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In our opinion, one of the best ways to become more connected with a place is to learn the local language. Now we aren’t saying you need to become fluent - that takes months, if not years to do. What we are saying is that even learning the most basic terms will go a long way in helping you not only connect with a place better, but also make your travels much (much) easier.
In Colombia and most of South America, the official - and most common - language is Spanish. In fact, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world with almost 450 million people saying it is their mother tongue (Chinese is first and English is third). Similarly, 21 countries around the world - including in Europe, North America and Africa - have Spanish as their official language. Plus, knowing Spanish will probably help you in the long run as some experts expect that in the coming years almost 10% of the entire world’s population will speak and understand Spanish (which is a big leap from the current 6%).
Learning the language of your location - or of locations, you are hoping to visit - will not only make you a better traveler, but it will also help you travel better (and easier). Now we know learning a new language can be hard (believe us we are working on it right now), but let us let you in on a little secret: learning a new language is muuuuuch easier when you are totally immersed in it.
So if you are planning on exploring a Spanish-speaking destination (one of the 21), we suggest doing a bit of learning beforehand and then just diving in headfirst once you arrive. These basic terms below are a great place to start.
\\ Quick Tips on Learning Spanish (Espanol)
Below are a few key things that you need to first wrap your head around when starting to learn Spanish.
FEMININE VS MASCULINE
Spanish is a gendered language, something it inherited from its Latin origins. This means adjectives will usually end in either a (for females) or o (for males). For example, alta (female, tall) and alto (male, tall).
TENSES
Spanish also has more tenses than English (I, you, he/she, we). So it is important to understand how that will change verbs. Here is a quick breakdown (note, this is very surface level):
| yo (I) = o, oy (tengo, bebo, soy)
| tu (you) = as, es (tienes, bebes, eres)
| el/ella (he, she) = a, e (tiene, bebe, es)
| nosotros (we) = omos (tenemos, bebemos, somos)
Once you have those two ideas in your head, it is time to start actually learning basic Spanish terms. The words and phrases below are terms that we have found ourselves using time and time again while visiting Latin America.
\\ Greetings
Hello | Hola
Goodbye | Adios
Good morning/afternoon/night | Buenos dias/tardes/noches
How are you? | Como estas?
Good | Bien
Bad | Mal
What is your name? | Que es tu nombre?
My name is… | Mi llamo...
Excuse me | Perdon (excuse me, can I have some help) or Disculpe (excuse me can I get through)
I don’t understand | No entiendo
I’m sorry | Lo siento
I don’t speak Spanish | No hablo espanol
Do you speak English? | Hablas ingles?
\\ Shopping
How much is it? | Cuanto cuesta?
Yes | Si
No | No
Please | Por favor
Thank You | Gracias
You are welcome | De nada
Too expensive | Demasiado cara(o)
Cash | Efectivo
Credit Card | Tarjeta de credito
\\ Basic Numbers
1 | uno
2 | dos
3 | tres
4 | cuatro
5 | cinco
6 | seis
7 | siete
8 | ocho
9 | nueve
10 | diez
20 | viente
50 | cincuenta
100 | cien
GOOD TO KNOW: in Colombia, the currency is quite big ($1 = ~3808 Colombian pesos). So everything is combined with mil (1,000). So 20,000 = viente (20) mil; 2,000 = dos mil.
\\ Food & Drink
What is it? | Que es?
What | Que
I would like… (I want) | Yo quiero
No thank you | No gracias
I don’t like | No me gusta
With | Con
Without | Sin
Water | Agua
Milk | Leche
Coffee | Cafe
Beer | Cerveza
Wine | Vino
Meat | Carne
Cheese | Queso
\\ Getting Around and Traveling
Where is… | Donde esta...
Where is the bathroom | Dónde está el baño
Money exchange | Cambio de dinero
Money | Dinero
Restaurant | Restaurante
Cafe (coffee shop) | Cafe
Market | Mercado
Grocery Store (supermarket) | Supermercado
\\ Specific Phrases in Colombia
While the primary language in Colombia is of course Spanish, there are various words that have become the norm in the country that you might not find in other areas. This is mainly because there is such a strong influence from various other cultures and regions, especially the Caribbean and Africa.
Short greeting, used to approve/confirm something | Aja!
All that is nice and likable | Bacano
Burnt rice that usually sticks to the bottom of the pan, served with gravy | Cucayo
Short of compadres, which means friend, mate, and buddy | Compa
Good, pleasant, and nice | Chevere
A person who likes the local “champetuo” music, which is a music genre based on African and Caribbean rhythms (can also mean a loud, flashy person) | Champetuo
To be hungry to the point of starving | Filo
Cold beer | Fria
Short version of “no hombre” which means no man, or a denial of something (note: the longer you hold the word - noooooombre - the stronger the disagreement) | Nombe
Friend, buddy or pal; someone who is close to you. Often used with mi or my: mi vale, my friend | Vale
Learning a new language takes time and a lot of effort and dedication. But the payoff is massive - especially when traveling in a place that speaks that language. Like we mentioned previously, a great way to learn a language is to be fully immersed in it. For us, even though we both took Spanish classes in school, it wasn’t until we spent three months in Peru that it really clicked.
These basic terms are not nearly the same as learning the language fluently - but they are terms that we have used countless times while traveling around Latin America. They will help you connect with the locals on a more personal level, and help you travel around more easily. Because who doesn’t want that?
Note: just like any other skill, it takes practice and dedication to learn a new language. That is why we use Duolingo pretty much every day. Duolingo is a free app (not the pro version) that is super intuitive to learning Spanish. Plus, it is kind of fun :)
PACKING ESSENTIALS FOR ADVENTURING
| Reusable water bottle: we love LARQ water bottles since they are the world's first self-cleaning water bottle and water purification system. Plus, they are rechargeable!
| Eco-friendly sunscreen: we love MadHippie sunscreen because it’s cruelty-free, vegan, broad spectrum, and reef safe. And even better, they donate $1 for every purchase to conservation efforts.
| Allbirds shoes: comfortable shoes can make or break an adventure or travel day, these eco-conscious and cozy shoes from Allbirds have been our faves for years.
► Find our full sustainable travel packing list here.
STAYING SAFE & PLANNING AHEAD
| SafetyWing: make sure you are staying safe with this easy-to-sign-up health insurance that is specifically meant for digital nomads. You can even sign up once you are already abroad.
| WayAway: this flight aggregator helps travelers find the best rates on airline tickets.
| BusBud: explore millions of bus routes and destinations in one easy-to-use search; plus, you can compare prices and book your tickets online.
| Rentalcars.com: check out the world’s biggest online car rental service that is available in over 150 countries worldwide.
| iVisa: this site helps make sure you have all the necessary documents and entry requirements while traveling.
| Wise: an app that makes it super easy to transfer money between currencies while abroad.