On these pages I’d like to touch upon not only the Catalan language but include something about its long, proud history and to mention some of the many traditions here, and its famous inhabitants.
Catalan is the primary language in Catalonia and spoken by almost ten million people, and also in other places like Mallorca and even some parts of Sardinia and France.
If you know Spanish beyond beginner level then a few words in Catalan will ‘sound’ the same in Spanish. Equally, many will also sound a bit French but it does have its own distinct sound and pronunciation.
To begin learning Spanish we’ve found a good resources here below:
FREE SHIPPING on every Visual Link Spanish Course
Most Catalans are bilingual in that they also speak and understand Spanish or ‘Castilliano’ as they prefer to call it. But, if you can manage a few words in Catalan then it might make all the difference! Friends tell me you get treated differently.
Some native Catalans have told me that in the bigger cities like Barcelona, the Catalan language is spoken or used less than in places like Girona. On the other hand, in some inland towns like Olot or Ripoll the Catalan language is more strongly used and has a dialect of its own.
Many of the Town Halls in Catalonia (ajuntament) as in Girona do offer free Catalan language course (twice weekly) for beginners and beyond. Courses normally begin in October and last until the following June. Although tuition is free you’ll be expected to buy your own textbooks and notebooks. Alternatively you can enroll on a course at the official language school in Girona called EOI (Escola Oficial d’Idiomes, see below) which start in September but often has additional starter courses which begin in January.
Below are some of the most commonly uses words and phrases: (forgive me if the punctuations or spelling are wrong or missing).
Hello – Hola
Yes /No – Si/No
Thanks – Gracies (merci is also often heard)
Many thanks – Moltes gracies
Please – Sisplau
Goodbye – Adeu’
Good morning – Bon dia
Good afternoon – Bona tarda
Good evening – Bon vespre
Pleased to meet you – Molt de gust
How are you ? – Com estas?
Fins de ma-until tomorrow / fins ara / see you now
Fins despres-see you later / fins aviat-see you soon
Excuse me – Perdoni
Sorry – Ho sento
Beer – Cerveza
Coffee with milk – Cafe amb llet
Open – Obert
Close – Tancat
Vale-OK
Esmorzar-breakfast
dinar-lunch
sopar-evening meal
Pa-bread
Monday – dilluns
Tuesday – dimarts
Wednesday – dimercres
Thursday – dijous
Friday – divendres
Saturday – dissabte
Sunday – diumenge
spring – primavera
summer – estiu
autumn – tardor
winter – hivern
Do you speak English? – Parla angles?
How do you say…? – Com es diu…?
What is this? – Que es aixo?
I’m from London – Soc de Londres
I’m English – Soc Angles.
What’s your name-Com et dius?
My name is…. – Em dic….
Learning Catalan or Spanish in Girona.
It always helps to learn the ‘lingo’ even if you’re just a holiday visitor but where do you start?
Here are some useful resources and places where you can buy books and various courses. Learning a language like Spanish does take plenty of time, practice and patience! I know myself that no one book seems to have all the answers and I have a vast ‘toolkit’ I’ve built up over the years of various books, tapes, Cd’s etc.
You can never beat having a personal tutor, if you can afford it or by going to evening classes (cheaper) which cover all degrees of learners from basic to advanced. Personal ono-to-one classes or even group classes will probably be cheaper when you’re in Spain but try to begin studying before you go as it will make a difference to your stay.
Learning Catalan, the co-official language of this region is not a must but as anywhere if you make an effort it will make life easier, even if you just learn a few of the basic phrases like ‘bon dia’ for good morning. You will certainly ‘get-by’ if all you know is just Spanish as it’s their second language after Catalan. Even so, the trick is trying to understand Spanish when it’s spoken to you as most people seem to speak too quickly to you ! I try to catch the gist of what theyr’e saying and to answer back without too much thinking about sentence structure but getting all the grammar and pronunciation correct is worthwhile.
If you’re looking to learn Spanish or Catalan in Girona there are quite a few private language schools but Girona also has an Official Language School or EOI (Escola Oficial d’ Idiomes) where you can study languages such as English, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Russian, Arabic and even Chinese! It’s at C/ Josep Viader I Moliner 16, Girona 17005 Tel. 972 219 100 www.xtec.es/centres/b7004852/ email: eoigirona@xtec.cat.
When you live here you might want to consider taking one of the free Catalan language courses on offer from the local town hall or Ajuntament. In Girona just go to the main offices and pick up a leaflet. The time to register for these course is in early September and they have classes for beginners and slightly more advanced learners. There’s a bit of form-filling involved and a couple of visits to get it all sorted, none of which is available in English. The only costs are the course books, about 30€, you need to buy and you’re given all these details
Have a look at our Catalan Phrases page also.
We actually tried the free beginners course, which was held twice-weekly but I must admit to finding it a bit of a struggle, as the teaching methods weren’t what I expected, so reluctantly I gave up after a few weeks.
Also check this site http://www.catalunya-lliure.com/
COMUNICACIÓ BÀSICA
EN CATALÀ
BASIC COMMUNICATION IN THE CATALAN LANGUAGE
A Girona diem…
In Girona we say…
En català es diu…
In Catalan we say…
Com es diu a Girona…?
How do you say … in Girona?
Com es diu en català…?
How do you say … in Catalan?
Saps com ho diuen a Girona…?
Do you know the word used for … in Girona?
Saps com es diu en català…?
Do you know how to say … in Catalan?
A Girona diem…
In Girona we say…
SALUTACIONS
I FÓRMULES DE CORTESIA
GREETINGS
AND COURTESY EXPRESSIONS
Hola. Bon dia. Bona tarda. Bon vespre. Bona nit.
Hello. Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening. Good night.
Adéu. A reveure. Que vagi bé.
Good bye. See you. All the best.
Fins aviat. Fins més tard. Fins demà.
See you soon. See you later. See you tomorrow.
Gràcies. Moltes gràcies. De res.
Thank you. Thank you very much. You’re welcome.
Perdoni. Disculpi. Em sap greu.
Excuse me. I’m sorry.
Molt de gust. Tant de gust.
Pleased to meet you.
Amb molt de gust.
Of course.
Bon profit. Que vagi de gust.
Enjoy your meal!
Diverteix-te. Que t’ho passis bé.
Benvingut.
Have fun. Have a good time.
Welcome.
Un moment, si us plau. Una altra vegada, per favor. Més a poc a poc, per favor.
Just a minute, please. Could you say that again, please? Slowly, please.
PREGUNTES USUALS
COMMONLY USED QUESTIONS
Com va? Com estàs (tu) està (vostè)
Bé, gràcies.
How are you? How are you doing?
Fine, thanks.
Què et/li passa? No ets/es troba bé?
What’s the matter? Are you all right?
Com et dius/es diu? Em dic Pere/Isabel.
What’s your name? – My name is Peter/Isabel.
Qui és vostè? Sóc el senyor Foremski.
Who are you? – I’m Mr Foremski.
Què és això? – És un regal.
What’s this? It’s a present.
D’on ets (tu) / és (vostè)?
Sóc anglès. Sóc d’Anglaterra.
Where are you from?
I’m English. I‘m from England.
Ets / és de Girona ? No, sóc escocès. Sóc d’Escòcia.
No, I’m Scottish. I’m from Scotland.
On vius/viu? Visc a Girona ciutat.
Visc en un poble. Visc a fora vila.
Where do you live? I live in Girona city.
I live in a village. I live in the country.
A quin carrer vius/viu? Visc al carrer Nou. Visc a la plaça Major.
In which street do you live? I live in the street “Carrer Nou“. I live in the square “Plaça Major“.
Parles/parla català? Sí, una mica. No gaire
Do you speak Catalan? – Yes, a little bit. No, just very little.
M’entens/m’entén? Què vol dir això?
Can you understand me? What does this mean?
Com? Com dius/diu?
Excuse me? I beg your pardon?
Què dius/diu? Què vols/vol?
What did you just say? How can I help you?
On vas/va?
D’on vens/ve?
On és en Peter? És fora per una setmana. Torna d’aquí a un setmana.
Where are you going?
Where do you come from?
He is away for a week. He comes back in a week.
Què feu/penseu fer aquest cap de setmana/pont? Estem fora.
What are you doing this weekend/long weekend? We are away.
N’estàs (tu)/està (vostè) segur?
De veritat?
Are you sure? Really?
Quan? Des de quan? Fins quan?
When? Since when? Until when?
Digui? Amb qui parlo? De part de qui?
Hello? Who is calling, please? Who shall I say is calling?
Hi ha cap dubte? Entesos?
Do you have any questions? Is that all right?
T’/li/agrada? Sí, molt. No, gens.
Do you like it? Yes, I really like it.
No, not at all.
Que puc fumar? Que hi puc aparcar, aquí?
Can I smoke here? Can I park here?
AFIRMACIONS
AFFIRMATIVE ANSWERS
Sí. D‘acord. Molt bé.
Yes. OK. Fair enough! right you are!
És veritat. Exacte.
That’s true. Exactly.
Com vulguis/vulgui. Ho entenc.
As you like it. I see.
Tens/té raó. És clar. Naturalment.
You’re right. Of course. Absolutely.
Més o menys. Crec que sí.
More or less. I think so
NEGATIONS
NEGATIVES ANSWERS
No, em sap greu. No, s’ha equivocat.
No, I’m sorry. No, you’re wrong.
De cap manera. Mai de la vida.
Absolutely not. Never.
Ni parlar-ne. Això és impossible.
No way. That’s impossible.
Prou! Ja n’hi ha prou!
Stop! That’s enough!
DUBTES
EXPRESSING YOUR DOUBTS
Potser. Tal vegada. Potser sí.
Maybe. Perhaps. Maybe yes.
No ho sé. No ho crec.
It depends. I don’t know. I don’t think so.
EXCLAMACIONS
I EXPRESSIONS DIVERSES
EXCLAMATIONS
AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS
D’acord. Estic d‘acord.
All right. I agree with you.
Bé. Molt bé. Que bé!
Good. Very good. Great!
Tot va bé.
Everything is all right.
Malament. Que malament!
Badly. That’s bad!
Un mica millor.
A bit better.
Quina llàstima! Quina ràbia!
What a pity! How annoying!
Quina sort! Quina mala sort!
That was luck! Bad luck!
Quina ximpleria! Això són ximpleries.
Quina vergonya!
Nonsense! That’s nonsense!
How embarrassing!
És curiós. És estrany. És ridícul.
That’s curious/strange/ridiculous.
Que guapa! Que simpàtic!
How beautiful! What a nice person!
Que lleig! Que horrorós!
How ugly! How awful!
Que trist! Que divertit!
How sad! How fun!
Meravellós! Fantàstic!
Wonderful! Fantastic!
Bona sort. Molta sort.
Good luck. I wish you the best of lucks.
És igual. No importa.
Never mind. It doesn’t matter.
Ja està llest/preparat/ a punt.
It’s ready.
Per sort. Per desgràcia.
Luckily. Unfortunately.
Tant de bo!
I hope so! Let’s hope so!. Hopefully.
QUALITATS, ESTATS, PREFERÈNCIES
QUANTITIES, STATES AND PREFERENCES
Sóc alt/a. Sóc més alt/a. Sóc el més alt/a.
I’m tall. I’m taller. I’m the tallest.
Estic bé. Em trobo bé. Estic molt bé. Em trobo molt bé.
No estic gaire bé. No em trobo gaire bé.
I’m all right. I feel all right. I’m very well. I feel very well.
I’m not very well. / I’m not feeling very well.
Tinc gana. Tinc set. Tinc molta gana. Tinc molta set.
I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. I’m very hungry. I’m very thirsty.
Tinc fred. Tinc calor. Tinc molt de fred. Tinc molta calor.
I’m cold. I’m hot. I’m very cold.
I’m very hot.
Tinc por. Tinc molta por. Això em fa por. Això em fa molta de por.
I’m scared. I’m very scared. That scares me. That scares me a lot.
És fàcil. Sembla fàcil/difícil. És fàcil/ difícil.
It’s easy. It looks easy/difficult. It’s easy/difficult.
Em fa mal el coll. Em fan mal les cames.
I have a sore throat. My legs hurt.
Tinc mal de cap. Tinc febre.
I have a headache. I have a temperature.
Necessito ajuda. Necessito un metge. Necessito una ambulància.
I need help. I need a doctor. I need an ambulance.
Tinc ganes de passejar. M’agradaria passejar.
I feel like going for a walk. I’d like to go for a walk.
M’estimo més anar al cinema.
I’d rather go to the cinema.
M’agrada llegir. M’agrada aquesta ciutat.
I like reading. I like this town.
En tinc ganes. Em fa il·lusió. Em fa gràcia.
I feel like. I’m looking forward to it. I find it funny.
Em costa molt. Em porta molta feina.
It’s very hard for me to do so. That’s a lot of work.
COLORS
COLOURS
Blanc, beix, groc, taronja, verd, blau, lila, vermell, grana, marró, gris, negre.
White, beige, yellow, orange, green, blue, violet, red, deep red, brown, grey, black.
De quin color és? És de color blanc/blau.
What colour is it? It’s white/blue.
M’agrada aquest color. No m’agrada gens aquest color.
I like this colour. I don’t like this colour at all.
És massa clar. No és gaire fosc.
It’s too light. It’s not very dark.
EXPRESSIONS TEMPORALS
TIME EXPRESSIONS
De seguida, ara mateix.
Després, més tard.
Quina hora és, si us plau? Són les quatre i quart.
Right away, right now.
Later, later on.
What time is it, please? – It’s a quarter past four.
Avui. Demà. Ahir. Demà passat. Abans d’ahir.
Today. Tomorrow. Yesterday. The day after tomorrow. The day before yesterday.
Quin dia és avui? – Avui és dimarts, 15 d’abril de 2008.
What day is today? Today is Wednesday, 15th April 2008.
Matí. Migdia. Tarda. Vespre. Nit. Matinada.
Morning. Noon. Afternoon. Evening. Night. Early morning.
Les classes són al vespre. Ell arriba al matí.
The lessons are in the evening. He arrives in the morning.
És de dia. És de nit. Es fa fosc.
It’s daytime. It’s night-time. It’s getting dark.
El dinar se serveix a les dues. El sopar és a les vuit i mitja.
Lunch is served at two. Dinner is served at half past eight.
Quant (temps) dura? Cinc hores.
How long does it take? Five hours.
Quin/quant (temps) falta? Tres setmanes.
How long is it before that? Three weeks.
Quan tornarà? D’aquí una hora.
When will he/she be back? He / She will be back in about an hour.
Fa tres setmanes. Des de fa set setmanes.
Three weeks ago. For seven weeks.
Abans de dues hores. Després de quatre dies.
Less than two hours. In four days time.
A les nou i quart. Cap a les set i vint.
At a quarter past nine. At about twenty past seven.
Tinc molt de temps. Tinc poc temps. No tinc temps.
I have plenty of time. I don’t have much time. I don’t have time.
DIES, MESOS, ESTACIONS,
PUNTSCARDINALS
DAYS, MONTHS, SEASONS,
THE POINTS OF THE COMPASS
Dilluns, dimarts, dimecres, dijous, divendres, dissabte, diumenge.
Gener, febrer, març, abril, maig, juny, juliol, agost, setembre, octubre, novembre, desembre.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Primavera, estiu, tardor, hivern.
Nord, sud, est, oest.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter.
North, South, East, West.
Els dimarts hi ha mercat. Dimecres vaig a Barcelona.
The market is on Tuesday. I’m going to Barcelona on Wednesday.
El curs comença pel febrer. Es casen pel març.
The course starts in February. They are getting married in March.
Som a la primavera. A l’estiu fa calor.
It’s spring. In summer it’s hot.
Figueres és al nord. Girona és al sud.
Figueres is north. Girona is south.
EDAT, ANIVERSARIS
AGE, BIRHTDAY
Quants anys tens/té? Tinc 34 anys.
How old are you? I’m 34 years old.
Quan fas els anys? D’aquí a un mes.
When is your birthday? My birthday is in one month time.
Vaig néixer a Girona el dia 2 de març de 1962.
I was born in Girona on 2nd May 1962.
TEMPS
WEATHER
Quin temps fa avui? Avui fa bon dia. Avui fa mal dia.
What’s the weather like today? – The weather is nice today. | The weather is bad today.
Fa fred. Fa calor. Fa molt de fred. Fa molta calor.
It’s cold. It’s hot. It’s very cold. It’s very hot.
Plou. Neva. Fa sol.
It’s raining. It’s snowing. It’s sunny.
Està tapat. Està ennuvolat.
It’s not sunny. It’s cloudy.
Fa vent. Fa trons i llamps.
Hi ha boira. Hi ha humitat. Fa un temps molt sec.
It’s windy. There’s a storm.
It’s foggy. It’s wet. It’s a very dry weather.
AVISOS I CARTELLS PUBLICITARIS
SIGNS AND NOTICES
Alerta! Aneu amb compte!
Attention! Be careful!
Atenció! Perill.
Attention. Danger.
Tancat. Tancat del 7 al 15 de juliol.
Closed. Closed from 7th to 15th of July.
Obert. Obert de les 10 del matí a les 7 de la tarda
Open. Opening hours: 10 a. m. to 7 p. m.
Tanqueu la porta, si us plau. Deixeu passar.
Please close the door. Please give way.
No fumeu
Don’t smoke.
Entrada. Sortida
Entrance. Exit
Lliure. Ocupat. Privat
Free. Occupied. Private.
Pis en venda. Casa per llogar.
Flat for sale. House to let.
Rebaixes. Preus rebaixats. Ofertes. Descomptes. Articles rebaixats
Reduced prices. Special offers. Discount.
Sale goods.
No malgasteu l’aigua
Aprofiteu l’aigua
Please do not waste water.
Silenci, si us plau.
Silence, please.
OFERTA I DEMANDA
OFFER AND DEMAND
Què vols (tu) / volia (vostè)? En què et/el puc ajudar? Voldria telefonar.
May I help you? Any help?
I would like to make a phone call.
Què vol/s prendre? Vull prendre una cervesa.
What will you drink? I’ll have a beer, please.
Què val això? Val tres euros.
How much is this? It costs three euros.
Què li dec? Són sis euros.
How much is it? – It’s three euros, please.
El compte, si us plau.
Can I have the bill, please?
És car. És molt car. És massa car.
It’s expensive. It’s very expensive. It’s too expensive.
És barat. És molt barat. És massa barat.
It’s cheap. It’s very cheap. It’s too cheap.
Que teniu pa? / Teniu pa?
No ens queda res.
Què teniu de pa? / Quin pa teniu?
Que teniu el diari d’avui ?
Have you got some bread?
We haven’t got any left.
What kind of bred do you have got?
Have you got today’s paper?
Hi ha molta gent. Hi ha poca gent.
There are a lot of people. There isn’t a lot of people.
No hi ha ningú. No hi ha res.
There’s nobody there. There’s nothing there.
Hi ha moltes coses. Hi ha poques coses.
There are a lot of things. There are very few things.
FEINA, ESTUDIS, PROFESSIONS
JOB, STUDIES, PROFESSIONS
Avui és dia feiner. Avui és dia festiu.
Today is a working day. Today is a holiday.
Faig vacances. Vaig a fer feina.
I’m on holidays. I’m going to work.
Treballo de professor/cambrer
Faig feina de cambrer/a, netejador/a
I work as a teacher/waiter.
I work as a waiter/cleaner.
No tinc feina. Estic a l’atur.
I haven’t got a job. I’m unemployed.
Cerco feina. Necessito una feina.
I’m looking for a job. I need a job.
Sóc comerciant/a. Sóc professor/a.
I’m a trader. I’m a teacher. I’m a farmer.
Estudio català/francès/espanyol
Estudio matemàtiques/dret
I study Catalan/French/Spanish.
I study mathematics/law
Saps nedar? Saps cuinar?
Saps parlar català?
Can you swim? Can you cook?
Can you speak Catalan?
LOCALITZACIONS
LOCATIONS
On és l’estació d’autobusos? A prop, molt a prop. Lluny, molt lluny.
Where is the bus station? It’s near, very near. It’s a long way, a very long way.
On és la biblioteca? A la dreta. A l’esquerra. Al fons. Tot dret.
Where is the library? On the right. On the left. At the end (of the street, etc). Straight on.
Vaig al banc. Vaig a l’escola. Vaig a ca nostra.
I’m going to the bank. I’m going to school. I’m going home.
Vinc de l’hospital. Vinc de la farmàcia. Vinc de casa meva.
I come from the hospital. I come from the chemist’s. I come from home.
Som al carrer. Som a cal metge. Som a ca nostra.
I’m in the street. I’m at the doctor’s. I’m home.
TRANSPORTS
TRANSPORT
Anar a peu. Anar amb bicicleta/moto/
cotxe/tren/autobús/avió/barca./vaixell.
To go on foot. To go by bicycle/motorbike/car/train/bus/plane/boat/ship.
Agafar la bicicleta/la moto/el cotxe.
To take the bicycle/the bus/the car.
FAMÍLIA, ESTAT CIVIL I HABITATGE
FAMILY, MARITAL STATUS, ACCOMODATION
Pare, mare, fill, filla, germà, germana.
Avi, àvia, nét, néta.
Father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister.
Grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter.
Espòs/home, esposa/dona, company/a,
Husband, wife, partner.
Cosí, cosina, oncle, tia, nebot, neboda.
Cunyat, cunyada, gendre, nora.
Cousin, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece.
Brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law
Sóc casat/da, solter/a, divorciat/da.
Sóc vidu/vídua.
I’m married/single/divorced.
I’m a widower/a widow.
Tinc tres fills/es. Tinc cinc néts/es.
I have three children. I have five grandchildren.
A casa meva som quatre germans.
We’re four brothers and sisters at home.
Visc a casa dels meus avis. Visc tot sol. Visc tota sola.
I live at my grandparents’. I live by myself.
Visc en un pis. Visc en una casa amb jardí.
I live in a flat. I live in a house with a garden.
FESTES I FELICITACIONS
HOLIDAYS AND GREETINGS
Nadal. Cap d’Any. Els Reis d’Orient.
Bon Nadal i feliç Any Nou.
Christmas. New Year. The Three Wise Men.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Carnaval. Quaresma. Pasqua.
Carnival. Lent. Easter.
Vacances d’estiu/de Nadal/de Pasqua.
Summer holidays. Christmas holidays. Easter holidays.
Bones festes. Bon viatge. Bones vacances.
Happy holidays. Have a nice trip. Happy holidays.
Enhorabona. Salut!
Congratulations. Cheers!
Per molts anys. Moltes felicitats.
Happy Birthday. Congratulations.
