{"id":84366,"date":"2023-01-10T16:05:30","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T15:05:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skrivanek.pl\/?p=84366"},"modified":"2023-01-10T18:59:18","modified_gmt":"2023-01-10T17:59:18","slug":"andorra-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skrivanek.pl\/en\/andorra-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Andorra \u2013 language"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”84373″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]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 \u2013 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.<\/b><\/p>\n

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!<\/span><\/p>\n

Principality of Andorra<\/h2>\n

This country also uses a more descriptive name, the Valley of Andorra (<\/span>Les Valls d’Andorra<\/span><\/i> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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 \u2013 a 28-member parliament elected by the country’s 85,000 population. The capital of Andorra shares the same name as the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Andorra is divided into 7 administrative units known as parishes, from the Catalan <\/span>parr\u00f2quia<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

A brief history of the country<\/h2>\n

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\u2019Urgell. 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1419, at the request of the people of Andorra, the Territorial Council (<\/span>Consell de la Terra<\/span><\/i>) 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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 d\u00e9partament de S\u00e8gre. 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Geography of the Principality of Andorra<\/h2>\n

Andorra is located in the Pyrenees, covering an area of 468 km\u00b2 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

The country’s natural resources include metals like iron, copper, and lead, with a plentiful supply of wood.<\/span><\/p>\n

The official language of the principality<\/h2>\n

Andorra\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

For this reason, we have decided to present the most basic vocabulary in Spanish.<\/span><\/p>\n

Basic Spanish phrases<\/h2>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

S\u00ed<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Yes<\/span><\/p>\n

No<\/span><\/i> \u2013 No<\/span><\/p>\n

Tal vez<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Maybe<\/span><\/p>\n

Por favor<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Please<\/span><\/p>\n

Gracias<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Thank you<\/span><\/p>\n

Est\u00e1 bien<\/span><\/i> \u2013 That\u2019s ok<\/span><\/p>\n

Muchas gracias<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Thanks a lot<\/span><\/p>\n

Disculpe<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Excuse me<\/span><\/p>\n

Lo s\u00e9<\/span><\/i> \u2013 I know<\/span><\/p>\n

No lo s\u00e9 <\/span><\/i>\u2013 I don\u2019t know<\/span><\/p>\n

Comprendo<\/span><\/i> \u2013 I understand<\/span><\/p>\n

No comprendo<\/span><\/i> \u2013 I don\u2019t understand<\/span><\/p>\n

Perd\u00f3n<\/span><\/i> \u2013 I\u2019m sorry<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00bfHablas espa\u00f1ol? <\/span><\/i>\u2013 Do you speak Spanish?<\/span><\/p>\n

No hablo espa\u00f1ol<\/span><\/i> \u2013 I don\u2019t speak Spanish<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00bfPodr\u00eda, por favor, repetir eso?<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Could you please repeat that?<\/span><\/p>\n

Some polite phrases<\/h4>\n

De nada<\/span><\/i> – Please<\/span><\/p>\n

No tiene importancia <\/span><\/i>\u2013 Don\u2019t mention it<\/span><\/p>\n

No pasa nada<\/span><\/i> \u2013 You\u2019re welcome<\/span><\/p>\n

Greetings and Goodbyes<\/h4>\n

Hola<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Hello<\/span><\/p>\n

Buenas<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Hi<\/span><\/p>\n

Buenos d\u00edas <\/span><\/i>\u2013 Good Morning<\/span><\/p>\n

Buenas tardes<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Good Evening<\/span><\/p>\n

Adi\u00f3s<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Goodbye<\/span><\/p>\n

Buenas noches<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Goodnight<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a1Nos vemos!<\/span><\/i> \u2013 See you!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a1Hasta luego!<\/span><\/i> \u2013 See you later!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a1Qu\u00e9 tengas un buen d\u00eda!<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Have a nice day!<\/span><\/p>\n

Signs in public places<\/h4>\n

Entrada<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Entrance<\/span><\/p>\n

Salida <\/span><\/i>\u2013 Exit<\/span><\/p>\n

Salida de emergencia<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Emergency exit<\/span><\/p>\n

Empujar<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Push<\/span><\/p>\n

Tirar<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Pull<\/span><\/p>\n

Aseos<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Toilets<\/span><\/p>\n

Caballeros<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Gentlemen<\/span><\/p>\n

Se\u00f1oras<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Ladies<\/span><\/p>\n

Libre<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Free<\/span><\/p>\n

Ocupado<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Occupied<\/span><\/p>\n

Fuera de servicio<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Out of service<\/span><\/p>\n

No fumar<\/span><\/i> \u2013 No smoking<\/span><\/p>\n

Privado<\/span><\/i> \u2013 Private<\/span><\/p>\n

No pasar<\/span><\/i> \u2013 No entrance<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”84367″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”84379″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”84385″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Tourist attractions in Andorra<\/h2>\n

Andorra is a perfect blend of mountain landscapes, historic architecture, and natural beauty, together forming a well-developed base of modern tourist attractions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some of our suggestions for must-visit attractions:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n