Catalan greetings: hello, goodbye and more
The first words you'll need in Barcelona, Girona or Mallorca. Each one has a rough "say it like" guide for English speakers.
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| Català | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Hola | Hello | OH-luh |
| Ei! | Hey! (casual) | ay |
| Bon dia | Good morning | bon DEE-uh |
| Bona tarda | Good afternoon / evening | BOH-nuh TAR-duh |
| Bon vespre | Good evening | bon BES-pruh |
| Bona nit | Good night | BOH-nuh NEET |
When to use which: bon dia until lunch (in Spain that's about 2pm). Bona tarda after lunch until it gets dark. Bona nit at night, both to say hello and to say goodnight. You'll hear bon vespre in the evening too, but bona tarda or bona nit will always do.
How are you?
| Català | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Com estàs? | How are you? | kom us-TAHS |
| Com va? | How's it going? | kom BAH |
| Què tal? | How's things? | keh TAL |
| Molt bé, gràcies | Very well, thanks | mol BEH, GRAH-see-us |
| Bé | Fine | beh |
| Anar fent | Getting by | uh-NAH FEN |
| I tu? | And you? | ee TOO |
Names and meeting people
| Català | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Com et dius? | What's your name? | kom ut DEE-oos |
| Em dic Sam | My name is Sam | um DEEK Sam |
| Encantat | Nice to meet you (said by a man) | un-kun-TAT |
| Encantada | Nice to meet you (said by a woman) | un-kun-TAH-duh |
| Molt de gust | Pleased to meet you | mol duh GOOST |
| Benvingut / Benvinguda | Welcome (to a man / a woman) | bum-been-GOOT / bum-been-GOO-duh |
| Benvinguts | Welcome (to a group) | bum-been-GOOTS |
Goodbye
| Català | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Adéu | Bye | uh-DEH-oo |
| A reveure | See you | uh ruh-BEH-oo-ruh |
| Fins aviat | See you soon | feenz uh-bee-AT |
| Fins després | See you later | feenz dus-PRESS |
| Fins demà | See you tomorrow | feenz duh-MAH |
| Fins dilluns | See you Monday | feenz dee-YOONS |
| Bon cap de setmana! | Have a good weekend! | bon kap duh sut-MAH-nuh |
Fins means "until", so you can stick any day on the end. Days of the week are on the numbers, days and months page.
Being polite
| Català | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Si us plau | Please | see oos PLOW |
| Gràcies / Moltes gràcies | Thanks / Thanks a lot | GRAH-see-us / MOL-tus GRAH-see-us |
| De res | You're welcome | duh RESS |
| Perdó | Sorry / excuse me | pur-DOH |
| Em sap greu | I'm sorry (I feel bad) | um sap GREH-oo |
Hugs, kisses or handshakes?
Friends, and people being introduced, often greet with two kisses on the cheek. Men usually shake hands with each other. In shops and lifts, people say bon dia going in and adéu going out, even to strangers.
Catalan vs Spanish greetings
| English | Català | Español |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Bon dia | Buenos días |
| Good afternoon | Bona tarda | Buenas tardes |
| Bye | Adéu | Adiós |
| Please | Si us plau | Por favor |
| Thanks | Gràcies | Gracias |
More side by side on the Catalan vs Spanish page.
Keep going: Useful phrases · Pronunciation · Catalan for beginners · All the free Catalan guides, flashcards and games.
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Questions people ask
How do you say hello in Catalan?
Hola, same spelling as Spanish but said more like "OH-luh". In the morning, bon dia (good morning) is even more common.
How do you say goodbye in Catalan?
Adéu (uh-DEH-oo). You'll also hear a reveure (see you) and fins aviat (see you soon).
How do you say thank you in Catalan?
Gràcies (GRAH-see-us), or moltes gràcies for thanks a lot. The reply is de res (you're welcome).
What does bona nit mean?
Good night. In Catalan it's used both as a hello late in the evening and as a goodnight.
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