Catalan and Galician: 82 words that are the same
Among the two thousand words each language uses most, these are written identically and carry the same meaning in both. If you have one of the two, this is the part you do not have to learn.
A shared word is not proof of a shared root. Two languages can land on the same spelling by borrowing from a third — that is all tren and bomba are — and a word that looks the same can still be said quite differently. What this list is good for is the head start.
| Word | In English | Catalan | Galician |
|---|---|---|---|
| deca [ˈde]gl /de/ | of; from | #3 | #5 |
| aquíca [əˈki]gl /aˈki/ | here | #31 | #29 |
| vidaca [ˈbi.ðə]gl /ˈbida/ | life | #121 | #89 |
| sempreca [ˈsem.pɾə]gl /ˈsɛmpɾe/ | always | #125 | #110 |
| ohca /ˈɔ/gl [ˈɔː] | oh | #173 | #195 |
| tresca [ˈtɾɛs]gl /ˈtɾes/ | three | #212 | #179 |
| matarca [məˈta]gl /maˈtaɾ/ | to kill | #220 | #345 |
| cadaca [ˈka.ðə]gl /ˈkada/ | each | #224 | #155 |
| reica [ˈrej]gl /ˈrej/ | king | #228 | #256 |
| horaca [ˈɔ.ɾə]gl [ˈɔɾɐ] | hour | #244 | #278 |
| solca [ˈsɔl]gl /ˈsol/ | sun | #249 | #468 |
| amorca [əˈmor]gl /aˈmoɾ/ | love | #253 | #223 |
| problemaca [pɾuˈβlɛ.mə]gl /pɾoˈblema/ | problem | #269 | #251 |
| guerraca [ˈɡɛ.rə]gl /ˈɡɛra/ | war | #276 | #175 |
| boca [ˈbɔ]gl /ˈbo/ | good | #280 | #134 |
| pensarca [pənˈsa]gl /penˈsaɾ/ | to think | #284 | #339 |
| contraca [ˈkɔn.tɾə]gl /ˈkontɾa/ | against | #292 | #191 |
| novaca [ˈnɔ.βə]gl /ˈnɔβɐ/ | new | #305 | #207 |
| fillaca [ˈfi.ʎə]gl /ˈfiʎɐ/ | daughter | #311 | #382 |
| ahca /ˈa/gl [ˈaː] | ah | #324 | #387 |
| pensoca [ˈpɛn.su]gl /ˈpenso/ | to think | #341 | #227 |
| entrarca [ənˈtɾa]gl /enˈtɾaɾ/ | to enter | #354 | #501 |
| viuca [ˈbiw]gl /bju/ | to see | #375 | #733 |
| mansca [ˈmans]gl /mans/ | hand | #386 | #307 |
| servirca [sərˈbi]gl /seɾˈbiɾ/ | to serve | #417 | #1,228 |
| pensaca [ˈpɛn.sə]gl /ˈpensa/ | to think | #481 | #483 |
| difícilca [diˈfi.sil]gl /diˈfiθil/ | difficult | #503 | #407 |
| preguntaca [pɾəˈɣun.tə]gl /pɾeˈɡunta/ | to ask | #506 | #536 |
| escolaca [əsˈkɔ.lə]gl /esˈkɔla/ | school | #573 | #445 |
| númeroca [ˈnu.mə.ɾu]gl /ˈnumeɾo/ | digit, numeral, number | #600 | #384 |
| explicarca [əks.pliˈka]gl /ekspliˈkaɾ/ | to explain | #635 | #1,505 |
| enviarca [əm.biˈa]gl [em.ˈbjaɾ] | to send | #667 | #1,704 |
| hospitalca [us.piˈtal]gl /ɔspiˈtal/ | hospital | #673 | #627 |
| pagarca [pəˈɣa]gl /paˈɡaɾ/ | to pay | #683 | #621 |
| oficinaca [u.fiˈsi.nə]gl /ʊfiˈθinɐ/ | office | #685 | #707 |
| calmaca [ˈkal.mə]gl /ˈkalma/ | calm | #706 | #953 |
| sistemaca [sisˈte.mə]gl /sisˈtɛma/ | system | #707 | #563 |
| bocaca [ˈbo.kə]gl /ˈboka/ | mouth | #720 | #547 |
| marca [ˈmar]gl /ˈmaɾ/ | sea | #722 | #519 |
| illaca [ˈi.ʎə]gl /ˈiɟa/ | island | #730 | #782 |
| respostaca /rəsˈpɔstə/gl /resˈposta/ | answer, response | #731 | #761 |
| mestreca [ˈmɛs.tɾə]gl /ˈmɛstɾe/ | master | #790 | #1,068 |
| estaca [ˈes.tə]gl /ˈɛstɐ/ | this | #823 | #59 |
| amigaca [əˈmi.ɣə]gl /aˈmiɡa/ | friend | #832 | #964 |
| preguntarca [pɾə.ɣunˈta]gl /pɾeɡunˈtaɾ/ | to ask | #842 | #967 |
| baixaca [ˈba.ʃə]gl /ˈbajʃa/ | low | #846 | #842 |
| músicaca [ˈmu.zi.kə]gl [ˈmusikɐ] | music | #870 | #554 |
| entraca [ˈen.tɾə]gl /ˈentɾa/ | to enter | #884 | #792 |
| pobreca [ˈpɔ.βɾə]gl /ˈpɔbɾe/ | poor | #888 | #551 |
| aireca [ˈaj.ɾə]gl /ˈajɾe/ | air | #898 | #736 |
| batallaca [bəˈta.ʎə]gl /baˈtaɟa/ | battle | #907 | #688 |
| tocarca [tuˈka]gl /toˈkaɾ/ | to touch | #914 | #1,191 |
| correca [ˈko.rə]gl /ˈkore̝/ | to run | #919 | #1,168 |
| hotelca [uˈtɛl]gl /ɔˈtɛl/ | hotel | #924 | #666 |
| planetaca [pləˈnɛ.tə]gl /plaˈneta/ | planet | #931 | #1,297 |
| curaca [ˈku.ɾə]gl /ˈkuɾa/ | care | #953 | #1,968 |
| caixaca [ˈka.ʃə]gl /ˈkajʃa/ | box | #963 | #1,218 |
| causaca [ˈkaw.zə]gl /ˈkawsa/ | cause | #976 | #821 |
| horribleca [uˈrib.blə]gl /oˈrible/ | horrible | #1,098 | #1,384 |
| vellaca [ˈbe.ʎə]gl /ˈbɛɟa/ | old | #1,129 | #607 |
| tocaca [ˈtɔ.kə]gl /ˈtoka/ | to touch | #1,130 | #1,803 |
| coronelca [ku.ɾuˈnɛl]gl /koɾoˈnɛl/ | colonel | #1,135 | #1,379 |
| visitaca [biˈzi.tə]gl /biˈsita/ | to visit | #1,153 | #991 |
| pedraca [ˈpe.ðɾə]gl /ˈpɛdɾa/ | stone | #1,157 | #1,089 |
| ferroca [ˈfɛ.ru]gl /ˈfɛro/ | iron | #1,198 | #1,094 |
| continuarca [kun.ti.nuˈa]gl /kontiˈnwaɾ/ | to continue | #1,246 | #1,249 |
| crearca [kɾeˈa]gl /kɾeˈaɾ/ | to create | #1,250 | #1,416 |
| baixarca [bəˈʃa]gl /bajˈʃaɾ/ | to lower | #1,288 | #1,236 |
| recuperarca [rə.ku.pəˈɾa]gl /rekupeˈɾaɾ/ | to recover, recuperate | #1,290 | #1,593 |
| danca /ˈdan/gl /dan/ | to give | #1,326 | #1,176 |
| nacionalca [nə.si.uˈnal]gl /naθjoˈnal/ | national | #1,519 | #566 |
| gasca [ˈɡas]gl /ɡas/ | gas | #1,563 | #1,554 |
| calorca [kəˈlo]gl /kaˈloɾ/ | heat | #1,624 | #705 |
| alcaldeca [əlˈkal.də]gl /alˈkalde/ | mayor | #1,629 | #1,440 |
| militarca [mi.liˈtar]gl /miliˈtaɾ/ | military | #1,644 | #811 |
| cantarca [kənˈta]gl /kanˈtaɾ/ | to sing | #1,671 | #1,058 |
| animalca [ə.niˈmal]gl /aniˈmal/ | animal | #1,714 | #1,216 |
| desastreca [dəˈzas.tɾə]gl /deˈsastɾe/ | disaster | #1,767 | #1,753 |
| presaca [ˈpɾɛ.zə]gl /ˈpɾesa/ | prisoner | #1,784 | #1,414 |
| vermellaca [bərˈmɛ.ʎə]gl /beɾˈmeɟa/ | red, vermilion | #1,815 | #1,106 |
| naturalca [nə.tuˈɾal]gl /natuˈɾal/ | native, natural | #1,845 | #1,437 |
| salca [ˈsal]gl [s̺al] | salt | #1,914 | #1,565 |
The speaker plays the voice the LangX app uses for that language — synthesised, not a native speaker, so treat it as a guide. Voices for Catalan (upc_ona (ca_ES), CC BY-SA 4.0).
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.