Most closely related:
* Portuguese: This is considered the closest language to Spanish, with a high level of mutual intelligibility.
* Catalan: Spoken in Catalonia, Spain, and parts of France, it is also very close to Spanish, with some speakers able to understand each other without much difficulty.
Other closely related languages:
* Galician: Spoken in Galicia, Spain, and parts of Portugal, it shares many features with Portuguese and Spanish.
* Romanian: While not as close as the other languages listed, Romanian is still relatively close to Spanish, sharing a common Latin ancestor.
* French: French and Spanish are less mutually intelligible, but share a common ancestry.
* Italian: Similar to French, Italian shares many features with Spanish and has a significant level of mutual intelligibility.
It's important to note:
* The degree of closeness between these languages varies. While Portuguese and Catalan are considered to be very close to Spanish, French and Italian are further away.
* Mutual intelligibility depends on a variety of factors, including the specific dialects of the languages being spoken, the speakers' level of experience with other languages, and the context of the conversation.
Overall, Spanish is part of a large family of Romance languages, all sharing a common Latin ancestor. This makes it possible to find similarities and connections with other Romance languages, even if they are not as closely related as Portuguese and Catalan.