Home and things in Catalan
230 words Catalan words on the topic “home and things”: la casa — house, l'habitatge — housing, l'habitació — room, la cuina — kitchen. 230 words can be played from recordings.
230 words on the topic
- la casahouseA casa without the article means 'at home'; a la casa — inside the specific building. The ear hears the difference
- l'habitatgehousingThe bookish 'housing in general': ads say habitatges de lloguer — housing for rent. The specific flat is el pis
- l'habitacióroomDo not mix up with l'habitatge, housing as a whole. Habitació doble — a room for two: that is how hotels write it
- la cuinakitchenBoth the room and the cooking: la cuina catalana — Catalan cuisine. The one who cooks is el cuiner
- el banybathroomBoth the bathroom and the bath: prendre un bany — to take a bath. In ads: pis amb dos banys
- el balcóbalconyWith the accent: buhl-KOH. Al balcó hi ha flors — flowers on the balcony, a classic of Catalan streets
- la plantafloor (story)The same word is 'plant': context divides. Planta baixa — the ground floor, quarta planta — the fourth
- l'ascensorliftA relative of French ascenseur. Old houses lack it — sense ascensor is written large and honestly
- l'escalastaircaseAlso a 'scale' and a 'scope'. The entrance stairwell is l'escala: 'Scale A' on the plate by the door
- la taulatableA taula! — to the table! — the call to lunch. Taula rodona — a round table, and negotiations
- la cadirachairCatalonia's own word, not the Spanish silla: one of the first markers that Catalan is being spoken
- el llitbedOne syllable. Anar al llit — to go to bed, literally 'to go to the bed'
- l'armariwardrobeA relative of French armoire. Armari de cuina — a kitchen cupboard
- la finestrawindowFinestra oberta — an open window; Catalan streets talk through them
- la portadoorThe flat's door and the car's door. Porta veïnal — the entrance door of the building
- la claukeyThe same word is a 'password' and the collarbone: la clau del wifi — the wifi password, la clau del coll — the collarbone
- el llumlampFrom llum, light: a lamp literally is light. The plural llums — the lights of the flat
- l'aigua calentahot waterAigua is feminine but takes l' — you know this from the basics. No hi ha aigua calenta — the phrase that starts the call to the landlord
- l'electricitatelectricityIn daily life they say it short: la llum — the light. La factura de la llum — the power bill, the most discussed document
- la brossatrashContenidor de brossa — a trash container, brossa orgànica — food waste. The sorting here is strict
- la netejacleaningFrom netejar, to clean. Persona de la neteja — a cleaner, productes de neteja — cleaning products
- el rentatlaundry (washing)From rentar, to wash. Rentadora — the washing machine, rentaplats — the dishwasher: one family of roots
- la vaixelladishesA collective with one long ll: vaee-SHE-lya. Hence vaixell, a ship: dishes once 'sailed' in sets
- el tovallótowelStress the ó. Tovallola — a smaller towel, for hands: two words of one family
- el sabósoapWith the stressed -ó at the end: suh-BOH. Sabó de Marsella — Marseille soap: it washes everything here
- el veíneighborWith the accent: buh-EE. The neighbor woman is la veïna. Veïnat — neighborliness and the neighborhood
- el propietarilandlordIn ads shortened to propiet., the owner. La propietària — the landlady
- el lloguerrentLYOO-GER: the ll is ly. Pis de lloguer — a flat to let, preu del lloguer — the rent price: a word from every ad
- el contractecontractA relative of contract. Contracte de lloguer — the rental contract: read it to the signature
- la fiançadepositFee-AN-suh. Usually one month of rent: una fiança d'un mes. It comes back if everything is intact
- la facturautility billA bill in general: for light, water, phone. Les factures les paga el propietari — the landlord pays the bills: ask in advance
- la reformarenovationNot a reform of the state but a renovation: pis reformat — a renovated flat, it sells for more
- hi ha sorollit's noisyLiterally 'there is noise': Catalan describes the noise rather than naming it. Soroll de carrer — street noise, excused by cheap rent in ads
- No funciona.it doesn't workThe universal formula: about the lift, the light, the wifi. Point at the broken thing with a gesture and all is clear
- S'ha espatllat.it broke downLiterally 'it broke by itself': a reflexive form, the thing breaks 'at its own place'. The adjective is espatllat — broken
- gotejait's leakingFrom gota, a drop: goteja — it drips. El sostre goteja — the ceiling leaks, another call to the landlord
- Crideu un tècnic.call a repairpersonCridar is to call, to shout. Tècnic here is a fixer of everything; the landlord usually knows his own
- Quan vindran?when will you come?The future of venir, to come: vindran — they will come. The polite way to ask about the repairperson
- Espereu un moment.wait a momentEspereu — wait, to several people politely. Valencian says the same; the central norm often says espera
- Està tot bé.it's all fineLiterally 'everything is found well'. The repairperson says it leaving; you answer perfecte
- No puc obrir.I can't open itpuc is "I can", from poder; obrir is "to open". Door, window, jar — it works with everything
- llogar un pisto rent a flatLlogar — both to rent and to let out: a two-way verb, like hire. El pis — the flat: in Catalan it is both the floor and the flat at once
- posar el pis en lloguerto let a flatLiterally "to put the flat out for rent": letting here is a "setting out". El propietari — the landlord: he decides
- el contracte de lloguerrental contractTwo familiar words assembled into one: contracte + lloguer. In Spain the minimum is five years: read the term before signing
- la rendarent (payment)Feminine: la renda. Both income in taxes and rent in a contract: context divides. La renda puja — the phrase of every year
- la durada del contractelease termFrom durar, to last: the term here is a "duration". Un any, prorrogable — a year, renewable: the wording from the contract
- l'agent immobiliarireal estate agentLiterally "an agent of real estate": l'immoble — from the Latin "immovable". He usually takes a month's payment for the work
- la visita del pisflat viewingLiterally "a visit of the flat": viewing here is done by "visit". Book in advance: good flats fly away in a day
- el pis amoblatfurnished flatLiterally "a flat furnished": from els mobles — the furniture. Walk in and live: a suitcase is the entire decor
- entrar a viureto move inLiterally "to enter to live": moving in here is an "entering" of the new life. The move-in date stands in the contract — l'entrada
- deixar el pisto move outLiterally "to leave the flat": moving out here is a "leaving". The landlord is warned in advance — a rule of the contract
- la mudançathe moveA relative of the Spanish mudanza: a move here is a "change" of place. El dia de la mudança — moving day: label the boxes in advance
- mudar-seto move houseReflexive, like the Spanish mudarse: one moves 'at one's own place' — em mudo. La mudança is its name
- el mossomoverEl mosso — a handy lad: a relative of the Spanish mozo, but its own. Movers are also called in full: mosso de mudances
- el camiótruckWith the accent on the ó. Not the Spanish camión: no n at the end, but the same sound
- empaquetarto pack upFrom el paquet — the package: packing here is "packeting". The boxes are capses: look for the tape in advance
- desempaquetarto unpackThe same verb with des-: unpacking here is "un-packeting". Its joy is finding the forgotten things
- l'adreça novanew addressL'adreça — the address, here with a new adjective. The adjective comes after the noun: adreça nova
- el transport de les cosesmoving of thingsLiterally "the transport of things": les coses — the things. Firms charge by boxes and floors: without a lift it is dearer
- instal·lar-seto settle inWith the mid-dot: to "install oneself", like an appliance on the shelf
- acostumar-se al lloc nouto get used to the new placeAcostumar-se — to get accustomed, a relative of costume: habit here is 'one's own custom'. One gets used to the place 'at the place', with the preposition a
- els moblesfurnitureOnly plural: els mobles. One item is un moble; the shops are simply called Mobles
- el sofàsofaWith the accent on the á. It came from the Arab south, like la catifa. On it one both sleeps and watches TV
- la butacaarmchairFeminine: la butaca. The same word is the theater seat: chosen just as long
- el prestatgeshelf (storage)Not the Spanish estante: its own word. A bookshelf is the same: un prestatge de llibres
- la catifacarpetFrom the Arab south, like el sofà. Not the Spanish alfombra: its own word, soft like the carpet itself
- el mirallmirrorThe double ll is a soft ly at the end. From mirar, to look: a mirror here is a "looker"
- la cortinadrapeA relative of the theater curtain. They live in pairs, hence more often plural: les cortines
- el coixícushionWith the accent on the í. On the sofa and on the bed — one word
- la mantawool blanketFeminine, like the Spanish manta. Agafar una manta — to cover oneself with a blanket: the verb here is "take"
- el llustrechandelierLiterally "shine": a chandelier here is a "shining one", from the Latin lustrare — to gleam
- la pinturapaintBoth paint and painting: from pintar. The color is picked from a carta de colors — a fan of samples
- pintar les paretsto paint the wallsLa paret — the wall, in the plural parets. The color goes with the preposition de: pintar de blanc — paint white
- el paper pintatwallpaperLiterally "painted paper", like the Spanish papel pintado. It is glued on — enganxar
- la rajolatileBoth ceramic tile and paving stone — one word. Not the Spanish azulejo: its own word
- el tornavísscrewdriverLiterally "turn-screw": tornar + vis. A tool with the instruction in its name — Catalan practicality
- el trepantdrill (tool)From trepar, to drill: a drill here is a "driller". The neighbors hear it through the walls
- la canonadapipeFrom la canonada — the piping: a pipe here is "pipework" in the direct sense. Not the Spanish tubería: its own word
- la bombeta s'ha fosthe bulb has blownLa bombeta — the bulb, and s'ha fos — "has melted": a blowout here is a melting. The same construction as a dead battery
- la calefaccióheatingFrom calor — the heat of the basics: heating here is a "warming". Central heating is calefacció central: all the neighbors pay together
- fer una reformato do renovationsLa reforma — the renovation: here it is "done", the verb fer. Les obres — the works: at the neighbors they are eternal
- el comptadormeterFrom comptar, to count: a meter here is a "counter". There are several in the stairwell: light, water, gas — one each
- la lectura del comptadormeter readingLiterally "the reading of the meter": the readings are "read", not taken. Submit them on time — otherwise they will bill the maximum
- la factura de l'aiguawater billLa factura — the bill, now with water. L'aigua — the water: familiar words, a new bill
- la factura de la llumelectricity billElectricity here is "light": la llum — from the basics. In winter the bill puja — climbs: the radiators eat more
- han tallat l'aiguathe water is cut offLiterally "they have cut the water": a shut-off here is a "cutting", from tallar — to cut. The construction han + participle: done without you
- el contenidortrash containerFrom contenir, to contain: a bin here is a "container". They are multicolored: each color is its own fraction, the sorting is strict here
- el portalapartment entranceThe same word as the entrance hall: here it is exactly the entrance of the house. El portal és tancat — the intercom door: the code is asked of the neighbors
- el porter electrònicintercomLiterally "an electronic gatekeeper": el porter — the goalkeeper and the concierge alike. It opens the door from the flat: obre des de casa
- el soroll dels veïnsnoise from the neighborsEl soroll — the noise, els veïns — the neighbors. After ten in the evening there is silence here: the house rule
- les normes de la casahouse rulesLiterally "the norms of the house": rules here are "norms", as in chemistry. They hang at the entrance: trash sorting, quiet, where bikes stand
- el fornovenMasculine. The same forn as at the bakery: forn de pa — the bread oven. Posa el pastís al forn trenta minuts — a phrase for life
- el microonesmicrowaveLiterally "microwaves" — a physicist's word in the kitchen. In speech pressed to el micro: escalfa-ho al micro
- el ratlladorgraterFrom ratllar — to grate: a grater here is a "grater-er". From the verb also el ratllat — the scratch: the same movement
- el cullerotladleAn augmentative of la cullera — the spoon: a ladle here is a "big spoon". Soup is ladled with it, not spooned
- la tapalidFrom tapar — to cover: a lid here is a "coverer". The pot is closed with a lid, the city with a manhole cover: one word
- la taula de tallarcutting boardLiterally "a table for cutting": la taula and tallar you know — assemble them. Wooden or plastic: de fusta o de plàstic
- el davantalapronFrom davant — the front: an apron here is a 'front-er'. Put on before cooking: em poso el davantal abans de cuinar
- el manteltableclothMasculine, a relative of the mantle — a cape: a tablecloth here is a "table mantle". The white one — mantel blanc — is for holidays
- la batedorablenderFrom batre — to beat: a blender here is a "beater". The immersion one is batedora de mà: a blender-hand
- el recipientfood containerA relative of the letter's recipient — the one who "receives": a container here is a "receiver" of food. Dinner leftovers live in it until tomorrow
- la pintacombFeminine, from pentinar — to comb: a comb here is a "comber-er". The fine-tooth one is the same pinta, only with a handle
- la maquineta d'afaitarrazorLiterally "a little machine for shaving": afaitar — to shave. The electric one is elèctrica: the same word, only a longer wire
- el xampúshampooWritten with the stress on the ú, a word of Indian origin. On the bottle look for per cabells tenyits — for dyed hair
- les tisoresscissorsOnly plural: two blades — two tisores. They cut everything: paper, fabric and — carefully — hair
- l'agullaneedleFeminine. The same word is the compass needle and the syringe needle: thin and sharp are named alike here
- el filthreadMasculine. You knew el fil de notícies — the news feed: both the feed and the thread stretch. The color is specified after: fil negre
- llençarto throw awayWith two l's: llençar is to throw away, while llançar with one is to throw a ball. The difference is in spelling, the meaning — in the bin
- guardarto keepYou knew guardar diners — to save money: to keep here is to "guard". Things are kept in boxes: en una capsa
- la rentadorawashing machineFrom rentar — to wash: the machine here is a "washer". The program is el programa — the same word as the TV show's
- el rentaplatsdishwasherLiterally "a dish-washer": rentar els plats you knew — here is the machine with the same name. The quarrel about who unloads it is eternal
- el congeladorfreezer (compartment)From congelar — to freeze. It lives on top of or under la nevera
- el ventiladorelectric fanFrom vent — the wind: a fan here is a "winder". In summer it is in every house: fa calor: poso el ventilador
- l'estufaheaterFeminine. The winter partner of the fan: ventilador in summer, estufa in winter. La calefacció — the heating of the whole house
- l'eixugadorhair dryerFrom eixugar — to wipe dry: a dryer here is a 'drier'. The full name is l'eixugador de cabell: the hair comes in the set
- la regletapower stripLiterally "a little ruler": from regla, the ruler — long and with divisions. There are never enough outlets in a house — hence the regleta
- l'interruptorlight switchA Latin relative of interruption: a switch here is an "interrupter". Click — and la llum from the basics disappears
- el cargolscrewOne word — both a screw and a snail: both "twist" in a spiral. Screws live in the toolbox, but you can meet both
- la clau anglesawrenchLiterally "the English key": the unnamed inventor was, by legend, an Englishman. You knew la clau — the door key: this is its relative
- els alicatespliersOnly plural — like scissors: two teeth go in a pair. They cut wires and hold nuts: tallen el cable
- la cinta aïllantinsulating tapeLiterally "an insulating tape": aïllar — to isolate, a relative of the island. Black, sticky, and holds everything it should not hold
- el colaglueMasculine and short, like a drop. It glues everything: paper, a cup and — by the tube's promise — even metal
- la cinta adhesivatape (adhesive)Literally "an adhesive tape": adhesiu — sticky, a relative of adhesion. The sister of insulating tape, but transparent and less criminal
- la cordaropeFeminine, from the Latin chorda — the string: a rope here is a "thicker string". Tied and knotted: lligar
- enganxarto stick onFrom el ganxo — the hook: to stick here is to 'hook on'. Everything sticks: a sticker, tape and a person who will not leave
- enroscarto screw in (twist)From l'rosca — the thread: to screw here is to 'thread into'. Screws are twisted, lids too: enrosca el cargol fins al final
- mesurarto measureA relative of measure — medir and mesurar live side by side. The golden rule of repair: primer mesura, després compra
- reparar amb les pròpies mansto fix with my own handsLiterally "to repair with own hands": pròpies — one's own. The compliment to a maker: ho fa tot amb les pròpies mans
- empènyerto pushTo push away from oneself: the door, the cart, the argument. To open this door one must push
- estirarto stretchTo pull, to stretch out: the arms, the rubber, the truth. Stretch your arms up and count to ten
- la dutxashowerFrom the Catalan via the Arabic: the falling spray. After training I take a cold shower
- el despertadoralarm clockFrom despertar — to wake: the clock that wakes you. It rings at seven every morning
- el termòmetrethermometerLiterally "the heat-measurer": thermo + meter. We take the child's temperature with it
- la torradoratoasterFrom torrar — to toast: the machine that toasts. It smells of warm bread in the mornings
- la màquina de cosirsewing machineLiterally "a machine of sewing": cosir — to sew, you know it. Grandma mends all the clothes with it
- decorar la casato decorate the houseFrom decorar — to adorn: the house is decorated for the feast. The children do it with drawings and lights
- l'estrena de la casahousewarmingThe estrena of the premiere — a first use: here of a house. For it everyone brought bread and salt
- treure's les sabatesto take off one's shoesLiterally "to take out the shoes": treure — to take out. A sign hangs on the house door: shoes off
- la fonamentaciófoundationFrom fonament — the bottom, the base: the foundation is the "groundwork". The foundation of this house reaches the rock
- l'acabatfinish (surface)From acabar — to finish: the finish is the "finished" surface. The kitchen finish is light wood, without gloss
- obrirto openoo-BREE. Obre la finestra, fa calor — open the window, it's hot. About books and shops too: la botiga obre a les nou
- tancarto closetun-KAH. Tanca l'aixeta — turn off the tap; la botiga tanca a les vuit — the shop closes at eight
- tancar amb clauto lockHonestly "to close with a key": tancar amb clau. Tanca amb clau la porta del traster — lock the storeroom door
- obrir amb clauto unlockHonestly "to open with a key": obrir amb clau. Obrir amb clau el pany vell costa — unlocking the old lock is a job
- encendre la llumto turn on the lightTo turn on the light is to "light" it: encendre. The same verb lights matches and the stove
- apagar la llumto turn off the lightTo turn off the light is to "extinguish" it: apagar. It also puts out fires: a strong word
- prémerto pressPREH-mer. Prem el botó verd — press the green button. It also means to wring: laundry between the palms is premer too
- girar el pomto turn the knobzhee-RAHR ul POM: girar — to turn, you knew it; el pom — the round knob of a door
- picarto knockpee-KAH. Algú pica a la porta — someone is knocking. It also means "to chop": carn picada, you knew it
- trucar el timbreto ring the doorbelltroo-KAHR ul TEEM-bruh. Trucar also means to phone: the finger is the same, the business is different
- tallar amb tisoresto cut with scissorstuh-LYAHrm uhmb tee-ZOH-ruhs. Tallar — to cut, you knew it; les tisores — scissors, always plural
- pegarto gluepuh-GAH. Pego l'etiqueta a la caixa — I glue the label onto the box. Enganxar, you knew it, is the same deed with another verb
- cosirto sewkoo-SEE. Cosiré la funda de coixí a mà — I will sew the pillowcase by hand. Needle and thread are the whole science of this verb
- teixirto knittuh-SHEE. La iaia teix una manta a l'hivern — grandma knits a blanket in winter: loop by loop
- arreglarto fixuh-rruh-GLAH — to set right. Arreglar la nevera — to fix the fridge; fixed is arreglat
- estavellarto shatterTo break to pieces: he estavellat el got — I shattered the glass; now it is trencat, you knew it
- ratllarto scratchrruh-LYAH. El gat ha ratllat la taula nova — the cat scratched the new table. It also means "to grate": ratllar formatge
- tacarto staintuh-KAH. El vi ha tacat l'estora blanca — the wine stained the white rug. The stain is la taca: verb and thing of one family
- netejarto cleannuh-tuh-ZHAH. Netejo la taula abans de dinar — I wipe the table before lunch; the cleaning is la neteja, you met it
- treure la polsto dustHonestly "to take out the dust": treure la pols. La pols is dust and powder: context divides
- fer la bugadato do the laundryLiterally "to make the wash": fer la bugada. La bugada is both the washing and the pile of washed things
- assecarto dryus-suh-KAH. Assecaré els plats amb un drap net — I will dry the dishes with a clean rag; dry is sec, you knew it
- passar la planxato do the ironingLiterally "to pass the iron": passar la planxa. La planxa is the iron: the same root as planxar, you knew it
- fregar el terrato mop the floorfroo-GAHR ul TEH-rruh: fregar is to scrub. Frego el terra del bany cada divendres — I mop the bathroom floor every Friday
- ventilarto air outven-tee-LAH. Obro la finestra per ventilar l'habitació — I open the window to air the room. Fresh air is aire fresc
- regar les florsto water the flowersrruh-GAHR lus FLOSS. Rega — he waters: rego, regs, rega. The watering can is el regador, the same family
- plantarto plantpun-TAH. Plantaré un tomàquet a l'hort — I will plant a tomato in the vegetable garden: what they say in spring
- cavarto digkuh-VAH. El gos cava un forat al jardí — the dog digs a hole in the garden: for bones, of course
- reescriureto rewriteLiterally "to write again". He reescrit la carta sense faltes — I rewrote the letter without mistakes
- teclejarto typetuh-kluh-ZHAH — to rattle the keys: from la tecla, the key. Typed with two fingers or ten
- el menjadorliving roommun-zhoo-DOH — literally 'the dining room': el menjador. In Catalan homes one room holds both the meals and the life
- el rebedorentrywayrruh-buh-DOH — literally 'the receiving room': where guests are received. Coats and keys live here
- el passadíshallwaypoo-ssu-DEES — "a passing": el passadís. El passadís és estret i llarg — the hallway is narrow and long
- el trasterstoreroomtroos-TEH — the cupboard for what one is loath to throw away. Boxes to the ceiling: the classic
- el llindarthresholdyeen-DAH: the double ll gives a y. Aneu amb compte amb el llindar — mind the threshold: people trip over it
- el picaportadoor handlepee-kuh-POR-tuh — literally 'knock-at-the-door'. A handle bracket: one pulls it and knocks on it
- el panylockPAHN. Al pany nou li cal una clau nova — the new lock needs a new key
- el timbredoorbellYou knew the school bell; the doorbell is the same el timbre. Algú ha trucat el timbre dues vegades
- l'ampit de la finestrawindowsilll'ampit de la finestra. The cat counts it its own armchair
- la cortinetacurtainkoor-tee-NEH-tuh — a little curtain: la cortineta. La cortina is the big drape, you knew it; the kitchen lives in the diminutive
- el bombetlight bulbboom-BET — a "little bomb" of light. Aquest bombet dura molt — this bulb lasts long
- la llanternaflashlightnyun-TEHR-nuh: la llanterna. La llanterna vella ja no encén — the old flashlight does not light anymore
- el llum de capçalnight lightNamed domestically: el llum de capçal — the lamp at the head of the bed. Capçal — the headboard
- l'aixetatapeye-SHEH-tuh, feminine. Tanca l'aixeta! — turn off the tap: a phrase from every kitchen
- la picasinkPEE-kuh — the kitchen sink. A la pica hi ha plats bruts — there are dirty dishes in the sink
- la banyerabathtubbuh-NYEH-ruh — from el bany, the bath, you knew it. Omplen la banyera d'aigua calenta
- el vàtertoiletVAH-ter: el vàter — an international word, like the object itself. The family way to say it is la tassa — "the cup"
- la mànegahoseMAH-nuh-guh: la mànega. Amb la mànega rego el jardí — with the hose I water the garden: in summer there is no way without it
- els lluminsmatchesnyoo-MEENS — always plural: els llumins. No juguis amb els llumins! — do not play with matches!
- l'encenedorlighterun-suh-noo-DOH — "the lighter". He perdut l'encenedor: prenc un llumí
- la ragmopRRAK: la rag — a rag head on a stick. Passo la rag al terra de la cuina — I run the mop over the kitchen floor
- el drapragBoth a rag and a household towel. Mulla el drap abans de fregar — wet the rag before scrubbing
- l'escombrabroomus-KOM-bruh: l'escombra. L'escombra nova és de plàstic — the new broom is plastic; to sweep is escombrar
- la paladustpanPAH-luh — a little shovel, the broom's partner. Recollo el paper trencat amb la pala — I gather the torn paper with the dustpan
- la polsdustYou knew the "powder"; dust is the same la pols: aquesta habitació està plena de pols — the room is full of dust
- la brutíciadirtbroo-tee-SEE-uh: la brutícia — from brut, dirty, you knew it. La brutícia del carrer entra amb les sabates
- el detergentdetergentdoo-ter-ZHEN, an international word. He posat detergent a la bugada — I put detergent in the wash
- passar l'aspiradorto vacuumLiterally "to pass the vacuum": passar l'aspirador. El terra — the floor: what gets vacuumed, like what gets mopped
- escombrar el terrato sweep the floorHonestly "to sweep the floor": escombrar el terra — from l'escombra, the broom. First sweep, then mop
- posar ordreto tidy upLiterally "to put order". Cada vespre posem ordre a la sala — every evening we tidy the room
- el rellotge de paretwall clockHonestly "the clock of the wall". El rellotge de paret marca les sis — the wall clock shows six
- l'estorarugus-TOH-ruh, feminine. Al costat del llit hi ha una estora tova — a soft rug by the bed
- la cobertorablanketkuh-boor-TOH-ruh — a light blanket that lives on the sofa. Amb la cobertora als genolls — with the blanket on the knees
- la funda de coixípillowcaseHonestly "the cover of the pillow": la funda de coixí. La funda — a cover: pillowcase, case, book jacket — one word
- el cobrellitbedspreadkuh-broo-NYET — literally 'the bed-covering'. It goes on top of everything: the bed looks dressed at once
- el ganxohookGAHN-shoo: el ganxo. Penja l'abric al ganxo — hang the coat on the hook: there are many in the entryway
- el marc de fotosphoto frameLiterally "a frame of photos": el marc de fotos. El marc de fotos nou ja penja al menjador
- el gerrovaseZHEH-rru: el gerro — both a vase and a jug: context divides. Hi ha flors fresques al gerro
- el testflower potYou knew "test" from school; the flower pot is the same el test: a Latin word that has lived two lives. He posat el gerd a un test més gran
- el bagulchestboo-GOOL: el bagul — an old chest with a lid that opens upward. Al bagul guardo les mantes d'hivern
- eixugarto wipe dryay-shoo-GAH. Eixuga la taula amb un drap sec — wipe the table with a dry rag. It also means to dry: where you wiped, it is dry
- taladrarto drilltuh-loo-DRAHR — the drill here is el taladrador. Cal taladrar la paret per penjar el marc
- clavar un clauto hammer in a nailYou knew la clau, the key; a nail is the same clau: the hammer blow divides them
- cargolarto screw inkar-goo-LAHR — to tighten with a screw: from el cargol, the screw. Cargola bé els cargols de la cadira trencada
- muntar un mobleto assemble furnitureLiterally "to mount the furniture": muntar un moble. Instructions, a screwdriver, three hours: the Saturday classic
- desmuntarto disassembleThe same muntar with des-: to un-mount. Everything can be assembled and disassembled again
- omplirto filloom-PLEE. Ompliré la pica d'aigua calenta — I will fill the sink with hot water. About forms too: omplir el document
- pegar amb cintato tape shutLiterally "to glue with tape": la cinta adhesiva is tape. The box is taped — and all is in order
- aclarirto rinseYou knew "to clarify"; here is the second life — to rinse: aclarir la roba. The same thought: remove the excess, murky or foggy
- fer el llitto make the bedLiterally "to make the bed": fer el llit. Fes el llit abans de sortir — make the bed before going out: the morning habit
- s'ha anat la llumthe power is outLiterally 'the light has gone away': s'ha anat la llum — from anar-se'n, you knew it. The light comes back by itself: ha tornat la llum
- l'aixeta perd aiguathe tap leaksLiterally 'the tap loses water': l'aixeta perd aigua. One could not say it more honestly: the water drips, the tap keeps quiet
- el radiador no escalfathe radiator doesn't heatSaid honestly: el radiador no escalfa. Fa fred a casa — it's cold at home: usually this very reason
- l'endoll no funcionathe outlet doesn't workSaid honestly: l'endoll no funciona. L'endoll is both the outlet and the plug: you stick it in — and it does not work
- la porta no es tancathe door won't closeSaid honestly: la porta no es tanca — 'it does not close itself'. The cause is almost always below: the hinges
- engreixar les frontissesto oil the hingesLiterally "to fatten the hinges": engreixar les frontisses. Engreixar also means to fatten up: creaky hinges ask for food too
- canviar el panyto change the lockHonestly "to swap the lock": canviar el pany. Canviar el pany és més barat que canviar la porta
- posar un bombet nouto put in a new bulbLiterally "to put a new bulb": posar un bombet nou. Switch down, bulb up — and there is light again
- reparar la cadirato repair the chairruh-puh-RAHR luh koo-DEE-ruh: reparar — to repair, you knew it. Reparar la cadira trencada és feina de dissabte
- gotejarto dripgoo-tuh-ZHAHR. L'aixeta goteja tota la nit — the tap dripped all night. Each drop is una gota: the verb grew out of it
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
What is worth knowing about these words
la casa — house. A casa without the article means 'at home'; a la casa — inside the specific building. The ear hears the difference
l'habitatge — housing. The bookish 'housing in general': ads say habitatges de lloguer — housing for rent. The specific flat is el pis
l'habitació — room. Do not mix up with l'habitatge, housing as a whole. Habitació doble — a room for two: that is how hotels write it
la cuina — kitchen. Both the room and the cooking: la cuina catalana — Catalan cuisine. The one who cooks is el cuiner
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is la casa — house.
- What is this word?
It is l'ascensor — lift.
- What is this word?
It is la porta — door.
- What is this word?
It is el rentat — laundry (washing).
- What is this word?
It is el contracte — contract.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “house” in Catalan?
A casa without the article means 'at home'; a la casa — inside the specific building. The ear hears the difference
- How do you say “lift” in Catalan?
A relative of French ascenseur. Old houses lack it — sense ascensor is written large and honestly
- How do you say “door” in Catalan?
The flat's door and the car's door. Porta veïnal — the entrance door of the building
- How do you say “laundry (washing)” in Catalan?
From rentar, to wash. Rentadora — the washing machine, rentaplats — the dishwasher: one family of roots
- How do you say “contract” in Catalan?
A relative of contract. Contracte de lloguer — the rental contract: read it to the signature
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Room, key, water, electricity. You will need them on your first day in a rented flat.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “house” in Catalan?
«la casa». A casa without the article means 'at home'; a la casa — inside the specific building. The ear hears the difference. It is one of 230 words in the set “home and things” — the rest are in the table above.
How many household words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 230 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 230 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.