Catalan vs Spanish: what's the difference?
"Isn't Catalan just Spanish with a different accent?" Nope. It's its own language. Here's what's the same, what's different, and which one you need.
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Catalan and Spanish both come from Latin, like French, Italian and Portuguese. So they're cousins, not the same thing. If you know Spanish you'll read a fair bit of Catalan, but listening is harder, because it sounds quite different.
Same idea, different word
| English | Català | Español |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you | Gràcies | Gracias |
| Please | Si us plau | Por favor |
| Good morning | Bon dia | Buenos días |
| Table | Taula | Mesa |
| Window | Finestra | Ventana |
| Cheese | Formatge | Queso |
| To eat | Menjar | Comer |
| To speak | Parlar | Hablar |
| Now | Ara | Ahora |
| Tomorrow | Demà | Mañana |
| Very | Molt | Muy |
| Nothing | Res | Nada |
| Rabbit | Conill | Conejo |
| Car | Cotxe | Coche |
Spot the pattern? Catalan words are often shorter, because they drop the last vowel: gat / gato (cat), pa / pan (bread), vi / vino (wine).
Different sounds
- No Spanish "th" lisp. Plaça (square) has a plain "s".
- Soft vowels: Catalan swallows a lot of its a's, e's and o's. Spanish says every vowel clearly.
- Extra sounds: "sh" (xocolata), "zh" (Jordi) and "dj" (platja).
- Letters Spanish doesn't use: l·l, ç, and accents going both ways (à, è, é, ò, ó).
The full rundown is on the Catalan pronunciation page.
Grammar traps for Spanish speakers
- The past tense looks like the future. In Catalan, vaig anar means "I went". In Spanish, voy a ir means "I'm going to go". Easy to mix up.
- "The" has more forms: el, la, l', els, les. Plurals often end in -s or -es: la casa, les cases.
- Names get an article: people say en Jordi and la Maria, like "the Jordi".
- Negatives can have a "pas": no és pas car, "it's not expensive at all".
False friends
| Word | In Catalan | In Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| res | nothing | a head of cattle |
| mantega | butter | (manteca) lard |
| cama | leg | bed |
| tasca | task / job | a little bar |
So which should I learn?
Going to Barcelona for a weekend? Spanish works everywhere, and nearly everyone speaks it. But a few words of Catalan (greetings, please and thank you) go a long way. Living there, or have family there? Learn both. They help each other.
Keep going: The Catalan language · Catalan for beginners · Pronunciation · All the free Catalan guides, flashcards and games.
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Questions people ask
Is Catalan a dialect of Spanish?
No. Catalan is its own language. It grew out of Latin alongside Spanish, French and Italian.
Can Spanish speakers understand Catalan?
They can read quite a lot of it, but understanding spoken Catalan is harder because the sounds are so different.
Is Catalan closer to Spanish or French?
It sits somewhere in between. Some words look Spanish, some look French, and it's very close to Occitan, from the south of France.
Should I learn Catalan or Spanish for Barcelona?
Spanish will get you by everywhere. A few words of Catalan on top are a nice touch and people appreciate it.
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