catalán
“catalán” means “Catalan” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
Catalan
Also: from Catalonia
📝 In Action
Mi mejor amigo es catalán.
A1My best friend is Catalan.
Me encanta la crema catalana.
A2I love Catalan cream (a traditional dessert).
El modernismo es un movimiento artístico muy catalán.
B1Modernism is a very Catalan artistic movement.
Catalan
📝 In Action
¿Sabes hablar catalán?
A1Do you know how to speak Catalan?
El catalán es una lengua romance.
A2Catalan is a Romance language.
Mucha gente en Barcelona habla catalán y castellano.
B1Many people in Barcelona speak Catalan and Spanish.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: catalán
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'She is Catalan' in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Derived from 'Catalonia' (Catalunya in Catalan). The exact root is debated, but it likely comes from medieval Latin 'Catalanus', possibly referring to 'land of castles'.
First recorded: 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Catalan a dialect of Spanish?
No, Catalan is a separate Romance language that evolved independently from Latin, just like Spanish, French, or Italian.
Why does 'catalán' have an accent mark?
Because it ends in 'n' and the stress is on the last syllable. When you make it feminine ('catalana'), the stress moves to the second-to-last syllable, so the accent mark is no longer needed.
Where else is Catalan spoken besides Catalonia?
It is also spoken in the Balearic Islands, Valencia (where it is often called Valencian), parts of Aragon, a small area in Italy (Alghero), and it is the official language of Andorra.