Transport in Catalan
104 words Catalan words on the topic “transport”: l'estació — station, el metro — subway, l'autobús — bus, el taxi — taxi. 104 words can be played from recordings.
104 words on the topic
- l'estacióstationBoth the subway station and the train station: l'estació de metro, l'estació de tren. Before a vowel la shrinks to l'
- el metrosubwayMasculine and unchanging: el metro, vaig en metro. The same word is the meter of length
- l'autobúsbusIn the plural the apostrophe vanishes: els autobusos. The intercity bus goes by another name — l'autocar
- el taxitaxiMasculine: el taxi. You take it at the stand — la parada de taxis — rather than wave your arm
- el bitlletticketFrom the basic phrase dos bitllets per a Girona. Train, bus and cinema — one word for all tickets
- l'horaritimetableoh-ruh-REE. The train timetable is l'horari de tren; the working one is horari laboral
- la sortidadepartureFrom sortir, to go out: a departure and an exit at once. Sortida on the board is the departure
- l'arribadaarrivalFrom arribar, to arrive. Arribades on the board — arrivals, against sortides
- la viaplatformLiterally "way": a platform here is a way. The same word is the rail track and the via in addresses
- el vagócarriageA relative of wagon. Vagó de primera — a first-class carriage
- el lloc de finestrawindow seatLiterally "a seat of the window": finestra is the window. The opposite is lloc de passadís — the aisle seat
- el bitllet d'anadaone-way ticketAnada — the going, from anar. The clerk asks: d'anada o d'anada i tornada?
- el bitllet d'anada i tornadareturn ticketLiterally "there and back". Tornada is from tornar, to come back
- perdre el trento miss the trainLiterally 'to lose the train': perdre from the passport phrase. The same turn about a chance: perdre l'ocasió
- l'aeroportairportAn international word. Barcelona's is el Prat, Valencia's is Manises: they are called by their places
- l'avióplaneWith the accent on the ó: uh-bee-OH. The plural is avions
- el volflightFrom volar, to fly: a flight here is a flight-path. The same word is the flight of a bird
- el check-incheck-inA borrowing from English, as in the neighboring languages: the desks are mostradors de check-in
- la targeta d'embarcamentboarding passLiterally "a card of boarding": the familiar targeta plus embarcament. On the phone it is the same card
- la porta d'embarcamentboarding gateLiterally "the door of boarding": the same porta as any door. On the board simply Porta A7
- l'enlairamenttakeoffFrom enlairar-se, to lift oneself into the air: l'aire lives inside the word. A fine word of aviation
- l'aterratgelandingFrom aterrar, to come down to earth: terra inside. The partner of enlairament
- l'escalaflight connectionThe same word as the staircase: a connection is a step of the route. Vol amb escala — a flight with a connection
- el retardflight delayruh-TART. Amb retard — delayed, sense retard — on time: the lines of the board
- l'equipatgeluggageA collective with no plural: luggage "is", suitcases do not lie. Equipatge de mà — hand luggage
- la maletasuitcaseFer les maletes — to pack the suitcases, that is, to get ready for the road
- la motxillabackpackA word of mountain trails. It is the school backpack too
- el bolsohandbagA woman's bag and any small bag. Bolso de mà — a little handbag
- les cosesthingsOnly plural in this sense: recollir les coses — to gather one's things
- l'equipatge de màcarry-onLiterally "luggage of the hand": what flies in the cabin. Carry-on sizes are the low-cost airlines' favorite argument
- el carroluggage cartA cart in general: of the supermarket and the airport. The same word is a farm cart
- la consignaleft-luggage officeAt the stations of Valencia and Barcelona look for the sign Consignes
- l'equipatge perdutlost luggageThe desk equipatges perduts is the first stop if the suitcase did not fly in. Perdut — lost, from the passport phrase
- fer les maletesto packLiterally 'to make suitcases': fer — to make. About a future trip they use the future: demà faré les maletes
- la fronteraborderA relative of frontier. Creuar la frontera — to cross the border
- la duanacustomsA word from the tolls of the old customs unions. Passar la duana — to go through customs
- el control de passaportspassport controlLiterally "the control of passports": passaport you already know. The queue to it is la cua del control
- l'inspecciósecurity checkWith the accent on the ó. Inspecció de seguretat — the security check, the very one with the frame
- el segell del passaportpassport stampThe same segell — the seal: in a passport it is the stamp. A collection of stamps is a col·lecció de segells
- la declaraciócustoms declarationWith the accent on the ó. Res a declarar — nothing to declare: the phrase everyone knows
- l'estrangerforeignerLiterally 'from strange lands': the one who comes from across the border. Estrangers — foreigners
- la ciutadaniacitizenshipFrom ciutadà, a citizen. Doble ciutadania — dual citizenship; in forms the field is mandatory
- el qüestionariquestionnaireWith the diaeresis: kwees-tee-oo-nuh-REE. A questionnaire is a set of questions (qüestions)
- Ensenyi el passaport.please show your passportEnsenyar — to show. The polite vostè form: the border speaks exactly so
- l'hotelhotelWith l' before the vowel. Hotel de quatre estrelles — a four-star hotel
- l'habitació d'hotelhotel roomThe same habitació — the room, only at the hotel. Habitació doble — for two
- la reservabookingFrom reservar, to book. Tinc una reserva a nom de… — I have a booking in the name of…
- la recepcióreceptionA relative of reception: the receiving. La recepció és 24 hores — the sign on the door
- la clau de l'habitacióroom keyThe same clau — the key, only for the room. Often it is a card: la targeta-clau
- l'esmorzar inclòsbreakfast includedInclòs — included: a line of the booking. Esmorzar bufet — the buffet breakfast
- l'habitació lliurea free roomLliure — free, unoccupied. No hi ha habitacions lliures — there are no rooms free
- l'entradacheck-in (hotel)The same word as the entrance and the entry: arriving at the hotel is "entering" the room. The opposite is la sortida, check-out
- l'administradormanagerAn international word. Feminine l'administradora. In small hotels he is the owner too
- per una nitfor one nightNit — the night from the basics. Per dues nits — for two nights: the formula of counting nights
- arribarto arriveArribar a + place: arribem a casa a les vuit. You knew it at the station and the airport — now it is about the wheel and the road
- empaitarto chaseTo pursue close behind, to gain on. You knew atrapar, to catch: empaitar is the whole chase up to the catching
- avançarto overtakeYou knew it as "to advance"; overtaking is the same avançar: one moves into the left lane to pass. No avancis en corba
- girarto turn (steering)zhee-RAH: to spin the wheel and change direction. Gira a la dreta al semàfor — turn right at the light
- frenarto brakefroo-NAH — to press the brake, el fre. Frena abans del pas de vianants — slow down before the crosswalk
- accelerarto accelerateTo gather speed — l'acceleració is the acceleration. An international word, like the pedal under the right foot
- aparcarto parkTo put the car on the stand; el aparcament — the parking lot, you knew it. Before e the c turns into qu: aparco, aparques, aparquem
- deixarto drop offYou knew "to leave"; dropping off is the same deixar: the passenger is left by the door. Et deixo a l'estació — I'll drop you at the station
- acostarto give a lift partwayLiterally "to bring closer": not all the way, but nearer home. T'acosten a casa? — shall we take you closer to home?
- acompanyarto see someone offTo walk with someone "for company": to the door, to the station, to the end of the street
- la paradastop (bus)loo-poo-RAH-duh: you knew la parada d'autobús and la parada final — here is the word by itself
- el passatgerpassengerpoo-suh-TZHÉ — the one carried; a woman is la passatgera. The plural passatgers: they are the majority on the bus
- el seientseatsoo-ENT — the place one sits in transport. El seient del darrere — the back seat
- la barragrab railBAH-rruh: the same barra as the bar, only on the bus: the long pipe the standing hold onto
- el revisorticket inspectorrruh-vee-SOH — the one who revisa, checks, the verb you know. Feminine la revisora
- el preu del bitlletfareHonestly "the price of the ticket". La tarifa — the tariff, you knew it; the fare is what you pay by the tariff
- atapeïtpackeduh-too-puh-ET — jammed, people pressed against each other; feminine atapeïda. El bus va atapeït a les vuit
- el lloc lliurea free seatHonestly "a free place": lliure you knew from the day off. Spotting one with your eyes is the main sport of a packed bus
- la màquina de bitlletsticket machineHonestly "the machine of tickets". It stands by every stop and takes coins without conversation
- el retardthe delayYou knew the flight delay; the delay is the same el retard, now about the bus. Ve amb deu minuts de retard — he comes ten minutes late
- l'andanabus bayuhn-DAH-nuh: the platform bay one boards from. The number burns huge on the wall: l'andana tres
- la viarailway trackYou knew the platform; the track is the same la via: two rails and gravel. Comprova la via abans de pujar — check the track before boarding
- el número de vagócarriage numberHonestly "the number of the carriage": it is on the ticket and on the side of the carriage. Without it you find the seat by trial
- el cap de trentrain conductorLiterally "the head of the train": the chief of the consist, who also checks tickets on long routes. On the bus the same role belongs to el conductor
- el vagó-llitsleeper carriageLiterally "the carriage-bed": the berths turn into llits — beds, you knew them. You ride at night and wake up in another city
- el tren nocturnnight trainHonestly "the night train": you leave in the evening and arrive in the morning — no hotel needed
- el lloc de passadísaisle seatLiterally "the seat of the corridor": el passadís you knew from the hallway. Its pair is el lloc de finestra — the window seat
- el bitllet de tornadaticket for the way backLiterally "the ticket of the return": la tornada — the coming back, you knew anada i tornada. Buy it at once: wanting to go back comes sooner than you think
- el carretó del bagatgeluggage trolleyLiterally "the trolley of the luggage": el bagatge you knew from the suitcases. You push it ahead like a supermarket cart
- el destídestinationYou knew the fate; the destination is the same el destí: a train has one fate and it is written on the board. El destí del tren — where the train is bound
- les arribadesarrivals (area)Literally "the arrivals": the airport board, always plural. The signs are huge: you cannot miss them
- les sortidesdepartures (area)Literally "the exits": the same pair as les arribades. Les sortides són al pis de dalt — departures are on the upper floor
- el vol directedirect flightLiterally "the direct flight": no connections; el vol you knew. Costlier, but the suitcase lands with you
- el trajecte en taxitaxi rideLiterally "the crossing by taxi": el trajecte — the path from door to door. The price depends on the hour and the traffic
- el taxímetretaximeterLiterally "taxi-meter": it counts meters and euros at once. Mira el taxímetre — watch the meter
- la parada de taxitaxi rankLiterally "the taxi stop": a blue line on the asphalt where cars wait in line. The first car leaves first
- el caschelmetYou knew the helmet of the old town; this is the same el casc, now on a motorcyclist's head. Sense casc no es pot circular en moto
- el lloguer de bicicletesbike rentalLiterally "the hire of bicycles": llogar — to hire; the same word awaits you in the car rental
- l'itinerariitineraryee-tee-nuh-RAH-ree — the route plan by days and cities. It is drawn on a map before the vacation, and changes on the road
- el llibre de frasesphrasebookHonestly "the book of phrases": el llibre de frases. Costs pennies, and in a village without it you buy no bread and catch no bus
- el dipòsitfuel tankYou knew the bank deposit; the tank is the same el dipòsit: the car has its own 'account', kept in gasoline. El dipòsit ple you knew too — here is its owner
- l'oli del motorengine oilHonestly "the oil of the engine": l'oli you knew from the kitchen; in the car it is checked with a dipstick every couple of months
- la bateriacar batterybuh-tuh-REE-oo: la bateria feeds the starter; in winter it dies first. The same word as in the phone
- el capóhoodkuh-POH: el capó — the iron lid over the engine; it is opened when something rattles. Obre el capó — open the hood
- el clàxonshornKLAHK-sons: el clàxons — a French word, like the sound itself. Fer sonar el clàxons — to honk; in the city nobody honks without a reason
- l'intermitentturn signaleen-toor-mee-TENT — "the blinking one". It blinks to the right, which means girarà a la dreta
- els eixugaparabriseswindshield wipersHonestly "the windshield-wipers": eixugar — to wipe. Always plural: there are two of them
- la roda de recanvispare tireYou knew the spare wheel; the spare tire is the same la roda de recanvi, said shorter. It lives in the trunk under the mat
- el seient del darrereback seatHonestly "the seat at the back": darrere — behind, you knew it. Children ride only there
- posar benzinato fill up with gasHonestly "to put gasoline": posar benzina — la benzina you knew from the pumps. Posar benzina sense plom — to fill up with unleaded
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.
- T'espero a l'estació, al costat del rellotgeI'll wait for you at the station, by the clock
- A l'hora punta el metro és més ràpid que el taxiAt rush hour the subway is faster than a taxi
- A aquesta hora l'autobús va pleAt this hour the bus is packed
- Em demaneu un taxi, si us plau?Call me a taxi, please
- He comprat el bitllet onlineI bought the ticket online
- L'horari canvia al setembreThe timetable changes in September
What is worth knowing about these words
l'estació — station. Both the subway station and the train station: l'estació de metro, l'estació de tren. Before a vowel la shrinks to l'
el metro — subway. Masculine and unchanging: el metro, vaig en metro. The same word is the meter of length
l'autobús — bus. In the plural the apostrophe vanishes: els autobusos. The intercity bus goes by another name — l'autocar
el taxi — taxi. Masculine: el taxi. You take it at the stand — la parada de taxis — rather than wave your arm
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 l'estació — station.
- What is this word?
It is l'arribada — arrival.
- What is this word?
It is l'aeroport — airport.
- What is this word?
It is l'aterratge — landing.
- What is this word?
It is les coses — things.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “station” in Catalan?
Both the subway station and the train station: l'estació de metro, l'estació de tren. Before a vowel la shrinks to l'
- How do you say “arrival” in Catalan?
From arribar, to arrive. Arribades on the board — arrivals, against sortides
- How do you say “airport” in Catalan?
An international word. Barcelona's is el Prat, Valencia's is Manises: they are called by their places
- How do you say “landing” in Catalan?
From aterrar, to come down to earth: terra inside. The partner of enlairament
- How do you say “things” in Catalan?
Only plural in this sense: recollir les coses — to gather one's things
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Bus, metro, taxi, stop, station. These are words you need to recognize in writing — off a departure board and off a sign.
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 “station” in Catalan?
«l'estació». Both the subway station and the train station: l'estació de metro, l'estació de tren. Before a vowel la shrinks to l'. It is one of 104 words in the set “transport” — the rest are in the table above.
How many transport words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 104 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, 104 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.