Blog · Living in Barcelona
Spanish or Catalan in Barcelona? What to learn first
Both languages live side by side in the city. Here is where you actually need each one, and why the order matters.
It is the second question people ask when they move here, right after «how much Spanish do I need?». And it deserves a straight answer, not a diplomatic one.
Barcelona has two official languages. Catalan is the language of the region, of schools and of a large part of public life; Spanish is the language everyone in the city speaks, whatever their first language. Which one you learn first depends on what you need in the next twelve months, and for almost everyone who has just arrived, that answer is Spanish. Here is why, and when it is not.
The short answer
Spanish first, Catalan when you are settled
Why Spanish first
Every Catalan speaker in Barcelona also speaks Spanish; the reverse is not true. With Spanish you can handle the doctor, the town hall, the bank, a flat viewing and a job interview from day one, and it works in the rest of Spain and in twenty other countries. It is the language that solves problems fastest.
Why Catalan later, not never
If you stay, Catalan is what makes you part of the place rather than a visitor: it opens doors at your children’s school, in the public sector and with neighbours. And it is much easier once your Spanish is in place, because the two languages share most of their grammar and a lot of vocabulary.
Day to day
Where you need each one
What we see with our Spanish students, who are mostly foreigners living in the Eixample.
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Paperwork
NIE, empadronamiento, health card
Forms and signs are usually in both languages, and staff switch to Spanish as soon as they hear you. You need Spanish, and you need the specific words: cita previa, padrón, tarjeta sanitaria. We rehearse exactly these situations in class.
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Work
Most jobs run in Spanish or English
In international companies, tech and hospitality, the working language is Spanish, English or both. Catalan becomes relevant in the public sector, education, health and some local companies, where it can be a requirement.
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School
Children learn in Catalan
Public and state-funded schools teach mostly in Catalan, so children pick it up fast. Parents get notes and meetings in Catalan too, although teachers will speak Spanish with you. If you have kids at school, this is the strongest reason to add Catalan sooner.
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Street
Shops, bars, neighbours
Signs, menus and greetings are often in Catalan; the conversation switches to Spanish without anyone making a fuss. Understanding some Catalan makes life smoother; speaking it is appreciated but not expected from a newcomer.
The plan
What to learn first, and how
Months 1 to 12: Spanish, in a group that speaks
Get to A2 as fast as your schedule allows: that is the level where daily life stops being a problem. In a communicative class of 7 you speak 60% of the time, so a standard course (3.5 hours a week) takes you one level per semester, and an intensive (8 hours a week) does it in about eight weeks. From B1 you can hold a real conversation and start noticing Catalan everywhere.
After that: Catalan, from a Spanish base
With Spanish at B1 or above, Catalan basics come quickly. The Catalan government’s language centres (the Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística) run courses at low cost, and the first levels are often free for newcomers. We do not teach Catalan: we get you to the Spanish that makes it easy, and we tell you honestly when you are ready.
How to start
- 1
Level test
Online in twenty minutes with no sign-up (the test is in Spanish), or at the school. Not needed for complete beginners.
- 2
Group, timetable and price
We tell you which group is yours and what it costs, in full. If there is a place, you start that week.
- 3
Choose how to pay
Monthly or a one-off payment for the semester. Published prices: what you see is what you pay.
The first step
Book your Spanish level test
Fifteen minutes at Lepant 270, next to the Sagrada Família, free. You leave knowing your level, your group and the full price of the semester.
Frequently asked questions
Can I live in Barcelona with only Spanish?
Yes. Everyone speaks it and no one will refuse to serve you in Spanish. What you will miss is part of the local life: school communications, some public-sector jobs and the feeling of belonging that comes with Catalan.
Can I live in Barcelona with only Catalan?
In practice, no one arrives that way, but yes: Catalan works everywhere in Catalonia. Outside it, and with the many residents who did not grow up here, you will still need Spanish.
Is Catalan a dialect of Spanish?
No. It is a separate Romance language, closer to Occitan and to some varieties of French and Italian than to Spanish. That said, if you already read Spanish you will understand a lot of written Catalan from the first day.
Do you teach Catalan at Language Avenue?
No. We teach Spanish for foreigners and English. When your Spanish is ready, we point you to the public Catalan courses, which are good and inexpensive.
Which Spanish do you teach, from Spain or from Latin America?
The Spanish spoken in Barcelona, with the vocabulary you need for the city: paperwork, work, school, friends. It is understood everywhere Spanish is spoken.
Based on what we see with our Spanish-for-foreigners students at Language Avenue (Barcelona, Eixample) and on the public language policy of Catalonia. Course formats and prices for 2026-2027, updated 07/09/2026; availability and prices are indicative and confirmed when you enrol.
