Understanding formal Catalan is great for reading books and following the news.

Real daily conversations on the streets of Barcelona, Valencia, or Girona sound completely different.

Locals constantly use slang words to express surprise, describe people, and talk about everyday life.

Learning these colloquial expressions will instantly make your spoken Catalan sound more natural.

I’ll show you the most essential Catalan slang words you need to know to fit right in.

Slang words for surprise and approval

Catalans have specific words to express that something is cool, surprising, or impressive.

Here’s a quick summary of these expressions.

Déu n’hi do

This is arguably the most famous and unique Catalan expression.

It literally translates to something involving God giving a gift, but the actual meaning is completely different.

You use déu n’hi do to express surprise or to say “wow” or “not bad”.

It’s heavily used when something exceeds your expectations.

Guai

Guai simply translates to “cool” or “great”.

It’s an adjective used to describe things, situations, or plans.

Molar

Molar is a slang verb that means “to be cool” or “to like”.

It works grammatically just like the verb agradar (to like).

Slang words for people

When talking to friends or describing others, Catalans use specific colloquial terms instead of formal nouns.

Nen and nena

The literal translation of nen is “boy” and nena is “girl”.

In informal conversations, locals use these words exactly like “dude” or “man” in English.

This usage is extremely common in Barcelona and the surrounding areas.

Nano

Regional variations exist for these informal greetings.

If you travel down the coast to the Valencian Community, you’ll rarely hear nen.

Instead, Valencian speakers use the word nano to mean “dude” or “mate”.

Trempat

Trempat (masculine) or trempada (feminine) is a fantastic colloquial adjective.

It’s used to describe a person who is exceptionally friendly, nice, and easygoing.

This word is deeply embedded in Catalan culture, especially in regions like Girona and Central Catalonia.

Everyday slang vocabulary

You’ll hear these next words daily in casual environments.

Pasta

Just like in Spanish, Catalans use the word pasta to refer to money.

It’s completely interchangeable with the formal word for money, which is diners.

Curro

Curro is a slang noun for “job” or “work”.

You’ll also hear the verb form, currar, which means “to work”.

Quin pal

The word pal literally translates to “stick”.

When paired with quin to form quin pal, it means “what a drag” or “what a pain”.

You use this expression when you feel lazy or annoyed about having to do something.

The essential Catalan verb fotre

No guide on Catalan slang is complete without mentioning the verb fotre.

This is a highly versatile, colloquial verb that replaces several formal verbs.

Depending on the context, fotre can mean “to do”, “to put”, or “to give”.

It borders on being slightly vulgar in certain contexts, similar to “to screw” or “to mess”, but it’s universally used by locals.

Here’s an example of fotre replacing the verb fer (to do).

Here’s an example of it replacing the verb posar (to put).

Understanding fotre will dramatically improve your listening comprehension in Catalonia.

People use it constantly in informal environments to add emphasis to their sentences.

You’ll sound much more natural the next time you speak Catalan with native speakers.