espanyol
[əs.pəˈɲo̞l]masculine
In Catalan, the English phrase 'spanish' is expressed as espanyol. Wiktionary also lists castellà.
Meaning: Romance language of Spain and the Americas (name)
Ways to say it
| Catalan | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| espanyol | [əs.pəˈɲo̞l] (Northern, narrow) [əs.pəˈɲɔl] (Balearic, Central, narrow) |
masculine |
| castellà | [kəs.təˈʎa] (Balearic, Central, Northern, narrow) [kas.teˈʎa] (Northwestern, Valencia, narrow) |
masculine |
The term can refer to the Romance language of Spain and the Americas or to things pertaining to Spain. The most common way to say 'Spanish' in Catalan is castellà.
Which one should you use?
While espanyol refers to anything related to Spain, castellà is the specific term used to refer to the Spanish language itself to distinguish it from other languages of Spain like Catalan.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In areas like Barcelona, castellà standard is occasionally used to distinguish the standard variety of Spanish.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective espanyol must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, changing to espanyola for feminine nouns. The adjective espanyol takes the form espanyols when modifying masculine plural nouns.
Did you know?
- The word castellà shares an ancestral root with the English word 'castle', as both stem from the Latin 'castellum'.
- In Catalonia, referring to the language as castellà instead of espanyol is often a way to acknowledge that Spanish is one of several languages spoken in Spain.
- The term espanyol is a linguistic relative of the English word 'Hispanic', as both trace back to the Latin 'Hispānia'.
Examples in context
- En Sami ensenya literatura espanyola.Sami teaches Spanish literature.This sentence shows how to use the form espanyol to describe literature.Tatoeba #9723055 by mialiesperantistas, translation #6714212 by OsoHombre
- La meva filla és espanyola i polonesa alhora.My daughter is Spanish and Polish at the same time.This sentence demonstrates the use of espanyol to describe nationality.Tatoeba #9726205 by mialiesperantistas, translation #9726213 by mialiesperantistas
- Tracta d'entendre-ho amb espanyol, sense traduïr-lo amb anglès.Try to understand it in Spanish, without translating to English.This sentence illustrates how to use espanyol when referring to the language used for communication.Tatoeba #876038 by ziggsmith, translation #876036 by papabear
- Vull aprendre a parlar castellà.I want to learn to speak Spanish.
- El català és diferent de la llengua espanyola.Catalan is different from the Spanish language.
- Vas néixer a Barcelona. Parles castellà o català?You were born in Barcelona. Do you speak Spanish or Catalan?
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Montserrat and Jordi are discussing their language learning goals.
- MontserratVols aprendre espanyol aquest any, Jordi?Do you want to learn Spanish this year, Jordi?
- JordiSí, però l'espanyol és difícil per a mi.Yes, but Spanish is difficult for me.
- MontserratJo et puc ajudar a practicar l'espanyol.I can help you practice Spanish.
- JordiGràcies, Montserrat, et ho agraixo molt!Thanks, Montserrat, I really appreciate it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spanish” translations and entries espanyol, castellà, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries castellà, espanyol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
