Learning a few words of Catalan to get by in hotels and restaurants

In Barcelona you will often be tempted by the many cafés and restaurants that are dotted around the city. They are part of Barcelona’s charm. If you know a few words of Catalan, it’s much easier to ask for what you want and will only make your experience more pleasant!

This article complements another on our site that offers to teach you a few basic words and expressions in Catalan.

• Pronunciation in Catalan is not particularly simple. To hear how to pronounce each word, click on the little triangle after it.

A few words of Catalan for the restaurant or café

• El menú 
  the menu
• La carta 
  the menu

Is it nearly time to eat?

• L’esmorzar 
  breakfast
• El dinar 
  lunch (not dinner!)
• El sopar 
  dinner

We’re hungry…

• Una amanida 
  a salad
• Pa amb tomàquet 
  tomato bread
• Pollastre 
  chicken
• Xai 
  lamb
• Bou 
  beef
• Vedella 
  heifer [like beef but the meat is younger and pinker]
• Peix 
  fish
• Pernil 
  ham
• Marisc 
  sea food
• Una truita de patates 
  potato omelette
• Verdures  
  vegetables
• Arròs:
  rice
• Una fruita 
  fruit
• Un postre 
  dessert
• Una crema catalana 
  crema catalana
• Formatge 
  cheese
• Un gelat 
  an ice cream
• Bon profit!
  Enjoy your meal!

We’re thirsty…

• Un cafè sol  
  a black coffee
• Un cafè amb llet 
  a coffee with milk
• Un tallat 
  a hazelnut coffee
• Un té 
  a tea
• Una xocolata calenta 
  a hot chocolate
• Un suc de taronja natural 
  a squeezed orange juice
• Una aigua sense gas freda 
  cold still water
• Una aigua sense gas natural 
  still water at room temperature
• Una aigua amb gas 
  sparkling water

Glug, glug, glug…

• Una cervesa 
  a beer
• Una canya 
  a draught beer
• Una clara 
  a shandy
• Vi negre 
  red wine
• Vi blanc 
  white wine

No time to stay, take it away…

• Un entrepà de pernil dolç 
  a ham sandwich
• Un entrepà de pernil serrà 
  a regional ham sandwich
• Un entrepà de pernil ibèric 
  an ibérico ham sandwich
• Un entrepà de formatge 
  a cheese sandwich
• Un entrepà de fuet 
  a dried sausage sandwich
• Un bikini 
  a toasted cheese and ham sandwich (Say it with a straight face!)

Don’t forget to pay…

• El compte, si us plau! 
  The bill, please!

A few words of Catalan to get by in a hotel

We recommend you book your hotel in advance so as not to waste time on that at the start of your holiday. However, if you’re the type to improvise, here are a few words and expressions that might help.

• Un hotel de dues estrelles 
  a 2 star hotel
• Mitja pensió 
  Half-board
• Pensió completa 
• full board
• Una habitació 
  a room

• Voldria una habitació doble, si us plau. 
  I would like a double room please
• Voldria una habitació senzilla, si us plau. 
  I would like a single room please
• A quina hora haurem de marxar?
  By what time do we need to leave? ( understood: check out)
• L’esmorzar està inclós?
  Is breakfast included?

To go a little further in your learning, a few basic conversational words in Catalan

Do not forget to check out our article: a little audio lesson in basic Catalan communication.

Moltes gràcies i fins aviat!