Last Updated on May 16, 2024 by Christian Heide
If you’d like your stay in Barcelona to be an amazing adventure… you may run into situations where knowing Spanish is essential.
You’ll have no trouble getting tickets to see the highlights of Catalan Modernism like the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell or the Palau de la Música Catalana.
- But what if you love hidden cafés?
- What if you’d like a day trip into the hills?
- What if you love meeting new people?
The native language of Catalonia is Catalan. But everyone will speak Spanish and you’ll have no problem speaking it. But just in case we’ve included a Catalan translation alongside the 50 Spanish phrases below.
If you’re interested in enhancing your stay then don’t forget to check our guided Barcelona tours here.
If you’re ever interested in taking Spanish courses in Barcelona then do check out our friends Speakeasy BCN – they provided us with these phrases and have a lovely school in the heart of the city, in Plaça Catalunya.
Useful Spanish & Catalan Phrases for Travelling in Barcelona
Below you’ll find 50 useful Spanish & Catalan phrases to have at hand for your upcoming trip to Barcelona. You can memorise them, print them out, or bookmark this page on your phone to take with you.
Basic Spanish & Catalan Greetings
These are the most common and useful phrases when greeting people, or saying goodbye.
| English | Spanish | Catalan |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hola | Hola |
| Good morning | Buenos días | Bon dia |
| Good afternoon | Buenas tardes | Bona tarda |
| Good night | Buenas noches | Bona nit |
| How are you? | ¿Cómo estás? | Com estás? |
| Goodbye | Adios | Adéu |
Ps & Qs in Spanish & Catalan
It’s nice to be polite. While people don’t say ‘please’ as much in Spanish and Catalan as English-speakers may be used to…these are important phrases to know.
| English | Spanish | Catalan |
|---|---|---|
| Please | Por favor | Si us plau |
| Thank you | Gracias | Gràcies |
| Excuse me | Perdona | Perdoni |
| You’re welcome | De nada | De res |
| Nice to meet you | Encantado/a | Molt de gust |
| Sorry | Lo siento | Perdó |
Being Understood in Spanish & Catalan
After the formalities, these phrases below will come in handy if you need to start an extended conversation with someone.
| English | Spanish | Catalan |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Sí | Sí |
| No | No | No |
| Do you speak English? | ¿Hablas Inglés? | Parles anglès? |
| I don’t understand | No entiendo | No ho entenc |
| Can you help me? | ¿Me puedes ayudar? | Em pots ajudar? |
Getting Directions in Spanish & Catalan
Use these phrases when off the beaten track. They’ll help you get where you want to go and avoid getting lost!
| English | Spanish | Catalan |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the…? | ¿Dónde está el/la…? | On es el/la…? |
| I am lost. | Estoy perdido/a | Estic perdut/perduda |
| Straight ahead | Todo recto | Tot recte |
| Here | Aquí | Aquí |
| There | Ahí | Allá/ací |
| Left | Izquierda | Esquerra |
| Right | Derecha | Dreta |
| Is it far? | ¿Está lejos? | És lluny? |
| Is it close? | ¿Está cerca? | És a prop? |
| Where can I get a taxi? | ¿Dónde hay una parada de taxis? | On hi ha una parada de taxis? |
| Where’s the bus stop? | ¿Dónde está la parada de autobuses? | On és la parada d’autobús? |
| Where’s the train station? | ¿Dónde está la estación de trenes? | On està l’estació de tren? |
Ordering Food & Drink in Restaurants/ Cafés in Spanish & Catalan
You’ll use your Spanish and/or most often when in restaurants and cafés. Especially if you are visiting non-touristy places in Barcelona and surroundings.
| English | Spanish | Catalan |
|---|---|---|
| Do you have a menu? | ¿Tienes menú? | Tens menú? |
| Can I have… | Quiero el/la… | Vull el/la… |
| Table for X people | Mesa para X personas | Taula per a X persones |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor | La compta, si us plau |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? | Puc pagar amb targeta? |
| Where’s the bathroom? | ¿Dónde está el baño? | On són els lavabos? |
| Coffee | Café | Cafè |
| Beer | Cerveza | Cervesa |
| Wine | Vino | Vi |
| Bread | Pan | Pa |
| Water | Agua | Aigua |
| I’m vegetarian | Soy vegetariano | Sóc vegetarià |
Visiting Cultural Attractions/ Sites in Spanish & Catalan
The following phrases will help you buy tickets, sightseeing and getting out and about while in Barcelona.
| English | Spanish | Catalan |
|---|---|---|
| How much? | ¿Cuánto es? | Quant costa? |
| Where can I buy tickets? | ¿Dónde puedo comprar las entradas? | On puc comprar les entrades? |
| X tickets please | X entradas por favor | X entrades si us plau |
| What time does it open? | ¿A qué hora abre? | A quina hora obre? |
| What time does it close? | ¿A qué hora cierra? | A quina hora tanca? |
| How long does it take? | ¿Cuánto tiempo cuesta? | Quant de temps costa? |
| Where is the entrance/exit? | ¿Dónde está la entrada/salida? | On és l’entrada/la sortida? |
| Is photography allowed? | ¿Se puede tomar fotos? | Es pot fer fotos? |
| Can I get a map/brochure? | ¿Tienes mapa/folleto? | Tens un map/fulletó? |
Ready to Make the Most of Your Time in Barcelona?
Barcelona is one of the top 3 most-visited cities in Europe. It gets more visitors than Madrid or Valencia or Sevilla, making it Spain’s top city for tourists.
But this means certain areas in Barcelona are overcrowded with visitors.
If you want a more authentic experience then you only need to walk a few streets back from the busy streets. Or take a day trip. Or discover hidden parts of the city.
But…you’ll find that the further you are from touristic areas the more you will need Spanish to get around. Learning the 50 phrases in this blogpost will help you make the most of your time in Barcelona. We recommend you bookmark it on your phone or drop it into a family or group WhatsApp chat in case you need it.
And don’t forget!
A private walking tour is one of the best ways to discover the hidden gems of Barcelona. The Barcelona Feeling has taken more than 4,000 visitors on an adventure through the Catalan capital since 2018 – either in person or on a virtual trip.
Will you be our next guest?
Click here to check out our private tours currently available.
