How to Learn Catalan, Step by Step

To learn Catalan, pick Central or Valencian speech first, because the two sound different. About nine million people speak Catalan in Andorra, Spain, France and Italy, and it is Andorra's only official language.

How to Learn Catalan, Step by Step

Start with steps 1 to 3 in your first weeks. Steps 4 to 6 carry on for as long as you learn.

• 🧭Pick Central or ValencianCatalan has two spoken standards, Central and Valencian, and some everyday words differ. A mirror is a “mirall” around Barcelona and an “espill” in Valencia, so pick the one you will hear most.
• ✏️Learn What the Accents MeanAn accent mark shows which part of a word to stress, and it can change the meaning. Mes means “month,” and més means “more.”
• 👂Listen for Vowels That ChangeIn Central Catalan, vowels without stress change their sound, so words can sound different from how they look. Listen with the text in front of you.
• 🔍Look Up Verbs as They ComeWhen a verb ending confuses you, look the verb up in a conjugation table.
• 📖Read and Listen at Your LevelGive most of your study time to videos and lessons you can mostly follow, in the Catalan you picked.
• 🗣️Find a Conversation PartnerMeet a volunteer or a tutor once a week, and talk about a video you watched in Catalan.

For step 4, Softcatalà has a verb conjugator. For step 5, 4cats sorts its videos by level and by Central, Valencian or Balearic speech, and the guide to Catalan you can follow has more ideas. For step 6, the Catalan government's Voluntariat per la llengua pairs each learner with a volunteer who speaks Catalan.

Find Where You Are

Bubblegum is a language app with Catalan lessons about topics you choose, each with audio. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes each one for one of six levels. Read the six sentences below, pick the one that sounds like you, and start with its row.

1. Level 1

   I'm just starting out or know only a few words.

   Read café dialogues with the audio on, and learn the words you need to order and pay.

   Level 1 dialogues about ordering at a café →
2. Level 2

   I can handle simple exchanges.

   Watch short videos for learners on 4cats, and learn the present tense of the verbs you meet most.

3. Level 3

   I follow conversations on familiar topics.

   Add a podcast for learners, and start meeting a conversation partner or a tutor.

4. Level 4

   I understand most content but miss some nuance.

   Read the news on a site like VilaWeb, and tell your partner about one story each time you meet.

5. Level 5

   I read complex topics but rare words slow me down.

   Read long articles and listen to radio talk shows. Check the Institut d'Estudis Catalans dictionary for words an article doesn't explain.

6. Level 6

   I can read almost anything.

   Read a Catalan novel a chapter a week, and notice where Central and Valencian speakers choose different words.

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