Yes, no and the essentials in Catalan
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Catalan words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Catalan phrases in this lesson
- SíSEE
- Yes
- NoNO
- No
- D'acordda-KOR
- Okay
- No entencno en-TENK
- I don't understand
- Parla anglès?PAR-la an-GLES
- Do you speak English?
- Ho pot repetir?oo pot re-pe-TEER
- Can you repeat that?
- Més a poc a poc, si us plaumes a POK a POK see oos PLOW
- Slowly, please
- Què és això?ke es a-SHO
- What is this?
- Necessito...ne-se-SEE-to
- I need...
- Em pot ajudar?em pot a-joo-DA
- Can you help me?
The accent distinguishes it from "si" meaning "if," though in speech context makes the meaning obvious. A simple, clear "sí" with a nod is all you need.
Identical in spelling to English and Spanish. Catalans tend to say it directly without the hedging you might find elsewhere. A clear "no, gràcies" is perfectly polite.
Literally "agreed." The standard way to confirm you have understood or accepted something. You will also hear the informal "val" or "va bé" in everyday speech.
Direct and clear. If you want to add a polite softener, follow it with "si us plau, pot repetir?" (please, can you repeat?). The final "c" in entenc is pronounced like a hard "k."
The formal version, suitable for strangers and older people. Many Catalans in tourist areas speak English well, but asking in Catalan first is always a gracious move. Try Catalan before switching.
Polite form.
Literally "more little by little". Everyone also speaks Spanish.
Polite form.