate yourself in time and, above all, to be able to talk about specific dates and days, you will need to know the days of the week and the months of the year in Catalan. Take note:
Monday – Dilluns
Tuesday-Dimarts
Wednesday-Dimecres
Thursday-Dijous
Friday-Divendres
Saturday-Dissabte
Sunday-Diumenge
As for the months of the year…
January-Gener
February-Febrer
March-Març
April-Abril
May- maig
June-Juny
July-Juliol
August-Agost
September-Septembre
October-Octubre
November-Novembre
December-Decembre
5. Know the Vocabulary Having a rich and varied vocabulary facilitates conversation because it allows you to express yourself more precisely. Additionally, knowing more words makes it easier to understand your conversation partner. For this reason, vocabulary is arguably one of the most important aspects of language learning. If you make it a goal, it can also be quite simple, as you can find new Catalan words in books and movies, and the best part is that you can practice with household objects or while out and about. A typical tip in Catalan classes is to organize words by categories or semantic groups, for example: food, animals, clothing, home, transportation… As you learn new words, we suggest testing yourself to see if you can remember them!
6. Some Useful Phrases for Traveling
By this point, you will have managed to learn Catalan at a basic level, and you might feel encouraged to travel to Catalonia to see if you can get by in the language. In this case, some standard phrases can be very helpful in an emergency, if any unforeseen situation arises, and especially to feel more confident during your stay. You can memorize them and use them if necessary.
- Is there someone who speaks English? – Hi ha algú que parli anglès?
- I don’t understand – No ho entenc
- I am lost – Estic perdut
- I have lost my suitcase – He perdut la meva maleta
- Where is the bathroom? – On és el bany?
- How much is a ticket to Barcelona? – Quin preu té un bitllet per a Barcelona?
- Are there any rooms available? – Hi ha habitacions lliures?
- I’m sorry – Ho sento. Perdó!
- What time is it? – Quina hora és?
Now that you know the basics of the language and have taken the first steps to learn Catalan, don’t miss the chance to master it and become a true Catalan speaker. If you want to go from beginner to expert, at BCN Languages you’ll find a variety of Catalan courses tailored to your needs: intensive, private classes, preparation courses for Catalan level C… Get more information on our website!
