Knowing a few basic words in Catalan will completely change your experience when visiting Catalonia, Valencia, or the Balearic Islands.

Locals always appreciate it when you make an effort to speak their native language.

This guide covers the most common Catalan greetings and survival phrases you need to know.

You’ll learn how to say hello, ask for help, and be polite in everyday situations.

Common Catalan greetings

Greeting people properly is the first step to starting a conversation in any language.

In Catalan, the greeting you choose often depends on the time of day.

Here are the most essential greetings you’ll use daily.

It’s worth noting that there are some slight regional variations across Catalan-speaking territories.

In Catalonia, people use bona tarda for “good afternoon”.

However, if you travel to the Valencian Community, locals use the phrase bona vesprada instead.

In the Balearic Islands, such as Mallorca, it’s very common to just say bon dia throughout the entire day until the sun goes down.

Here’s a short example of a casual morning greeting.

Saying goodbye in Catalan

When it’s time to leave, you have a few different options for saying goodbye.

The most universally understood farewell is adéu, which means “goodbye”.

You can also use time-specific phrases if you plan on seeing the person again soon.

You’ll also hear native speakers say adéu-siau in more formal situations.

On the other hand, many younger people casually use the Italian loanword ciao when leaving their friends.

Polite expressions

Having good manners goes a long way when interacting with native speakers.

Learning how to say please and thank you is an absolute necessity.

When expressing gratitude in Catalonia, you’ll actually hear the word merci used constantly.

Even though it comes from French, it’s been fully adopted into casual, everyday Catalan.

If you bump into someone on the street, a quick ho sento or perdó is the correct way to apologize.

Essential survival phrases

As a beginner, you’ll inevitably run into situations where you simply don’t understand what someone is saying.

There’s absolutely no shame in politely explaining that you’re still learning the language.

These survival phrases will help you navigate confusing conversations.

Using these phrases shows locals that you’re trying your best.

If someone speaks too fast, simply ask them to slow down rather than immediately switching to English.