Catalan vs Spanish: What's the Difference? 🆚

"Isn't Catalan just Spanish with a different accent?" 🤔 Nope! It's its own language. Here's the quick version.

🗺️ Where it's spoken

Catalonia, Valencia (where it's called valencià), the Balearic Islands, Andorra, a bit of Aragon, the south of France around Perpignan and the town of Alghero in Sardinia.

🆚 Same idea, different word

• Thank you: gràcies (Catalan) / gracias (Spanish)
• Please: si us plau / por favor
• Table: taula / mesa
• Window: finestra / ventana
• Cheese: formatge / queso
• Now: ara / ahora
• Tomorrow: demà / mañana

💡 Things you'll notice

• Words are often shorter: gat (cat) is gato in Spanish, pa (bread) is pan.
• Catalan has letters Spanish doesn't use, like l·l (col·legi, school) and ç (plaça, square).
• ny does the job of the Spanish ñ: Catalunya.

🇪🇸 Does it help with Spanish?

Yes. They share loads of grammar and plenty of words, so learning one makes the other easier. If you're learning Spanish, a bit of Catalan is a great bonus for a trip to Barcelona 🟨🟥

👉 Have a go at the free games in the Fun Learning Catalan hub. Learning Spanish too? Try my app, free to start 📱