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!
