Sometimes you don't have time to learn long lists of words and phrases. All you want to know are the bare essentials for communicating to get what you need, or where you need to go.
Here are the bare minimum of Catalan words and phrases you need to know to survive.
Learn the Top 10 Phrases if you only have time for the barest minimum. If you need or want more, then take a look at the Top 20 Phrases, Top 30 Phrases and the Extra Phrases.
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Hello.
How much is it?|
Here are ten more phrases that will help you make new friends and ask for directions ...
The Top 20 ... |
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Com es diu? What is your name? Em dic ... My name is ... Com està? How are you? Bé. I vostè? Fine. And you? On és ...? Where is ...? On és el lavabo? Homes/Dones Where is the toilet? Men/Women Ho sento. Perdoni. Sorry. Excuse me. Cap problema. No problem. Vull ... I want ... No vull ... I don't want ... |
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Here are another ten phrases to help you make a little more conversation and to get around ...
The Top 30 ... |
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D'on és vostè? Where are you from? Sóc d'Austràlia.* I am from Australia. El compte, sisplau. The bill, please. Estic perdut. (man) Estic perduda. (woman) I'm lost. Pari! Esperi! Stop! Wait! Aquí, allí, allà. Here, there, over there. Taxi. Hotel. Aeroport. Estació. Taxi. Hotel. Airport. Station. M'agrada ... I like ... No m'agrada ... I don't like ... u**, dos, tres, quatre, cinc. one, two, three, four, five. sis, set, vuit, nou, deu. six, seven, eight, nine, ten. **Use u when counting. Use un before a masculine noun. Use una before a feminine noun. *Or choose your country: d'Amèrica - from America de Canadà - from Canada d'Anglaterra - from England d'Irlanda - from Ireland de Nova Zelanda - from New Zealand |
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Here are some extra words and phrases you might find useful, especially if you have dietary needs or allergies ...
Useful Extras ... | |
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Salut! Cheers! bo / dolent good / bad gran / petit big / small a prop / lluny near / far menys / més less / more un altre / prou another / enough Sóc vegetarià. (man) Sóc vegetariana. (woman) I am vegetarian. No menjo carn. I don't eat meat. ... pollastre. ... chicken. ... peix. ... fish. Sóc aŀlèrgic als fruits secs. (man) Sóc aŀlèrgica als fruits secs. (woman) I am allergic to nuts. ... als cacauets. ... to peanuts. ... al peix. ... to fish. ... als mariscs. ... to seafood. ... als ous. ... to eggs. |
Vowels:
unstressed a and e are pronounced as e as in brother (ə)
ai is pronounced as əi
au is pronounced as əu
e is pronounced as e as in pet (ɛ)
é is pronounced as e
unstressed o is pronounced as u
o is pronounced as o as in pot (ɔ)
ó is pronounced as o
Consonants:
b and v in the middle of a word are a bilabial fricative, like a v using both lips together (β)
c before e or i is pronounced as s
d in the middle or end of a word is like the in this (ð)
c before e or i is pronounced as s as in pleasure (ʒ)
g in the middle of a word is like gh, a voiced velar fricative (ɣ) or its approximant (ɰ)
g at the end of a word is pronounced as k
gu before e or i is pronounced as g
h is silent
j is pronounced as s as in pleasure (ʒ)
ll is pronounced as ly as in million (ʎ), or y as in yet (IPA j)
ŀl and tl are pronounced as a long l (IPA l:)
ny is pronounced as ny as in canyon (ɲ)
qu before e or i is pronounced as k
tg and ig are pronounced as j as in judge (dʒ)
tg and ig at the end of a word are pronounced as ch as in church (tʃ)
tll is a long ll (ʎ:)
tm is pronounced as a long m (IPA m:)
tn is pronounced as a long n (IPA n:)
tx is pronounced as ch as in church (tʃ)
v is pronounced b at the start of a word
x and ix are pronounced as sh as in shop (ʃ)
Please note:
aquest is pronounced as aket, aquests is pronounced as akets
molt is pronounced as mol (mɔɫ)
quant is pronounced as kwan
d'accord is pronounced as dakor (dakɔr)
vull is often pronounced as bui
cinc is pronounced as sing (siŋ)
tinc is pronounced as ting (tiŋ)
entenc is pronounced as enteng (ɛntɛŋ)
prendre is pronounced an pendre (pɛndrə)
unstressed a and e are pronounced as e as in brother (ə)
ai is pronounced as əi
au is pronounced as əu
e is pronounced as e as in pet (ɛ)
é is pronounced as e
unstressed o is pronounced as u
o is pronounced as o as in pot (ɔ)
ó is pronounced as o
Consonants:
b and v in the middle of a word are a bilabial fricative, like a v using both lips together (β)
c before e or i is pronounced as s
d in the middle or end of a word is like the in this (ð)
c before e or i is pronounced as s as in pleasure (ʒ)
g in the middle of a word is like gh, a voiced velar fricative (ɣ) or its approximant (ɰ)
g at the end of a word is pronounced as k
gu before e or i is pronounced as g
h is silent
j is pronounced as s as in pleasure (ʒ)
ll is pronounced as ly as in million (ʎ), or y as in yet (IPA j)
ŀl and tl are pronounced as a long l (IPA l:)
ny is pronounced as ny as in canyon (ɲ)
qu before e or i is pronounced as k
tg and ig are pronounced as j as in judge (dʒ)
tg and ig at the end of a word are pronounced as ch as in church (tʃ)
tll is a long ll (ʎ:)
tm is pronounced as a long m (IPA m:)
tn is pronounced as a long n (IPA n:)
tx is pronounced as ch as in church (tʃ)
v is pronounced b at the start of a word
x and ix are pronounced as sh as in shop (ʃ)
Please note:
aquest is pronounced as aket, aquests is pronounced as akets
molt is pronounced as mol (mɔɫ)
quant is pronounced as kwan
d'accord is pronounced as dakor (dakɔr)
vull is often pronounced as bui
cinc is pronounced as sing (siŋ)
tinc is pronounced as ting (tiŋ)
entenc is pronounced as enteng (ɛntɛŋ)
prendre is pronounced an pendre (pɛndrə)