Want to really impress the locals you meet while in Barcelona? Read this guide to learn a few important phrases in Catalan; the native, and one of two official, languages of Barcelona and Catalunya. Don’t be afraid to use them while you’re here, either. I think you will be surprised and impressed with the response you receive simply from your efforts to use and acknowledge the local language, one which, incidentally, represents much more than simply a means of communication for the Catalan people.

"Use your tongue" campaign promoting the use of Catalan

BACKGROUND:

Catalan is a romance language, deriving from Latin, and is an official language of the autonomous region of Catalunya. It is one of the official languages of the Spanish state; along with Castilian (“Spanish”), Euskera (Basque), Gallego, and Valencia.  There are currently an estimated 10 million people who speak Catalan- making it more widely spoken than national European languages like Swedish!

Under the dictatorship of Franco, the language was outlawed and its public use could mean prison time, or worse. Yet, despite attempts to homogenize the Spanish state and extinguish Catalan from existence, the language continued to be spoken inside the privacy of citizens’ homes. Finally, upon the transition from dictatorship to democracy, the long repressed tongue exploded back into public view and has since become more important than ever in Catalunya, not only as a means of communication- but also as a symbol of the perseverance of the Catalan people and their interminable spirit to maintain their unique culture and traditions in the face of totalitarianism and adversity.

Read on to learn a couple of easy phrases that will really impress the native Barcelonins you meet while staying in your Barcelona apartment.

Useful Catalan Phrases: