5 Reasons Why You Need to Speak Valencian to Live in Valencia

When I moved to Valencia back in 2018, I assumed Spanish would be more than enough. Just like most people probably do. 

That was…incorrect. And learning Valencià turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made since I got here.

So despite what you may see online, if you want to truly live in Valencia, and not just exist here, you should learn Valencian.

And I’m not saying that as someone who breezed through for a long weekend. I’ve lived here since 2018, I’m married to a Valencian, and I speak both Spanish and Valencian at a C2 level. So I’m telling you this from the perspective of someone who has proved it can be done! 

Do you need to speak Valencian to live in Valencia?

Yes, if your goal is to actually belong here. 

Valencià is the language of daily life, friendship, and culture across the majority of the Valencian Country. And speaking it is the difference between living in Valencia and being part of Valencia. 

It opens doors, socially and professionally, that tend to stay shut for people who never make the effort.

And I know a lot of people love to frame this as a survival question. So like, no… you’re not going to combust into flames or get deported for not speaking it. But I think it’s better to ask:

1. How can I feel like I belong?
2. How can I show respect to the new community taking me in?

And in my experience, learning Valencian made all the difference. 

Before we go further. If you want a practical starting point, I’ve got a full guide on where to learn Valencian, plus a cheat sheet of useful Valencian expressions to get you going.

Is Valencian the same as Spanish, or Catalan?

Valencian is not a dialect of Spanish. 

It’s Valencià, the co-official language of the autonomous community. Linguistically it’s the same language as Catalan, simply with its own name and accent. 

I tell people to think of the difference between Spanish and Valencian as the difference between Spanish and Italian. Similar, but still totally different languages. 

And the difference between Valencian and Catalan is like the difference between American English and British English. Same language, just with their own peculiarities. 

So if you make comments about the “Valencian dialect” or think it’s just a “weird Spanish”… well, you’ll come across as a bit of an ignorant outsider. This is a pet peeve for a lot of Valencians. 

Pro tip: Names like Russafa and Xàbia are the Valencian spellings, and once you start noticing, you can’t stop.

How many people actually speak Valencian?

More than you’d guess! 

Valencian is part of the Catalan language, spoken by roughly 9 to 10 million people across Spain, Andorra, France, and even Italy! 

That’s more speakers than Danish, Finnish, or Slovak, and many times more than Irish or Maltese. 

And while aaaaaallll those languages are official languages of the European Union. Catalan, for political reasons, is not. So it’s just another reason why the number of speakers is just one factor in how “useful” a language is. 

Now you should know that usage shifts depending on where you are, and it’s woven more tightly into daily life in the smaller towns and villages. For example, in Requena, Valencian has never been spoken there historically. But for practically everywhere on the coast, it’s been the only language spoken up until relatively recently. 

Why you should learn Valencian

So a big part of my presence on social media revolves around why you should learn Valencian! Which means if you really want to know, you’ve got hundreds of videos about it 😅 But I’ll condense it down into 5 of the most important reasons why you should learn Valencian. 

It shows you actually want to belong here

Learning Valencià shows something that Spanish alone doesn’t. That you respect the city enough to put in the effort. 

My husband’s family speaks both Spanish and Valencian, so learning both was never really optional for me. I still remember my first Christmas here, sitting at the table while everyone chattered away in Valencià, and I had absolutely no idea what was going on. 

I mean, I could catch a word here and there, but mostly I just smiled and nodded like a confused houseguest in my new family.

That feeling is exactly what pushed me to learn! And once I did, I stopped being the person things had to be translated for, and I started being part of the conversation. 

So if you want to feel involved, integrated, and respectful, this is a huge deal. And if you’re relocating with kids, by the way, they’ll grow up bilingual practically by default. Which of course is just a huge perk! 

People treat you completely differently

This is one that really surprised me. When I speak to people in Valencià, they are noticeably warmer with me.

Because Valencians are used to foreigners butchering Spanish. They’re used to hearing someone spew out the 3 Duolingo phrases they practiced. But they are NOT used to hearing people actually take the time to learn Valencian. 

So that means there’s a little flash of delight when a foreigner speaks their language, because so few of us ever bother to. People can see you took the time and the effort, and they open up in a way they simply don’t for someone who never tries.

People get so excited, even when you’re making mistakes. And while I wish it were more normal, a lot of foreigners never bother. So showing a bit of respect can give you a totally different experience. 

It’s how you actually make friends

Here’s something the generic “move to Spain” sites will never tell you: the vast majority of my friends here are Valencian speakers, and speaking their language is a huge part of how I fit in.

Real friendships, the kind where you’re invited to the paella on a Sunday, tend to happen in Valencià. At least in my experience. 

While you can absolutely build a social life in Spanish, especially with non-Valencian speakers, so much of the culture lives in the local language.

Learning it is what took me from “the American husband” to “Kevin who is actually a part of this friend group”. 

It opens doors you didn’t expect

I know everyone thinks that speaking Spanish and English will open doors because so many people speak it. But that’s also the problem. Everyone already speaks it better than you do. 

But speaking Valencià hasn’t just enriched my personal life, it’s opened professional doors I never saw coming.

I’ve been offered work as a translator purely because I speak the language. And honestly, this whole channel, Abroad in Valencia, took off in large part because I speak Valencian, which set me apart in a sea of creators who don’t.

So while I wouldn’t necessarily pitch language learning as a business strategy, the opportunities are there. In a region where relatively few foreigners speak the language, being one who does makes you stand out in the best way.

I mean, hell, I‘ve been on TV multiple times simply because I’m an American that speaks the language!

It’s a matter of respect for a language people fought to keep

This reason is less about you and more about the place, and for me, it’s the most important one.

Under the Franco dictatorship, from 1939 to 1975, the language was made illegal. A language that’s been spoken for hundreds of years was banned, and people were beaten in the streets for speaking it. 

Spanish was imposed by force. 

Publishing in the language nearly vanished, and it survived largely because families kept speaking it at home, quietly, in private.

Now, Valencian is still alive mostly due to activism. After the transition to democracy, people fought to make it an official language. It’s not that people think it’s just a fun “local language”. It’s more about people having to fight for their identity. 

So when you learn Valencià today, you’re not just picking up a handy skill. You’re helping revitalize a language that people held onto despite the repression.

Won’t people just switch to Spanish on me?

Sometimes, but far less than newcomers fear, and the pattern is telling. 

In my experience, the people who switch to Spanish on you are rarely Valencian speakers themselves. More often than not, it’s people who are also foreigners, or far-right winged nationalists that believe everyone should speak Spanish. 

Actual Valencians tend to light up and happily keep going.

It’s a little complicated explaining a complex sociolingustic situation in just a blog post lol. But in my experience, I’ve never had any issues speaking Valencian to people. Every once and a while you’ll find an immigrant working at a restaurant that just moved here and doesn’t speak it yet. But that happens in any major city! 

How I started learning Valencian

First of all, let me start by saying that you don’t need to speak perfectly! Learning a language takes time. So the best thing you can do is just get rid of the fear and try your best!

Begin with the everyday courtesies like bon dia and gràcies, learn a handful of full phrases, and say them out loud from day one. Formal classes, apps, and language exchanges all help. Plus, Valencians are remarkably forgiving of mistakes once they see you’re trying.

The good news is that if you already have some Spanish, you’ve got a serious head start, since the two languages share a lot of ground. I spoke some Spanish before I moved here, and that helped quite a bit to understand the grammar. 

My process looked like this:

1. Some language-learning apps
2. A book to practice the grammar
3. Language courses at the Official School of Languages
4. Speaking and practicing with friends! 

So you can check out my guide on where to learn Valencian and my list of useful Valencian expressions. 

And don’t forget that immersion is your friend, too. Go to tandems or language exchanges and encourage people to speak to you in Valencian. And just take it one step at a time 🙂

Frequently asked questions

Kevin in València

If you’re building a life in this city, learning Valencià isn’t a chore to tick off. In my opinion, it’s the thing that turns this random city into your home. 

It’s given me better experiences, amazing friends, unexpected work opportunities, and a real sense that I belong here. It shows you respect the people who are adopting you and makes you a part of the community. 

So if you’re still working through the practical side of the move, my Spain relocation checklist, my cost of living guide, and my rundown of Spanish visa options will help you get the rest sorted.

And as always, if you have any questions, just reach out!

Fins ara, i bon viatge! — Kevin