Andorra – language

There are some countries so small that you would be hard-pressed to find them on a map. In Europe, we have Monaco, Liechtenstein, San Marino, the Vatican, and Andorra – and the latter is the star of this article. We talk about its language and everything else that you need when visiting this extraordinary and mountainous principality.

What is the history of Andorra, and what languages do the people living there use? What should you remember while staying there? Read on to discover!

Principality of Andorra

This country also uses a more descriptive name, the Valley of Andorra (Les Valls d’Andorra in Catalan). It is a very small country in the Pyrenees, bordered by France to the North and Spain to the South, with no access to the sea.

While the state is a constitutional monarchy, according to tradition each president of France and bishop of the Catalan diocese of Urgel becomes a co-prince. The real power is exercised by the General Council – a 28-member parliament elected by the country’s 85,000 population. The capital of Andorra shares the same name as the country.

Andorra is divided into 7 administrative units known as parishes, from the Catalan parròquia.

A brief history of the country

The beginnings of Andorra date back to that of Charlemagne. The inhabitants of the region supported him in his fight against Muslims. As a reward for the bravery of its citizens, Andorra received city rights. Subsequently, it became a tribute to the counts of Urgell, and then in 1133, the region came under the rule of the bishop of La Seu d’Urgell. Later, as a result of a dispute between the French neighbours and the Spanish bishopric over who should own Andorra, in 1278 an agreement was made that they would co-rule the region.

In 1419, at the request of the people of Andorra, the Territorial Council (Consell de la Terra) was established, also known as the Council of Twenty-Four. Over time, this local parliament was renamed the General Council. In 1607, Henry IV, as Count Foix, issued an edict granting the French ruler rights to co-rule Andorra. Since the 19th century, these rights have belonged to the president of France.

Over the following decades, the region passed through many hands. When the French Empire occupied Catalonia, they divided it into four departments, with Andorra becoming part of the French départament de Sègre. In 1934, Boris Skosyrev, a Russian, decided to proclaim himself an independent prince of Andorra, but was promptly arrested and expelled from the country. During the Spanish Civil War, a French garrison was stationed in Andorra to ensure the safety of the local population. Despite this, Andorra managed to remain neutral during World War II.

While remaining relatively isolated, Andorra was reopened to Europe through the development of tourism and trade, and then in 1993 it thoroughly reformed its political system through the issue of its first constitution. In the same year, Andorra also became a member of the United Nations.

Geography of the Principality of Andorra

Andorra is located in the Pyrenees, covering an area of 468 km² that is solely mountainous. It has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, and the average height of the territory is an impressive 1996 m above sea level. Many of the mountainous slopes are covered by picturesque alpine meadows and forests. The highest mountain is Pic de Coma Pedrosa (2943 m above sea level), while the longest river is the Valira, which eventually connects to a Spanish river, the Segre.

The country’s natural resources include metals like iron, copper, and lead, with a plentiful supply of wood.

The official language of the principality

Andorra’s constitution states that the official language of the state is Catalan, which is a Western Romance language that is also used by the inhabitants of the Spanish autonomous regions of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencia. It shares many features with Spanish, Italian and French.

Compared to Spanish (the second most spoken language in the world in terms of the number of native speakers), it is a much less known language, spoken by around 11 million people.

A significant influx of immigrants caused by economic development and tourism has resulted in as many as 62% of the inhabitants not originating from Andorra, coming mostly from Spain, France, and Portugal. You are more likely to be understood when speaking Spanish than Catalan, as Spanish is declared by as many as 43% of the residents as their native language, while Catalan only by 35%, although among Catalan speakers, a knowledge of Spanish is also high.

For this reason, we have decided to present the most basic vocabulary in Spanish.

Basic Spanish phrases

Knowing a range of basic Spanish phrases is not just useful in Andorra, but also in many other Spanish-speaking countries around the world. We guarantee that just knowing these words and phrases can make you feel more confident during your trip.

Sí – Yes

No – No

Tal vez – Maybe

Por favor – Please

Gracias – Thank you

Está bien – That’s ok

Muchas gracias – Thanks a lot

Disculpe – Excuse me

Lo sé – I know

No lo sé – I don’t know

Comprendo – I understand

No comprendo – I don’t understand

Perdón – I’m sorry

¿Hablas español? – Do you speak Spanish?

No hablo español – I don’t speak Spanish

¿Podría, por favor, repetir eso? – Could you please repeat that?

Some polite phrases

De nada – Please

No tiene importancia – Don’t mention it

No pasa nada – You’re welcome

Greetings and Goodbyes

Hola – Hello

Buenas – Hi

Buenos días – Good Morning

Buenas tardes – Good Evening

Adiós – Goodbye

Buenas noches – Goodnight

¡Nos vemos! – See you!

¡Hasta luego! – See you later!

¡Qué tengas un buen día! – Have a nice day!

Signs in public places

Entrada – Entrance

Salida – Exit

Salida de emergencia – Emergency exit

Empujar – Push

Tirar – Pull

Aseos – Toilets

Caballeros – Gentlemen

Señoras – Ladies

Libre – Free

Ocupado – Occupied

Fuera de servicio – Out of service

No fumar – No smoking

Privado – Private

No pasar – No entrance