200 Colombian Spanish Words & Phrases You'll Actually Hear
The Colombian Spanish locals actually use here in Colombia. Free, and yours to practice every day.
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Start learning ↓These words come from six years of living here
I'm Shep. These are the everyday words and phrases I've picked up over six years living in Colombia. I didn't learn Spanish in a classroom — I taught myself, on my own, before I moved here. And I've lived in five cities across four regions of the country, so I can tell you firsthand which words locals actually use day to day.
The list is built around the vocabulary you'll use most in everyday conversation — greetings, food, directions, money, and the little "power verbs" (quiero, necesito, tengo) that let you actually ask for things.
Start with two easy rules
Just these two and you'll already sound close — that's the good news about Spanish.
The vowels are different from English
Each Spanish vowel makes just one sound, every single time. Learn these five and you're most of the way there:
Say every vowel, fully
Spanish is spelled the way it sounds — so give each vowel its full little sound instead of rushing past it the way we do in English. Say them all, nice and clear, and people will understand you.
Your daily Colombian Spanish trainer
Flashcards, a quiz, and a sentence builder. Tap 🔊 to hear each word. Filter by category and drill what you need.
The words Colombians actually use
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Build the phrase — tap the words in the right order. Heads up: a few extra words are mixed in that you won't need.
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The full list: 200+ Colombian Spanish words & slang
Every word in the trainer above, written out so you can scan, search, or save it — the real local vocabulary, from six years living across four regions of Colombia. Pronunciations are an easy English approximation.
▸ Tap any section below to open its word list (246 words in 16 groups)
Greetings & hellos24 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Hola | Hello | OH-lah |
| Buenos días | Good morning | BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs |
| Buen día | Good day | bwen DEE-ah |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs |
| Buenas noches | Good evening / night | BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs |
| Feliz noche | Have a good night | feh-LEES NOH-cheh |
| Hasta luego | See you later | AHS-tah LWEH-goh |
| ¿Qué más? | What's up? (very Colombian hello) | keh MAHS |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What's your name? | KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs |
| Me llamo... | My name is... | meh YAH-moh |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you | MOO-choh GOOS-toh |
| Gracias | Thank you | GRAH-syahs |
| De nada | You're welcome | deh NAH-dah |
| Por favor | Please | por fah-VOR |
| Por supuesto | Of course / for sure | por soo-PWEHS-toh |
| Perdón | Sorry / excuse me | per-DOHN |
| Disculpe | Excuse me (to get attention) | dees-KOOL-peh |
| Con permiso | Excuse me (to pass by) | kohn per-MEE-soh |
| Lo siento | I'm sorry | loh SYEHN-toh |
| A la orden | At your service / you're welcome | ah lah OR-dehn |
| Claro | Of course / sure | KLAH-roh |
| Listo | Ready / OK / all set | LEES-toh |
| De una | For sure / let's do it | deh OO-nah |
| Oye | Hey / listen (to get attention) | OH-yeh |
Everyday conversation20 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? | KOH-moh ehs-TAHS |
| ¿Cómo vas? | How's it going? (very Colombian) | KOH-moh bahs |
| Muy bien, ¿y tú? | Very well, and you? | mwee byehn, ee too |
| ¿Cuántos años tienes? | How old are you? | KWAN-tohs AH-nyohs TYEH-nehs |
| ¿Dónde vives? | Where do you live? | DOHN-deh BEE-behs |
| ¿Qué haces? | What are you doing? | keh AH-sehs |
| ¿Comiste? | Did you eat? | koh-MEES-teh |
| ¿Qué quieres? | What do you want? | keh KYEH-rehs |
| ¿Qué necesitas? | What do you need? | keh neh-seh-SEE-tahs |
| ¿Quieres algo? | Do you want something? | KYEH-rehs AHL-goh |
| No hablo español | I don't speak Spanish | noh AH-bloh ehs-pah-NYOHL |
| No entiendo | I don't understand | noh ehn-TYEHN-doh |
| ¿Habla inglés? | Do you speak English? | AH-blah een-GLEHS |
| Español | Spanish (language) | ehs-pah-NYOHL |
| Inglés | English | een-GLEHS |
| Me gusta | I like it | meh GOOS-tah |
| Te amo | I love you | teh AH-moh |
| Mi amor | My love | mee ah-MOHR |
| Mi vida | My life (endearment) | mee BEE-dah |
| Mi corazón | My heart / my love | mee koh-rah-SOHN |
The essential basics32 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Sí | Yes | see |
| No | No | noh |
| Y | And | ee |
| O | Or | oh |
| Pero | But | PEH-roh |
| Porque | Because | POR-keh |
| Con | With | kohn |
| Sin | Without | seen |
| Hay | There is / there are (¿Hay...? = is there...?) | eye |
| Muy | Very | mwee |
| Bien | Well / fine / good | byehn |
| Mucho | A lot / much | MOO-choh |
| Poco | A little | POH-koh |
| Más | More | mahs |
| Menos | Less | MEH-nohs |
| Más o menos | More or less / so-so | mahs oh MEH-nohs |
| Algo | Something | AHL-goh |
| Nada | Nothing | NAH-dah |
| Todo | Everything / all | TOH-doh |
| También | Also / too | tahm-BYEHN |
| Aquí | Here | ah-KEE |
| Allá | There | ah-YAH |
| Ahora | Now | ah-OH-rah |
| Después | Later / after | dehs-PWEHS |
| ¿Qué? | What? | keh |
| ¿Quién? | Who? | kyehn |
| ¿Dónde? | Where? | DOHN-deh |
| ¿Cuándo? | When? | KWAN-doh |
| ¿Cómo? | How? | KOH-moh |
| ¿Por qué? | Why? | por KEH |
| ¿Cuánto? | How much? | KWAN-toh |
| ¿Cómo se dice? | How do you say...? | KOH-moh seh DEE-seh |
People & family15 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | I | yoh |
| Tú | You (casual) | too |
| Usted | You (polite — Colombians' default) | oos-TEHD |
| Mamá | Mom | mah-MAH |
| Papá | Dad | pah-PAH |
| Familia | Family | fah-MEE-lyah |
| Niños / Hijos | Children / kids | NEE-nyohs / EE-hohs |
| Esposa | Wife | ehs-POH-sah |
| Esposo | Husband | ehs-POH-soh |
| Novia | Girlfriend | NOH-vyah |
| Novio | Boyfriend | NOH-vyoh |
| Hombres | Men | OHM-brehs |
| Mujeres | Women | moo-HEH-rehs |
| Gente | People | HEN-teh |
| Señor / Señora | Sir / ma'am | seh-NYOR / seh-NYOH-rah |
Power verbs (ask for anything)9 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Soy | I am — permanent (ser) | soy |
| Estoy | I am — feeling/place (estar) | ehs-TOY |
| Tengo | I have (tener) | TEHN-goh |
| Quiero | I want (querer) | KYEH-roh |
| Necesito | I need (necesitar) | neh-seh-SEE-toh |
| Puedo | I can (poder) | PWEH-doh |
| Pido | I order / ask for (pedir) | PEE-doh |
| Voy | I'm going (ir) | boy |
| Vamos | Let's go (ir) | BAH-mohs |
Common action words8 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Caminar | To walk | kah-mee-NAHR |
| Empezar | To start | ehm-peh-SAHR |
| Descansar | To rest | dehs-kahn-SAHR |
| Lavar ropa | To wash clothes | lah-BAHR ROH-pah |
| Dormir | To sleep | dohr-MEER |
| Bañar | To bathe / shower | bah-NYAHR |
| Siéntate | Sit down | SYEHN-tah-teh |
| Ven | Come here | behn |
Food & drink (order like a local)20 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Comida | Food | koh-MEE-dah |
| Comer | To eat | koh-MEHR |
| Desayuno | Breakfast | deh-sah-YOO-noh |
| Almuerzo | Lunch | ahl-MWEHR-soh |
| Cenar | To have dinner | seh-NAHR |
| Pollo | Chicken | POH-yoh |
| Carne | Meat / beef | KAR-neh |
| Pescado | Fish | pehs-KAH-doh |
| Queso | Cheese | KEH-soh |
| Rico | Delicious (also nice/great) | REE-koh |
| Para llevar | To go / takeout | PAH-rah yeh-VAHR |
| Agua | Water | AH-gwah |
| Agua con gas | Sparkling water | AH-gwah kohn gahs |
| Gaseosa | Soda | gah-seh-OH-sah |
| Café | Coffee | kah-FEH |
| Tinto | Small black coffee (what locals order) | TEEN-toh |
| Vino | Wine | BEE-noh |
| Cerveza | Beer | sehr-BEH-sah |
| Pitillo | Straw (the Colombian word) | pee-TEE-yoh |
| Servilleta | Napkin | sehr-bee-YEH-tah |
Money & shopping12 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much does it cost? | KWAN-toh KWEHS-tah |
| Caro | Expensive | KAH-roh |
| Barato | Cheap / inexpensive | bah-RAH-toh |
| Plata | Money (the everyday Colombian word) | PLAH-tah |
| Tarjeta | Card (bank/credit) | tar-HEH-tah |
| Datáfono | Card payment terminal — You'll hear it said 'tadáfono' too. | dah-TAH-foh-noh |
| ¿Me regalas...? | Could I have...? (polite Colombian) | meh reh-GAH-lahs |
| Ropa | Clothes | ROH-pah |
| Zapatos | Shoes | sah-PAH-tohs |
| Gafas de sol | Sunglasses | GAH-fahs deh sohl |
| Equipaje | Luggage | eh-kee-PAH-heh |
| Buscando | Looking for | boos-KAHN-doh |
Directions & getting around19 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Autobús / Bus | Bus | ow-toh-BOOS / boos |
| Terminal de buses | Bus terminal (not 'estación' — that's for trains) | tehr-mee-NAHL deh BOO-sehs |
| Aeropuerto | Airport | ah-eh-roh-PWER-toh |
| Ciudad | City | syoo-DAHD |
| Quiero ir a... | I want to go to... | KYEH-roh eer ah |
| Para llegar | To get to | PAH-rah yeh-GAHR |
| Derecho | Straight ahead | deh-REH-choh |
| Derecha | Right | deh-REH-chah |
| Izquierda | Left | ees-KYEHR-dah |
| Arriba | Up | ah-REE-bah |
| Abajo | Down | ah-BAH-hoh |
| Norte | North | NOR-teh |
| Sur | South | soor |
| Este | East | EHS-teh |
| Oeste | West | oh-EHS-teh |
| Sigue | Continue / go on | SEE-geh |
| En camino | On the way | ehn kah-MEE-noh |
| Empuje | Push (door sign) | ehm-POO-heh |
| Hale | Pull (door sign — Colombian) | AH-leh |
Places around town17 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Casa | House / home | KAH-sah |
| Apartamento | Apartment | ah-par-tah-MEHN-toh |
| Hotel | Hotel | oh-TEHL |
| Piso | Floor / storey | PEE-soh |
| Ascensor | Elevator | ah-sehn-SOHR |
| Escalera | Stairs / escalator | ehs-kah-LEH-rah |
| Supermercado | Supermarket | soo-pehr-mehr-KAH-doh |
| Centro comercial | Shopping mall | SEN-troh koh-mehr-SYAHL |
| Tienda | Store / shop | TYEHN-dah |
| Restaurante | Restaurant | rehs-tow-RAHN-teh |
| Farmacia | Pharmacy | far-MAH-syah |
| Hospital | Hospital | ohs-pee-TAHL |
| Iglesia | Church | ee-GLEH-syah |
| Museo | Museum | moo-SEH-oh |
| Playa | Beach | PLAH-yah |
| Discoteca | Nightclub | dees-koh-TEH-kah |
| Baño | Bathroom | BAH-nyoh |
Numbers & time25 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Uno | One | OO-noh |
| Dos | Two | dohs |
| Tres | Three | trehs |
| Cuatro | Four | KWAH-troh |
| Cinco | Five | SEEN-koh |
| Seis | Six | seys |
| Siete | Seven | SYEH-teh |
| Ocho | Eight | OH-choh |
| Nueve | Nine | NWEH-beh |
| Diez | Ten | dyehs |
| Hoy | Today | oy |
| Mañana | Tomorrow / morning | mah-NYAH-nah |
| Día | Day | DEE-ah |
| Semana | Week | seh-MAH-nah |
| Hora | Hour / time | OH-rah |
| ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? | keh OH-rah ehs |
| Lunes | Monday | LOO-nehs |
| Martes | Tuesday | MAR-tehs |
| Miércoles | Wednesday | MYEHR-koh-lehs |
| Jueves | Thursday | HWEH-behs |
| Viernes | Friday | BYEHR-nehs |
| Sábado | Saturday | SAH-bah-doh |
| Domingo | Sunday | doh-MEEN-goh |
| Día festivo | Public holiday | DEE-ah fehs-TEE-boh |
| Día libre | Day off | DEE-ah LEE-breh |
Weather9 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Calor | Heat / hot | kah-LOHR |
| Frío | Cold | FREE-oh |
| Lluvia | Rain | YOO-byah |
| Aire | Air / A/C | EYE-reh |
| Luz | Light / electricity | loos |
| Verano | Summer (in Colombia: the dry season) | beh-RAH-noh |
| Invierno | Winter (in Colombia: the rainy season) | een-BYEHR-noh |
| Primavera | Spring | pree-mah-BEH-rah |
| Otoño | Fall / autumn | oh-TOH-nyoh |
Health & the body11 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Me siento... | I feel... | meh SYEHN-toh |
| Estoy enfermo | I am sick | ehs-TOY ehn-FEHR-moh |
| Feliz | Happy | feh-LEES |
| Me alegro | I'm glad | meh ah-LEH-groh |
| Mal | Bad / badly | mahl |
| Tengo hambre | I'm hungry | TEHN-goh AHM-breh |
| Tengo sed | I'm thirsty | TEHN-goh sehd |
| Tengo sueño | I'm sleepy | TEHN-goh SWEH-nyoh |
| Salud | Health (also 'cheers' / 'bless you') | sah-LOOD |
| Medicina | Medicine | meh-dee-SEE-nah |
| Cara | Face — Also 'rostro' in more formal speech. | KAH-rah |
Safety words8 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Ayuda | Help | ah-YOO-dah |
| Policía | Police | poh-lee-SEE-ah |
| Ladrón | Thief | lah-DROHN |
| Perdí algo | I lost something | pehr-DEE AHL-goh |
| ¿Perdiste algo? | Did you lose something? | pehr-DEES-teh AHL-goh |
| Llamar / Llamada | To call / a call | yah-MAHR / yah-MAH-dah |
| Teléfono | Phone | teh-LEH-foh-noh |
| No dar papaya | Don't be an easy target (stay street-smart) | noh dar pah-PAH-yah |
Colombian slang words7 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Chévere | Cool / great | CHEH-beh-reh |
| Bacano | Awesome / cool | bah-KAH-noh |
| Parce | Friend / dude (casual) | PAR-seh |
| Rumba | Party / night out | ROOM-bah |
| Música | Music | MOO-see-kah |
| Música en vivo | Live music | MOO-see-kah ehn BEE-boh |
| Bote | Boat | BOH-teh |
Handy extras10 words
| Spanish | What it means | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Dios | God | dyohs |
| Bendiciones | Blessings | behn-dee-SYOH-nehs |
| Favorito | Favorite | fah-boh-REE-toh |
| Negro | Black (color) | NEH-groh |
| Cosa | Thing | KOH-sah |
| ¿Cuánto mide? | How tall / what size is it? | KWAN-toh MEE-deh |
| Bueno | Good | BWEH-noh |
| Malo | Bad | MAH-loh |
| Grande | Big | GRAHN-deh |
| Pequeño | Small | peh-KEH-nyoh |
Three more sounds, now that you're rolling
These three make the difference between sounding close and sounding natural — worth getting right.
The accent mark shows the stress
That little mark (´) is an accent mark, and it tells you exactly which syllable to say with extra emphasis — a little louder and stronger: ca-FÉ, a-DIÓS. No accent mark? A safe bet is to emphasize the second-to-last syllable.
Two quiet letters
The letter H is always silent — you skip right over it and land on the next sound. So hola starts on the "o": OH-la. And here in Colombia, c and z are said as a soft "s" — none of Spain's "th."
A few more that matter
ll and y sound like "y" (pollo = "PO-yo"). ñ — the n with the little wave on top — is "ny," like in "canyon." j, and g before e or i, are a soft throaty "h." And rr is the fun rolled one — rrrr.
Free guide + a printable 175-word Spanish cheat sheet
Learning the words because Colombia's on your mind? Drop your email for my free Colombia Field Guide — real budgets, the visa paths, and the best cities from six years living here — now with a bonus appendix of 175+ more Colombian words & phrases (the ones that come after the 200 above), grouped by real-life situations and ready to print. The 200 words above stay free either way.
Ready for the next step?
You've got the words. Here's how to actually use them in Colombia.
Free Colombia Field Guide
Learning the language because Colombia's on your mind? Start here — real budgets, the visa paths, and the best cities, from six years living here. Free.
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All free, all built from six years living here.
Learning Colombian Spanish — FAQ
Is Colombian Spanish different from "regular" Spanish?
Same grammar, different flavor. Colombians use seseo — the c/z is a plain "s," never Spain's "th" — and there's local vocabulary you won't find in a textbook: tinto (black coffee), parce (friend), pitillo (straw), a la orden (at your service). That's exactly what this trainer teaches.
Can I really speak Spanish after learning 200 words?
More than you'd think — and it's the difference between feeling lost and feeling welcome. You'll handle daily life, order what you want, ask for help, and locals will open right up the moment they hear you trying. Full-on conversations come a little later, once you add verb tenses and practice (a tutor makes that quick) — but these 200 words are the foundation everything else is built on. It's the best first step there is.
A Colombian used a different word than the one I learned — why?
Spanish often has several words for one thing, and they shift by region, formality, and age — face is cara in everyday speech but rostro when it's formal. Don't panic; you'll still be understood, and you'll learn the local words quickly. (I also left some words off on purpose — anything you can just point at or mime, you don't need to memorize for now.)
How many words do I need to hold a conversation?
Roughly 2,000 high-frequency words plus a little grammar covers most everyday speech. That's the ladder: 50 → 200 → 2,000. These 200 are the foundation, and the words here are chosen because they're the ones you'll use most in daily conversations.
How did you learn Spanish?
Self-taught, with flash cards and quizzes like on this page, and then spending over six years in Medellín, Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, and Pereira — no interpreter, plenty of mistakes, and Colombian friends who corrected me. That's why this list is the real local vocabulary, used by native speakers.
GeoGringo is honest, first-hand experience — a learning aid, not a certified language course. Pronunciations are simplified for English speakers and regional variation is normal. For real conversational practice, work with a native speaker.
