Catalanism – Words You Should Learn Before Visiting Catalonia (Spain)

Do you want to know what a Catalanism is? Do you want to learn the typical Catalanims they use in Catalonia? Then, you are in the right place.

In this article you will find a list of the most common Catalanisms from Catalonia that you may hear in Spanish.

In addition, there are plenty of audios to help you practice your listening skills.

What is a Catalanism?

First of all, let’s define Catalanism.

Like in English, Spanish has adopted words from other languages. One of those languages is Catalan, which is spoken in Catalonia (an autonomous community of situated in the northeast of Spain).

Thus, a word or phrase that comes from Catalan is a Catalanism.

According to R.A.E., Catalanism (or catalanismo in Spanish) is a “palabra, locución, giro, etc., peculiar o procedente del catalán“.

Spanish from Catalonia has adopted some Catalanisms, which are commonly used all around this region and in some cases, in other parts of Spain.

A Conversation Using Catalanisms

Here is a typical conversation you may hear in Catalonia:

ANA: Ayer te “piqué” y no estabas en casa.

PEPE: Si que estaba, lo que pasa es que el “lampista” había venido y no pude contestarte. Lo siento.

ANA: ¿Por qué estaba el “lampista” en tu casa?

PEPE: Porque el grifo de la cocina no dejaba de gotear. Y encima ahora, las “racholas” del cuarto de baño se están despegando de la pared. ¡Qué desastre!

ANA: Bueno, relájate. Si quieres cuando “plegue” puedo ir a tu casa a ayudarte con lo tengas que hacer.

PEPE: Gracias, pero no te preocupes, ya tengo ayuda.

Did you understand everything? Did you find anything different?

You may have noticed there are some words in quotation marks. These words are Catalanisms.

What are the most common Catalanisms?

Find below a list with some of the most common Catalanisms that people use in Catalonia.

Get used to them, because you will probably hear them if you ever visit the area.

Enjoy!

Abreviations: Catalanism (CATM.)

Note: *Words accepted by R.A.E.

Szigetvári Mónica. 1994. Catalanismos en el español actual. Retrived from: http://www.carstensinner.de/castellano/szigetvari.pdf

Final Thoughts

If you ever go to Catalonia, hopefully this post helps you identifying the Catalanisms people may use.

Finally, I would love to hear from you.

• Have you ever heard any of these words?
• Do you know any other Catalanisms?

Please feel free to leave your answers below in the comment section.

Before you leave, if you are interested in learning Spanish online, check out our blog. All posts have audios for you to practice your listening skills. In addition, if you want to practice your conversation skills, check out our online conversation Spanish classes.

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