The Catalan language: what it is, where it's spoken and why learn it

If you've visited Barcelona, Valencia or Mallorca, you've probably seen street signs, menus and shop windows in a language that looks a bit like Spanish, a bit like French and is neither. That's Catalan. This guide explains what the Catalan language is, where it's spoken, how many people use it and how it compares with languages you may already know.

Is Catalan a dialect of Spanish?

No. This is the most common misconception, so let's clear it up first. Catalan is a Romance language in its own right, just like Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. All of them developed from the Latin spoken in different parts of the Roman Empire. Catalan didn't come from Spanish; the two grew up side by side, as siblings rather than parent and child.

Catalan has a long written tradition. In the Middle Ages it was the language of a powerful Mediterranean crown, and figures such as the philosopher Ramon Llull wrote major works in it. Today it has its own literature, press, television, music scene and a lively presence online, with its own internet domain, .cat.

Where is Catalan spoken?

Catalan is spoken in four countries, which surprises a lot of people:

• Catalonia, in north-eastern Spain, where it's co-official with Spanish.
• The Valencian Community, where it's called Valencian (valencià). It's the same language, with its own local features.
• The Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera).
• Andorra, the small country in the Pyrenees, where Catalan is the only official language.
• La Franja, a strip of eastern Aragon bordering Catalonia.
• Northern Catalonia (Roussillon), in southern France.
• L'Alguer (Alghero), a town in Sardinia, Italy, where a variety of Catalan has survived for centuries.

How many people speak Catalan?

Figures vary depending on how you measure "speaking" a language, so treat any number as approximate. According to the language use surveys published by the Government of Catalonia (the Generalitat), around ten million people across the Catalan-speaking territories understand it, and several million speak it day to day. That puts it ahead of a number of official EU languages in terms of speakers.

What does Catalan sound like compared with English, Spanish and French?

For English speakers, Catalan has some pleasant surprises. It uses many short words, often ending in a consonant, so it can feel closer to English or French in rhythm than Spanish does: pa (bread), nit (night), gos (dog), fill (son).

If you know some Spanish, you'll recognise a lot: casa, mar, temps (like tiempo). But plenty is different: finestra rather than ventana, menjar rather than comer, taula rather than mesa.

If you know some French, you'll notice even more links: finestra is close to fenêtre, menjar to manger, and Catalan has the little pronouns en and hi, which work much like French en and y.

A few distinctive spellings to look out for:

• l·l, the "flying dot" in col·legi (school), pronounced as a slightly longer l.
• ny, as in Catalunya, pronounced like the ny in "canyon".
• x, as in xocolata, usually pronounced "sh".

Catalan words and phrases to get started

Notice si us plau: pronounced roughly "see oos plow", it's one of the first words visitors pick up and one of the most appreciated.

Why learn Catalan?

• If you live in or move to Catalonia, Valencia or the Balearics, Catalan is the key to schools, local life and many jobs. We wrote a whole guide on learning Catalan when you live in Catalonia.
• People notice and appreciate it. Locals are used to visitors speaking Spanish or English, so a bon dia or gràcies stands out.
• It's a bridge to other Romance languages. Sitting between Spanish, French and Italian, Catalan makes all three easier. Our comparison of the easiest languages for English speakers explains why Romance languages are a good bet.
• Culture. From Gaudí's city to castells (human towers) and a strong music scene, a lot of what makes the region special happens in Catalan.

Where to start

Begin with greetings and the phrases above, then move on to everyday situations: shopping, ordering food, asking for directions. Listen as much as possible, as Catalan pronunciation has a few vowel sounds that don't exist in Spanish. Parlumi has a Catalan course from A1 to C2 with explanations written for English speakers, which can be a gentle way to build a daily habit. And if you ever get the chance, say bon dia to the person at the bakery. It's the best first lesson there is.