Which Catalan phrases matter most here?

“La botiga és oberta ara?” (Is the shop open now); “Obriu avui?” (Are you open today); “Quin és el vostre horari?” (What are your opening hours). The full list is above.

Can I hear how they sound?

Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.

How can I practise this conversation?

Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Catalonia. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Catalan phrases for asking about opening hours in Catalonia

Ask politely, then say “Quin és el vostre horari?”. Small shops often close in the early afternoon, so check what you heard: “Tanqueu de dues a cinc, oi?”. Ask about Sunday with “Obriu els diumenges?”. Remember that “dos quarts de set” means half past six. Say thanks and goodbye.

Try it · about two minutes

At lunchtime you stop at a small shop to find out when it opens, whether it closes midday and if it opens on Sunday.

Sound on: the shop assistant speaks Catalan. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

At lunchtime you reach a small shop. The door is open, but the lights are low, and an assistant is tidying a shelf.
You
La botiga és oberta ara?
Is the shop open now?
Shop assistant
Passi, passi.
Come in, come in.
You
Perdoni que el molesti.
Sorry to bother you.
Shop assistant
És clar, endavant.
Of course, go ahead.
You
Quin és el vostre horari?
What are your opening hours?
Shop assistant
De dilluns a dissabte, de deu a dues i de cinc a vuit. Els diumenges tanquem.
Monday to Saturday, ten to two and five to eight. We’re closed on Sundays.
You
Tanqueu de dues a cinc, oi?
You close from two to five, right?
Shop assistant
Sí, exacte.
Yes, exactly.
You
Gràcies per l'ajuda.
Thank you for your help.
Shop assistant
Que tingui un bon dia!
Have a nice day.
You
Igualment, adéu.
You too, goodbye.

Which Catalan phrases do you need?

La botiga és oberta ara?
Is the shop open now?
Obriu avui?
Are you open today?
Quin és el vostre horari?
What are your opening hours?
A quina hora tanqueu avui?
What time do you close today?
A quina hora obren?
What time do they open?
Li puc fer una pregunta?
May I ask you something?
És clar, endavant.
Of course, go ahead.
Ho pot repetir, si us plau?
Could you repeat that, please?
Aquesta oficina només obre al matí.
This office is only open in the morning.
Les portes s'obren a dos quarts de set.
The doors open at half past six.

What is worth knowing in Catalonia?

Reading the door

1
Look for the sign on the door: obert is open, tancat is closed.
2
Many small shops close in the early afternoon and reopen in the evening, so a sign often shows two time ranges.
Tanqueu de dues a cinc, oi?You close from two to five, right?
3
Check Sunday and public holidays, dies festius. Many shops are closed then.
Obriu els diumenges?Are you open on Sundays?

Dos quarts de set

Catalan counts quarters towards the next hour. Un quart de set is a quarter past six, dos quarts de set is half past six, and tres quarts de set is a quarter to seven.

Les portes s'obren a dos quarts de set.

The doors open at half past six.

Tanqueu or tanquen

To the shop

A quina hora tanqueu avui?

What time do you close today?

About somewhere else

A quina hora tanquen?

What time do they close?

Tanqueu speaks to the people in front of you. Tanquen talks about a place you’re not in, such as a museum or a bank.

Questions about this situation

Which Catalan phrases matter most here?: “La botiga és oberta ara?” (Is the shop open now); “Obriu avui?” (Are you open today); “Quin és el vostre horari?” (What are your opening hours). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?: Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
How can I practise this conversation?: Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Catalonia. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in Catalan

All situations in Catalan

Practise these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

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AI-generated. May be inaccurate.