Basic Greetings and Farewells
One of the first things you’ll want to learn in any language is how to greet people and say goodbye. Here are some basic greetings and farewells in Catalan:
– Hola – Hello
– Bon dia – Good morning
– Bona tarda – Good afternoon
– Bona nit – Good night
– Adéu – Goodbye
– Fins després – See you later
– Fins demà – See you tomorrow
– Fins aviat – See you soon
Introducing Yourself
Being able to introduce yourself is crucial. Here are some phrases you can use to tell people your name, nationality, and more:
– Em dic… – My name is…
– Sóc… – I am…
– Tinc…anys – I am…years old
– Sóc de… – I am from…
– Visc a… – I live in…
– Encantat/Encantada – Nice to meet you (Encantat for males, Encantada for females)
Common Questions and Answers
To interact with others, you will need to ask and answer common questions. Here are some useful phrases:
– Com et dius? – What’s your name?
– D’on ets? – Where are you from?
– Quants anys tens? – How old are you?
– On vius? – Where do you live?
– Com estàs? – How are you?
– Bé, gràcies – Fine, thank you
– I tu? – And you?
Numbers
Numbers are essential for various daily activities, such as shopping or telling time. Here are the numbers from 1 to 20 in Catalan:
– 1 – un
– 2 – dos
– 3 – tres
– 4 – quatre
– 5 – cinc
– 6 – sis
– 7 – set
– 8 – vuit
– 9 – nou
– 10 – deu
– 11 – onze
– 12 – dotze
– 13 – tretze
– 14 – catorze
– 15 – quinze
– 16 – setze
– 17 – disset
– 18 – divuit
– 19 – dinou
– 20 – vint
Days of the Week
Knowing the days of the week is useful for planning and scheduling:
– Dilluns – Monday
– Dimarts – Tuesday
– Dimecres – Wednesday
– Dijous – Thursday
– Divendres – Friday
– Dissabte – Saturday
– Diumenge – Sunday
Months of the Year
Being familiar with the months will help you talk about dates and events:
– Gener – January
– Febrer – February
– Març – March
– Abril – April
– Maig – May
– Juny – June
– Juliol – July
– Agost – August
– Setembre – September
– Octubre – October
– Novembre – November
– Desembre – December
Basic Vocabulary
Common Nouns
Here are some common nouns you will encounter frequently:
– Casa – House
– Cotxe – Car
– Escola – School
– Llibre – Book
– Taula – Table
– Cadira – Chair
– Porta – Door
– Finestra – Window
Common Verbs
Understanding common verbs will help you form basic sentences:
– Ser – To be
– Tenir – To have
– Fer – To do/make
– Anar – To go
– Venir – To come
– Menjar – To eat
– Beure – To drink
– Veure – To see
Useful Adjectives
Adjectives help you describe people, places, and things. Here are some commonly used adjectives:
– Gran – Big
– Petit/Petita – Small (Petit for masculine, Petita for feminine)
– Nou/Nova – New (Nou for masculine, Nova for feminine)
– Vell/Vella – Old (Vell for masculine, Vella for feminine)
– Bonic/Bonica – Beautiful (Bonic for masculine, Bonica for feminine)
– Lleig/Lletja – Ugly (Lleig for masculine, Lletja for feminine)
– Content/Contenta – Happy (Content for masculine, Contenta for feminine)
– Trist/Trista – Sad (Trist for masculine, Trista for feminine)
Polite Phrases
Politeness goes a long way in any culture. Here are some polite phrases to use:
– Si us plau – Please
– Gràcies – Thank you
– De res – You’re welcome
– Perdó – Sorry/Excuse me
– Disculpi – Excuse me (more formal)
– No passa res – It’s okay/No problem
Everyday Phrases
These everyday phrases will help you navigate daily life:
– Quant costa? – How much does it cost?
– On és el bany? – Where is the bathroom?
– Puc ajudar-te? – Can I help you?
– Necessito ajuda – I need help
– No ho entenc – I don’t understand
– Parles anglès? – Do you speak English?
– Parlo una mica de català – I speak a little Catalan
Food and Drinks
Knowing the names of common foods and drinks can be very helpful, especially when dining out:
– Aigua – Water
– Pa – Bread
– Formatge – Cheese
– Carn – Meat
– Peix – Fish
– Fruita – Fruit
– Verdura – Vegetable
– Cafè – Coffee
– Te – Tea
Describing People
Being able to describe people will enhance your conversations:
– Alt/Alta – Tall (Alt for masculine, Alta for feminine)
– Baix/Baixa – Short (Baix for masculine, Baixa for feminine)
– Prim/Prima – Thin (Prim for masculine, Prima for feminine)
– Gros/Grossa – Fat (Gros for masculine, Grossa for feminine)
– Jove – Young
– Vell/Vella – Old (Vell for masculine, Vella for feminine)
Family Members
Talking about family is a common topic in conversations. Here are some family-related words:
– Pare – Father
– Mare – Mother
– Germà – Brother
– Germana – Sister
– Fill – Son
– Filla – Daughter
– Avi – Grandfather
– Àvia – Grandmother
Common Places
Knowing the names of common places will help you get around:
– Supermercat – Supermarket
– Botiga – Shop
– Cafeteria – Café
– Restaurant – Restaurant
– Hospital – Hospital
– Estació – Station
– Parc – Park
– Plaça – Square
Weather and Seasons
Talking about the weather is a great way to start a conversation. Here are some useful words and phrases:
– Fa sol – It’s sunny
– Fa fred – It’s cold
– Fa calor – It’s hot
– Plou – It’s raining
– Neva – It’s snowing
– Primavera – Spring
– Estiu – Summer
– Tardor – Autumn
– Hivern – Winter
Time and Dates
Being able to talk about time and dates is essential:
– Quina hora és? – What time is it?
– És la una – It’s one o’clock
– Són les dues – It’s two o’clock
– Avui – Today
– Demà – Tomorrow
– Ahir – Yesterday
– Matí – Morning
– Tarda – Afternoon
– Nit – Night
Colors
Colors are used in many contexts, from describing objects to expressing preferences:
– Vermell/Vermella – Red (Vermell for masculine, Vermella for feminine)
– Blau/Blava – Blue (Blau for masculine, Blava for feminine)
– Verd/Verda – Green (Verd for masculine, Verda for feminine)
– Groc/Groga – Yellow (Groc for masculine, Groga for feminine)
– Negre/Negra – Black (Negre for masculine, Negra for feminine)
– Blanc/Blanca – White (Blanc for masculine, Blanca for feminine)
Essential Phrases for Emergencies
In case of emergencies, these phrases can be extremely useful:
– Ajuda! – Help!
– Truqui a una ambulància – Call an ambulance
– On és l’hospital més proper? – Where is the nearest hospital?
– He perdut els meus documents – I’ve lost my documents
– Necessito un metge – I need a doctor
Conclusion
Reaching the A1 level in Catalan will provide you with a basic understanding of the language, enabling you to have simple conversations and navigate daily life in Catalan-speaking regions. This list of essential words and phrases will serve as a solid foundation as you continue to learn and grow in your language journey. Remember, practice makes perfect, so make sure to use these words and phrases as often as possible to become more comfortable with the language. Bon aprenentatge! (Happy learning!)
