Maia

Learn Catalan.

Catal

Learn Catalan -- not Spanish with an accent, but a distinct Romance language with its own grammar, literature, and cultural identity. Designed for the specific ways Catalan differs from Spanish and French.

Start your Catalan course

Why Catalan

Catalan is spoken by over 10 million people in Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, and parts of southern France. It's the language of Gaudi's Barcelona, of a vibrant literary tradition, and of a cultural identity that has survived centuries of political pressure.

If you know Spanish or French, Catalan is highly accessible -- but it's not a dialect of either. It has its own grammar, its own phonology, and its own literary tradition. Maia treats it as the independent language it is.

What makes Catalan challenging — and how Maia helps

False friends from Spanish and French

Catalan's similarity to Spanish and French is both an advantage and a trap. Words that look familiar often mean something different. Maia highlights these false cognates explicitly.

Weak pronouns

Catalan's system of weak (unstressed) pronouns is more complex than Spanish's. They combine, contract, and change form depending on what they attach to. Maia builds this up incrementally.

Dialectal variation

Central Catalan (Barcelona), Valencian, and Balearic varieties differ in pronunciation and some vocabulary. Maia lets you choose your target variety.

What your course includes

  • •Conversational lessons distinguishing Catalan from Spanish/French
  • •AI podcast episodes mixing Catalan and English
  • •Vocabulary, grammar, and pronoun exercises
  • •Spaced repetition for vocabulary and grammar patterns
  • •Adaptive curriculum based on your level

Sample lesson topics

  1. 1.Catalan pronunciation: how it differs from Spanish
  2. 2.Greetings and introductions: hola, bon dia, and basic phrases
  3. 3.Articles and gender: the Catalan system
  4. 4.False friends: words that don't mean what you think
  5. 5.Verbs: present tense of regular and common irregular verbs
  6. 6.Describing Barcelona: adjectives, prepositions, and locations
Start learning Catalan

Free to start. No credit card required.