Does Duolingo Have Catalan? Only From Spanish

What about Duolingo's Spanish course?

For English speakers, the obvious stand-in on Duolingo is Spanish, and it isn't a bad start: both languages come from Latin, and a Spanish speaker can read a good deal of Catalan. If you have the time, a fair route is Duolingo's Spanish course first and its Catalan course from Spanish later.

It's a long way round if Catalan is what you're after, though. Catalan isn't a dialect of Spanish. It's a Romance language in its own right, closest to Occitan across the Pyrenees, with its own sounds, its own spelling and plenty of everyday words Spanish doesn't share. Babbel and Busuu don't offer Catalan at all (checked November 2026).

How to learn Catalan with Qlango

Qlango teaches Catalan at A1 and A2, the first two levels of the CEFR scale, and you can take it from English. At these levels you introduce yourself, talk about daily life in simple sentences and get through everyday exchanges, such as ordering in a café.

A lesson is a set of short Catalan example sentences with the translation in the language you learn from. You answer them in different ways, such as flashcards, picking one of two answers, matching pairs, putting scrambled words in order, writing what you hear and writing the translation yourself, which is where you learn which way each accent leans: gràcies, but més. An AI voice reads every example aloud, and you can slow it down. A finished lesson comes back after one, two, four and eight days and then once more, and examples you needed a hint for return in harder questions later.

You choose the language you learn from: English, Spanish if it's your stronger language, or your own native language.

Catalan isn't Spanish with an accent

Side by side, you see both the family resemblance and the distance:

Its spelling has conventions of its own. Ny does the job of Spanish ñ, as in Catalunya. X is usually "sh", as in xocolata, and so is ix after a vowel, as in peix, fish. A final -ig sounds like "tch": maig, May. The raised dot in col·legi, school, is the ela geminada, a double l said long. And on e and o, the accent shows whether the vowel is open or closed: què (what) has an open è, més (more) a closed é.

Your first Catalan words

These are Barcelona pronunciations; in Valencia, unstressed vowels stay closer to the spelling. People often switch to Spanish when they hear an accent, and Podem parlar en català?, can we speak Catalan?, is how you ask for Catalan back. Our full guide to learning Catalan covers Valencian and Balearic Catalan, the past tense with vaig and a plan for your first month.

FAQ

Is Catalan on Duolingo?

Yes, but only for Spanish speakers. As of November 2026, Duolingo's Catalan course is taught from Spanish, and there's none from English or from any other language.

Can English speakers learn Catalan on Duolingo?

Not directly. You'd need Spanish good enough to learn through first, and then take Catalan from Spanish. Qlango teaches Catalan from English at A1 and A2.

Can you learn Catalan on Duolingo from Spanish?

Yes. That's the one Catalan course Duolingo has.

What is the best app to learn Catalan?

It depends on the language you start from. Duolingo's Catalan course is an option if your Spanish is strong. If you want a course organised by CEFR level that you can take from English, Qlango teaches Catalan at A1 and A2. Babbel and Busuu don't offer Catalan (checked November 2026).

Is there a free app to learn Catalan?

Qlango is free to download on iPhone and Android, and you can start your first Catalan lesson without creating an account. It also works in your browser.

Will Duolingo add Catalan for English speakers?

We can't say. Duolingo adds and removes courses over time, so check its catalogue if you're reading this much later.

For English speakers, Catalan is one of Duolingo's gaps. See every language Duolingo doesn't teach English speakers, or compare Qlango and Duolingo side by side. Your first Catalan lesson takes about five minutes.