JOAN SERRA MINGOT

In Spain we do not only speak Spanish. This is not the biggest country in the world, but there are up to four official languages. Spanish is the official common language throughout Spanish territory. However, seven of the seventeen autonomous communities are bilingual, where one of the other three official languages, besides Spanish, is spoken: Catalan in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencia (or Valencian); Basque in the Basque Country; and Galician in Galicia.

The language of this month is Galician. As said above, it is spoken in Galicia, but also in the west of Asturias and the North of Portugal. 3,170,000 people speak Galician, and it is the third most used official language in Spain. As the Spanish or the Portuguese, it is a Romance language; therefore you will get by very well in Galician if you know a little bit the other two.

At any rate, knowing a bit the language of the place we are visiting is always worthwhile. That is why you can find here a number of useful sentences and vocabulary that may be very valuable if you want to interact with local people from Galicia. They will always be grateful if you make an effort to speak their language, even if you just know a few single words.